Firenze--day one {travelogue}

i should really keep a food journal

not in the way that you think

i don't want it to scold myself

but to

extol the pleasures of each and every bite

lovely lines filled with prose

explanations of the blissful moment

that fork meets mouth

i would show it to my internist

as i step on the scale

so he might be so wrapped in envy

he'd forget to scold

fat chance

literally

today was our first full day in italy

we rented an apartment

both for economy and luxury

i like to fill a fridge

beverages

fresh fruit

yogurt

and other simple provisions

so each meal isn't eaten out

and

we can enjoy lazy mornings reading the local paper

or catching up on email

those gorgeous hotel breakfasts served in europe are mostly lost on me

i like to ease into my day

and an apartment in the heart of the city 

affords me that luxury

and

as luck would have it

for longer stays the cost savings can be quite extraordinary

we dropped in to the local market last evening and stocked the fridge

this morning, i popped down to our local bakery and fruit stand to pick up a couple of things for breakfast

i made a pot of coffee

set up breakfast on the veranda

and enjoyed our

beautiful view of the duomo

these incredible fragoline

(wild strawberries from sicily)

are tiny and pure white on the inside

and are sweet as they are small

with pure strawberry flavor

we are drying a few on the counter

so we can bring them back home to plant

hopefully they will germinate

post breakfast we walked, and walked, and walked some more

this town is crowded

people everywhere

i was in school here in the 1980s and for the last decade or so

i've tried to make it back every year

each time

there are larger crowds

the secret is definitely out

but

i do still feel the charm of a city i loved in my youth

speaking of the secret being out

we had lunch at one of my favorite spots

it used to be a sleepy little place

in a lesser known square on the oltroarno

partly by my own fault (telling anyone who would listen)

partly because of it hitting the guidebook circuit

it has become very, very popular

surprisingly

the prices remain low

and 

the quality high

osteria santo spirito

is a true gem

with simple yet delicious food

i always get the gnocchi tartufo

(small portion--still enough to share)

with a small salad

gnocchi

salad

the restaurant shared with me the ingredients for the gnocchi..but not the recipe.  i have successfully duplicated the sauce  both with pasta and potatoes. i may be persuaded to share!

mike went with the rabbit cacciatore

which was equally delicious

on our way back to the apartment

we stopped in at the gallileo museum

it is a relatively small space

filled with the most amazing instruments

used in applied sciences

like this early thermometer

which beautifully marries

form and function

it also houses

gallileo's mummified finger

if you are looking for a draw for your teenage son

or 

fully grown husband

the day progressed with more walking

an afternoon relax

and

this

ginormous steak

bistecca fiorentina

it is over 2lbs of dry aged beef

fired grilled

3 inches thick

medium rare on the exterior

and 

blood rare inside

juicy and tender

a must try

while just about everyone serves a version of this steak in florence

not everyone does it well

if you find a bargain

it may just taste like a bargain

it is a treat

so treat yourself

skimp tomorrow

we enjoyed ours at

buca mario

an old establishment

with cloth napkins

and attentive service

they are lovely

and the food is delicious

pair with a nice barolo

and

dig in

*be nice while you are there, and they may give you a restaurant apron...just like the one they gave me!

tomorrow we are off on a day trip to pisa and lucca

historic sights and olive oil

what more is there in life?

besides

meals

lots more meals

and i will share them all with you

but if you run into my doctor

just mention you heard i was doing a lot of walking

oh

and drinking lots of water

that's a good distraction

civediamo!

the french truffle {chocolate}

i do love the simplicity 

of a unfussed

truffle

no gild

or

frill

just quality chocolate

a bit of cream

a splash of cognac

a wisp of sea salt

and

butter

dipped and dusted

the french truffle

(printable recipe)

9 oz bittersweet chocolate (min 65%)

6 oz heavy cream

pinch sea salt

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs cognac

*chocolate for coating and cocoa powder (or powdered sugar) for dusting

bring heavy cream and sea salt to a simmer over low heat.  place chocolate bits in a large bowl.  cut the butter into small pieces and place in bowl with chocolate.  remove cream from heat and swirl in cognac until incorporated. pour over the chocolate bits and allow to sit 1 minute before stirring.  stir until the chocolate and butter is melted and fully incorporated into the cream.  the mixture should be thick.  allow to sit at room temperature until it hardens enough to form into balls. 

