eahat is needed to make an unqualified “treasure” of a book on Tuscan cookery? A genre of this kind - literary as well os gastronomical - tooms with dass, with eee regard to both the dishes and the publications about them. First and foremost, the recipes are good family fare, stemming from the most authentic tradition and filtered through concrete and professional daily practice in the field of modern nutri- fion. The recipes of Elisabetta Piazzesi’s mother and grandmother are the inex- haustible, lively source of the menus that she has been offering her customers at her restaurant, “Lo Strettoio”, since 1975. They have been lovingly re- visited and adapted, if necessary, to suit modern demands and tastes, but with no distortions, one vigilant eye on domestic economy and the other one on elegance in presentation. Then, there is the fact that, before writing them out, the author tried out once more all the recipes, scales in one hand and chronometer in the other, dedicating the utmost care to clarity of instruction in the preparation of the dishes (dotted here and there are curious titbits, allowing erudite excursions). Furthermore, the great dishes of the Tuscan cuisine are lavishly illustrated: splendid photographs, taken especially for this volume, do full justice to the high gastronomic and artistic quality, re-creating that unmistakable atmos- phere of grace and beauty, willing us into a precious play of colours and win- ning us over with the delicate magic of the masterly combination of sub- stances, both humble and elaborate, that go into it A portrait where the antique beauty of a cuisine, at the same time austere ‘and captivating, glows with new vitality. That particular quality of Tuscan cuisine which skilfully blends and matches intrinsically opposite aspects emerges from the pictures and the recipes. In- deed it appears both simple and sophisticated, noble and humble, flavoursome ‘and delicate, substantial and digestible, on occasion exacting and important, but always gratifying. So here, in words and pictures, is a representation of Tuscan cookery worthy of its high rank os a great international school of gastronomy. This book is forTUSCAN COOKERY BY ELISABETTA PIAZZESI (IB)-——— How To READ THE CARDS ——— Dru FavouR NUTRITIONAL VALUE © Simple Mid oly 0 Mederate (oe Moderately sicy Wecium ‘ove Difficult 000 Spicy igh reparation and cooking times oe shown in hous (ond mints, $0: 30 mints). Project Ca Erice Boneh ‘Soles ed Aes Andeets “Coondton: Pte Pats Graphic design and keg: heces Ag ‘Goer Marc Rosa Sllagne ‘ng Rina Bue Tension: Stephanie ohason Che Eisen Parse iar Bein ‘The photographs of te fod athe property of he Cova Trice Smack Archives alee Bilt ots nd Kote ars pager ig 28 3 “aa 6 8.8587 4880 840.78 7 78, 70,8 1 a2 87,3910 “oz-i0y 168 8,114,118, 120) ‘elephant rset Case ie Bach Archie sey emcee ees Can te taeaba i a epee Ves ae Pe A Uni a a ae tee oe For the potas witha dnd mace Pai woul epee any Pe lon ante beg pened ears Team mor Al rghs mere No prof pullin maybe reprotce, sored nome yor ob any et, lec chanel or mechanic telling photoopving, recor o enema, lessor radi oF) norm shape or ac gan nthe writen penton ton fe Pblsher © CASA EDITRICE BONECHL Forney ima ston bones ere: both it Print aly by Csto Stampa Ese Bones. The cover aout ad rapes this pubcain designed by the Casa Bice al ge sane heed by oucrnoana copes, ISBN oe-a76.07809,ee PREFACE lorence, Tus- lcany - my an- cient, illus- trious home- town and my charming, austere land, with its land- scape moulded by Man around its na tural beauty. Here we have the azure sea, there the hil and mountains with their green slopes gurgling with streams and dotted with villages... and the countryside, the meadows, the wheat which gives us our un- salted bread, an unrepeatable miracle of simplicity. This is what our table fare is: it expresses modesty, wisdom and instinctive good taste. In order to appreciate that so much vitality is the consequence of authen- ticity, you only need linger a moment to re- flect on the recipes, their style and daily ap- plication in the kitchen, and their ability to pass on the original spirit in its en- tirety, but at the same time adapt to changing habits and needs. And, to appreciate the ingeniousness, it enough to contemplate how little is needed to