using a small ice cream scoop, or melon baller, form filling into balls. roll them between your palms until they are perfectly round.  allow to sit out (or place in the refrigerator) until they harden up again. if you put in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature. 

at this point, you may roll them directly into the cocoa powder or powdered sugar.  i like to enrobe mine in chocolate. it gives them the rough exterior as well as helps preserve the delicate filling.  

to enrobe:

it is not required to use tempered chocolate for this particular truffle because you will be rolling it immediately in cocoa powder. it is however, important that you do not heat your chocolate to too high a temperature otherwise it will not harden back up properly.  using a microwave safe bowl, cook about 8 oz of chocolate pieces 30 seconds at a time in the microwave.  after the first 30 seconds, check the heat of the bowl. if it is really hot, you can melt the chocolate in its residual heat.  remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the chocolate. if it melts completely, then you are done. if it doesn't melt at all...cook for another 30 seconds...if it is almost melted, go down to 10 second increments and watch to make sure that it doesn't get too hot.

when you are ready, place a shallow bowl of cocoa powder next to your bowl of melted chocolate.  dip each truffle in the melted chocolate, then immediately drop into the cocoa powder.  coat it completely, then remove to a lined baking sheet to cool.  i do not recommend putting the truffles in the refrigerator before or after dipping (to harden) because it can cause the filling to expand and contract, and break through the coating.  they should do fine at room temperature to firm up. I do however,  recommend refrigeration for longer term storage.  

you can also freeze the filling (once you have them formed into balls) well sealed for up to a month.  remove them and allow them to defrost in the refrigerator, then come to room temperature before dipping, being careful to remove any condensation.

white truffles of umbria

as you may have figured

i am mid-term into an italian holiday

luckily

the bulk of our trip is in umbria

more luck

it is truffle season

the white truffles of umbria 

are highly fragrant

and prized

i met a purveyor this afternoon

and was able to get a few knobs for myself

the truffle hunter gave me a little tip

to store the truffles in a large container

aside 2 or 3 raw eggs in their shell

after several days

the eggs themselves will taste of truffle

i'll let you know

how it goes

Je Sweets

get it?

it is a play on je suis

which is almost the extent of my french language knowledge

almost

as part of my real life

i am on the board of a private high school

which means

i do a bit of donating

this year

the big gala had a

french 

theme

with a french market

 i donated a  little something

for the auction

a Madeline Birthday Party for 8

and

for the french market

i did a sweets table

modeled after

a sweet shoppe

i frequent

in my dreams

you can get the recipe for the 

marshmallows

here

and the 

truffles

here

* hubster made my signage, stickers

and the template for the eiffel  tower

bon bon!

( i have no clue if that is even french, but if i were french, which i am not, i would make it the newest french catch-phrase)

O is for Orbs of Chocolate!

i'm kinda cheating

i am so busy this week

making sweets for a charity event

but

as luck would have it

the menu includes

truffles

hence

Orbs of Chocolate

every surface of my kitchen

is topped with trays

filled with deep dark

orbs 

of 

creamy

rich

bittersweet

chocolates

waiting for a home

in someone

else's

belly

French Chocolate
(printable recipe)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch kosher salt

9 oz bittersweet (60% minimum) chocolate chips

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 generous Tbs cognac

To Coat:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

On the stove top, over medium heat, bring the cream and salt to a simmer.  Turn off heat and dump in the 9 oz of chocolate, butter, vanilla and cognac.  Let sit for a minute or two, then stir to combine.  Place in a shallow pan or bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator to set.  When it is firm, using a melon scoop, small ice cream scoop, or spoon to form balls. Place in the refrigerator if they start to get too soft.  Meanwhile, melt 4 oz chocolate over a double boiler or in 30 second increments in the microwave. You do not want to overheat this...just get it melted.  Put the cocoa in a shallow bowl.  Dip each truffle into the melted chocolate, then roll in cocoa.  Place on a sheetpan to harden.  Keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.  You should allow to come to room temperature for eating.