pre- pate dishes fit for a king. My cooking is born of tradi- tion, recuperating its High cultural and gastronomic level, the aesthetical rigour and | respect for things - to be han- dled wisely and simply, not violat- ing them. You will net find here sauces swamping the dishes, neither are there indi- gestible, greasy dressings. Olive oil finds its legiti- mate place as a natural dressing, exalting flavours without blunting them, enriching even the humblest dish The flavour of our cuisine is precisely this much more than a gastronomic canon, it is astyle of life Cooking is to breathe life into ingredients and model the elements which make up our fare. We cook not just in order to survive, but to afford us joy and pride in our meals. It is not just the gastronomic values which count, or @ well turned out dish, or the appeasement of taste and the eye, Cooking is a civilised, cultured way to communicate. As far as Florentine and Tuscan cuisine is concerned, it also communicates grace and elegance All the recipes that you will find here have been tried out, step after step, especially for this book, which is my husband Pedro's as much as mine. The comments are intended to introduce variants, offer suggestions for preparing and cooking the dishes, and also to indicate when and how much the process dif- fers from orthodox tradition... in order to bet- ter or simplify it, of course. Salt and pepper are not given in the list of ingredients, as theiruse goes without saying, just as you need wa- | ents (also noted is the time needed for the ter to cook the pasta or boil the vegetables. Preparation and cooking of the dish, with indi- Listing them would be a waste of time and | cations as to the | space (though indications are given in the | recipe when the seasoning is to be added - preferably in moderation. If necessary, salt is present only in the list of ingredients for cakes and bis- cuits, where its use is not taken for granted. My advice is to read through the list of ingredi- el of difficulty and the in- tensity of flavour - whether mare or less pro nounced - together with the dietetical value), then to read each stage of the recipe carefully be- fore starting out. As well as to my chil- dren, this book dedicated to those who like to enjoy themselves in com- pany around the clinmer table. Ts.xcilled Meaiterranean diet actually tums out to be “the s- fA, land that is not”. While its various traditional aspects are rep- resented, its dictates are never entirely followed through by any of “% the people inhabiting the Mediterranean basin. That having been ’ stated, we may add that the Tuscan cuisine sums up many of the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. For what reasons? This ts, above all, the cuisine of the people, with simple ingredients, often using up left-overs. The socio-economic progress of the last fifty years has meant that we have forgotten this component and have made gastronomy richer in proteins and fats than it originally used to be. Another aspect going unheeded is the balance between nutrients, actually the identity card of Mediterranean cutsine. Preference goes to carbohydrates (55-60%), especially the complex ones we get from cereals and their derivatives. Fats (30%) and proteins (20%) are represented to a correct degree. A further aspect is the appreciable presence of dietary fibre offered in healthy side dishes of vegetables and pulses. Finally, the use of the right proportion of extra virgin olive oll as the principle source of fat, especially ole- Ic fatly acid which is monounsaturated - at least 50% of the fat total - an excellent foil against arteriosclerosis. We conclude with wine, which in Tuscan cooking is much more than a mere complement. The history of the Tuscan hills is permeated with It just like the artertes of a gourmet, perhaps “oiled” by the wine itself (if consumed in modest quantities).i INDEX OF RECIPES STARTERS AND SAUCES Artichokes preserved in oil (Carciofisott’olio) page 9 Bay lea pancakes (Tondone allalloro) 35 Bread salad (Panzanella) "2 Cheese and broad bean salad (Insalata di baccelli ¢ pecorino) “18 Chicken livers on toast (Crostini con i fegatini) "11 Commeal slices with sausages (Crostini di polenta con salsicce) "43 Courgette (zucchin)) flower fitters (Fiori di zucea frit) 16 Garlic