Day Four and Counting!

Give-a-way number 4

and it is food

sweet food

made by my own hand

Today's give-a-way
 2 gifties of caramels (approximately 1 dozen in each pkg)

and 

1 dozen dreamy creamy chocolate truffles

all wrapped up and ready to give as a prezzie

or eat yourself
your call

*while the products do not contain nuts they are made in a kitchen and with utensils that are exposed to nuts, milk, soy, gluten.  Please use your judgement.

**these products are made with dairy products including milk and butter

And Now

how to win....

apologies to my international readers, I can only ship within the USA

How to Enter

1. you must be a follower

and if you are: you are automatically entered

2. you can get a second entry by making a comment

3. and a third entry by linking to this give-away on your blog 

(please let me know in your comment that you did)

4.  If you are on my "push-list" and get a notice when I publish a new post: you will be automatically entered.

Entries will be accepted until Midnight December 16th, 2009 PST. Winner will be randomly chosen on December 17th.

Good Luck

to find the other days...
click here, here, and here

THIS GIVE-A-WAY IS NOW CLOSED

Five Days of Give-Aways....

I have been playing with the idea of give-a-way for some time now...

...and I thought since the holidays are here..

...and people are tightening the purse strings a bit

it might be a good time to do a bit of a give-a-way

Today is the first day of 5

When I was in Italy, I picked up some extra goodies and one of them is this

This is white truffle paste

and it is very dear

and delicious

and despite what it looks like

it is NOT toothpaste.

* it is a 30gr tube

and it can be yours

but only if you live in the USA

(sorry)

How to win

1. you must be a follower

and if you are: you are automatically entered

2. you can get a second entry by making a comment

3. and a third entry by linking to this give-away on your blog 

(please let me know in your comment that you did)

4.  If you are on my "push-list" and get a notice when I publish a new post: you will be automatically entered.

Entries will be accepted until Midnight December 15th, 2009 PST. Winner will be randomly chosen on December 16th.

Good Luck

and look for another give-away tomorrow

now closed

adventures in truffle hunting

I've heard it said that golf is a good walk wasted.  That may be true, but truffle hunting is a great walk, enhanced.

Silvano and Marcello (our guide) 

I have said in a previous blog that I only discovered truffles as an adult. Before that I didn't know they existed, or that they were a precious commodity.  
Now I know both.  
And I think I know why.
Truffle hunting is a business.  Most hunters wouldn't allow anyone, let alone someone with a video camera along. The risk of another hunter discovering where truffles are hidden is great.  This is not a hobby, it is a livelihood, and I came to respect that as we took our wonderful and bit strenuous 3 hour walk through the woods. Due to this, I have chosen not to post the video of our adventure. Sorry. 


Silvano and his sons gather from the land what they can.  They hunt truffle, collect chestnuts and forage for porcini mushrooms. All of these things are available locally, essentially in their back yard.  Silvano has been a truffle hunter for 35+ years.  Every day, during the season, for 5 hours, he takes a walk with his dogs.  He directs them to areas that have been successful in the past, and he watches them closely.  An enthusiastic dog might swallow a truffle, if his master doesn't get there quickly enough.
Truffles are very expensive.  Fancy restaurants think nothing of charging $100 for a pasta starter with shaved truffle. A white truffle can cost you upwards of about $6000 a pound. So imagine my surprise, when we arrived at Silvano's home after our morning of truffle mania, to see a jar loaded with the stuff. 

 I turned to my sister and said, "am I dead?"

The smell of the ground, where a truffle lay, is intoxicating.  It smells like a symphony of heaven and earth. I just couldn't believe my nose when one of the dogs unearthed one.  As I approached the scene, I could smell the truffle...as clear as day.  It was astounding.
After our beautiful walk in the woods, and our unearthing of 2 small truffle bits...we headed to Silvano's house for afternoon supper.

Our walk in the woods

sporti hanging out

What a beautiful place.  Can you imagine anything more beautiful?  Well, I can.  And it wasn't nature, it was nurture.  When we arrived at Silvano's house most of his family were there to greet us. He has 3 sons and two of them joined us for lunch, along with the most charming Beatrice--Silvano's granddaughter.  She was off school because of a strike.  Silvano's wife had been preparing all morning for our arrival.  The dining table was set with care and the kitchen was brimming with activity.  Everything Margherita put on the table was made either in her house, or in a house nearby.  She makes her own bread and her own pasta, by hand.

No machines.  There are chickens in the back for eggs.

Andrea, Silvano's son and Beatrice's father makes the family salami.  He gave us a great explanation on how-to and inspired us, for the time being. When reality set in...that we don't have a cantina or basement or any cool dark place to cure and dry it, we began to think of great places to buy salami.  So, one of the specialities of Bologna is the ragu bolognese.  I presented a recipe here.  Margherita served it with tagliatelle and truffles. She put a bit of fresh truffle in the sauce as it was near the end of cooking, and then Andrea shaved additional portions as it was served.  MY OH MY!

 And because everyone follows up pasta with potatoes...I know it is one of my favorite combinations.  We followed with a gratin of potatoes with truffle cooked in and more shaved truffle on top
What Margherita was trying to do was show us how to use the precious truffle.  When I told her that we have truffle ice cream, cookies, cheese, oil, honey, macaroni and cheese, etc, etc...it was if I was telling her that we par-boil kittens.  In this house, and in much of what I could ascertain in the region, truffles are meant to be eaten with only a few items.  Items that can stand up to the depth of the truffle, but will also allow the truffle to shine.  Putting it in macaroni and cheese is like taking a gold nugget and dipping it in silver.  I was schooled.  But I can't promise I will mend my ways completely.  I can honestly say I won't be making truffle ice cream or cookies, but I did make killer truffle potato chips the other night....

Andrea's handmade salami

the family gathered around the table

After a long lunch, with lots of laughter and stories being told, we were ready for dessert.  Again, Margherita came through with some delicious homemade delights.

She made a cookie called zuccherini.  My mom has been describing a cookie my grandma made when my mom was a little girl.  She had never been able to duplicate the taste or texture of that cookie.  Today, my mother was whisked back to her small kitchen in the Bronx.  The cookies were exactly as she remembered.  She was delighted when Margherita packed a bag of them for us to take back to our hotel with us!

zuccherini

This family was lovely.  They love food and they live life to the fullest.  They welcomed us into their home as if we were relatives. At one point in the afternoon, I just sat back and watched and listened. And I too was brought back to my childhood.  It felt as if it were Sunday afternoon on my Aunt Rose's summer porch.  The men and women breaking bread and celebrating life.  A memory brought back and revived.

Truffle Kerfuffle

I have been cooking for about as long as I can remember. I prepared my first family dinner of chicken cacciatore when I was about 8...and it was fabulous :). Every summer my grandparents (both sides) would come and visit us. They lived in New York, we were in California...and such a trek required a long stay. They'd show up every June for 3 months. Mind you, our house wasn't small. It started small, but made its way to the "winchester mystery mansion" category as the years went on. It seemed whenever my dad found a few scheckles in his pocket, he would add a room, change a room, or pave a room. No matter how big the house got, it never seemed large enough to house the 4 extra people, plus various tag-a-longs.
So...I spent every summer on the couch. And, in my swim suit...i would sleep in it, get up in the morning, go to the pool...come home, sleep in it...
My mom was too busy entertaining to pay attention...and I took full advantage. I am sure it rendered me infertile, but who thinks about that at 9?
The extended family visit was all about sitting in the sun, playing gin and eating. When I say eating, it's not oh, i think I will have a sandwich. It's waking up to the smell of lunch cooking before you've even had breakfast. Every evening ended with cake, coffee and fruit. Dinner menu planning was constant, full stomach or not..it was a priority. I find myself doing that now and think...you're such a pig, no wonder you love truffles.

I didn't discover truffles until I was living in Seattle in the early 90's. I spent a year in Italy and never had a truffle. Could be because I was on a paupers income. Well, that's not really fair. I had a certain amount to spend every month and I spent it on traveling, gelato and alcohol. I didn't frequent the type of restaurants that served truffles. Shocker.

I love Seattle...that city rocks and rains and rocks again. I lived in a neighborhood called Madison Park. I had a lovely apartment with a view of the lake and the traffic. I barely spent any time in it. In Seattle, it's not strange to see people walking...to the store, to a restaurant, to Pike Place. And on Saturdays, that is exactly what I would do. Coffee at Tully's (the best)... a walk up and over the hill...stopping at little shops along the way...then a downhill swoop directly to Pikes Place Market. PPM is so much more than just the guys who throw fish. It is a treasure trove. It was there that I first discovered the intoxicating truffle.

There was a friendly purveyor who noticed I was smiling. Rather than run away from me, thinking I was insane (remind me to tell you about the lady who saw aparitions when I was a eucharistic minister), he engaged me in conversation. "hey smiley" he said..."why are you so happy?". And I didn't know...I just was. That is what Seattle does for me. It probably was because it was the first day in months that it didn't rain...but I didn't know for sure then, and I don't know now. And then he showed me something...
a box of rice
and in the rice were these rough round orbs
and that's when my love affair began
I don't remember his name, but I remember his hands, dipping into the rice and one by one pulling out the edible gold. I signed my 401k over to him, and that was that.
I coveted the truffle...so much actually...that it rotted.

Throughout the years, the truffle has become more popular and more readily available. Still, I prefer to get my truffle oil from Italy. I can always trust that it will be pure and potent. I have tried to purchase it from import stores here in the states and found many of them to only smell like truffle and taste like grapeseed oil. Truffle oil needs to hit you smack in the olfactory...not linger in the air like cheap eau de toillet. Here's the deal...spend the money and then use it.
Some of my favorites are
Truffle Honey. Amazing on cheese, or whisked with a bit of orange juice and used to glaze chicken, cornish hen or pheasant.
Truffle Salt. Get a piece of triple cream cheese and sprinkle on top and serve on a cheese platter. Use in place of salt in your pastry and put on top of chicken pot pie. Mix in unsalted butter and use it in scrambled eggs.
Truffle Oil I prefer white, but everyone's palate is different. Testing and tasting is the only way to know which suits you best. Use it in your mashed potatoes, float it on top of french onion soup, or mushroom melange. Truffle macaroni and cheese had been on my to-try list forever. I recently had the opportunity to create my own version at a family dinner. It was a hit, so I pass the recipe on to you. Pace yourself, it's good, but it is full of fat and calories. I'd say a Tablespoon has your daily requirement!
Truffle Mac and Cheese

1/2" piece of pancetta--diced
2 cloves garlic—finely chopped
½ medium onion—finely chopped
3 Tbs dry white wine

3 cups milk (2% or whole--warmed
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup shredded asiago
1 cup shredded raclette
1 cup truffle cheese (hard or semi-hard)--chunked
dash Worcestershire sauce


1/2 cup cream
2 Tbs Truffle oil + more for drizzle
1-2 lbs cooked pasta
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp truffle salt or 1 tsp truffle oil
thinly shaved black truffle (optional)

Slowly brown the pancetta. Just as it begins to sweat, add onions. As onions begin to get a bit yellow, add the garlic. When the pancetta begins to get crispy and the onions begin to golden, add wine. Bring the heat up a bit and add the butter. Once melted, add flour and stir to create a roux. Make a light roux, cooking until flour loses it's grainy taste, but before it begins to brown. 5 minutes should do it. Add milk. You do not have to warm or heat it...it will speed the process up if you do, but if you want to start with ice cold milk and save a pot...you can. Add milk and whisk to combine. Heat slowly until it thickens (consistency of pancake batter). Add salt, cheese, worcestershire, cream and 2 Tbs truffle oil. Mix in thinly shaved truffle if using. When it is melted and melded, add pasta and mix until well combined. Do not use too much pasta, you want the creaminess of the sauce to pool in the nooks and crannies. I use big shells for this. Place in casserole dish.
Combine bread crumbs, butter and truffle oil or truffle salt for a topping. Sprinkle on top of pasta to form a nice crust. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and the crust is browned. Remove from oven and lightly drizzle with truffle oil. Serve hot....then make an appointment with your cardiologist.