toast (Fettunta) a5 Green parsley sauce (Salsa verde) 28 “Herrings in oil (Aringa sottolio "8 Liver bread (Pan ci fegati) "20 Mock fish (Pesce finto} caer Olive sauce (Sugo con le olive) a) Stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers (Fiori tipieni) "17 ‘Summer green sauce (Salsa verde estiva) 29 ‘Sweet-sour onions (Cipolle in agrodolce) at) ‘Toast with kale (Fette col cavolo nero) ae ‘Tomato sauce (Salsa di pomodoro) "2B ‘Tongue with orange (Lingua allarancio) "~ ‘Tuna fish with beans and onion (Fonno con la cipolla ei fagioli) * 26 ‘Tuscan sauce (Salsa alla toscana) eu Vinsanto canapés (Crostini col vinsarito) aac PASTA, SOUP AND RICE DISHES Acquacotta page 32 Artichoke risotto (Risotto ai catciof) 56 Asparagus rice (Riso agli asparagi) ” 36 Beans and pasta (Pasta e fagioli) "31 Bread soup (Zuppa di pane) 6 Chicken giblet casserole (Cibreo) 38 Chickpea (garbanzo) and pepper soup (inestra di cecl e peperoni) 39 Chickpea (garbanzo) soup with garlic bread (Zuppa ci ceci e pane aglito) 60 Cormmeal and kale (Polenta col cavolo nero) 52 Cornmeal pie (Polenta pasticciata) * 33 Emmmer (wheat berry) soup (Minestra di farro) * 40 Florentine bean soup (Zuppa ci fagioli alla fiorentina) "6 Florentine savoury crépes (Crespelle alla fiorentina) Leek soup (Minestra di porri) Onion soup (Carabaccia) Papparcelle with duck sauce (Pappardelle sull'anatra) Pappardelle with hare sauce (Pappardelle sulla lepre) Pappardelle with rabbit sauce (Pappardelle al coniglio strasclcato) Pea soup with olive ol! (Zuppa ci pisellall‘olio) Potato dumplings (Gnocchi di patate) ° Potato soup (Minestra con le patate) Potato torteli (Torelli di patate) Réchaufié of bread and vegetable soup (Ribollita) Rigatoni sautéed in sauce (Rigaton! strascicat!) ‘Tomato bread soup (Pappa al pomodoro) ‘Vegetable soup (Minestrone) Vegetable soup with sage (Minestrone con Ia salvia) "43 MEAT AND GAME. Chicken cacciatora (Pollo alla cacciatora) page 80 Chicken underneath a brick (Pollo al mattone) "78 Devilled chicken (Pollo alla diavola) 78 Florentine capon (Cappone alla fiorentina) "66 Florentine spit roast (Spledin! alla fiorentina) "84 Florentine tripe (Trippa alla fiorentina) "86 Fried Chicken (Pollo fritto) a) Peppered stew (Peposo) 78 Pheasant, Tuscan style (Fagiano alla florentina) "70 Pork chops with kale (Braciole di maiale col cavolo nero) * 65 Rabbit cacciatora (Coniglio alla cacciatora) "68 Réchauifé of boiled meat (Lesso rifatto) Rag Roast loin of pork (Arista al foro) » 64 Rustic rabbit dish (Coniglo alla contedina) "69 ‘Sausages and beans (Salsicce e fagiali) "83 Sausages and grapes (Selsicce e uva) * 83 Stuiied cabbage leaves (Valigette alla verza). "88 Sweetsoureapon (Cappo in agrodols) “67 ‘Tone beet steak (La bistecca) a ee ‘Tipe cooked in white wine iippa bolita nel vin bianco) «BhSTARTERS AND SAUCES Lo 4ARINGA SOTT’OLIO Herrings in oil Fer gerving in oil, herrings must not be smoked and should preferably be females with their roes, not males. Bone the fish and rinse under running water. In a deep serving dish, lay the fillets on a bed of carrots, celery and fresh onions, all finely chopped. Cover with olive oil and add one or two dried chilli peppers Leave to stand a while, a whole day even, before relishing them with white Tuscan bread. 2 sale herngs ‘2carrots 1 heod of lary a few smal, pickling alive o chil pepper A personal touch toa traditional dish? Cut up the herrings into small pieces Boil some rather large potatocs. Allow to (not too small) and simply serve Na (per sevng 283 roti gr serving 8 cool and cut into big, round slices. (on the potato rounds. Fats (pr serving): 20, Nuttional value: @@ 8| CARCIOFI SOTT’OLIO Artichoke preserved in oil Canly clean the artichokes, trim the tops and emerge in a saucepan containing water and a squeeze of lemon. Put the saucepan on the heat, adding the white wine, vinegar, 2 bay leaves and 10 black peppercorns. When cooked, the artichokes must still be crisp. Drain well, leaving them to dry upside-down on a tea towel, for a whole day if necessary. Put them in jars, alternating them with the bay leaves and a few peppercoms. Cover with good-quality olive oil and close the jars tightly, In this final phase, a chilli pepper or a pinch (and I mean just a pinch) of fennel seed can be added to your liking (mols if ovabl) 1/ BA pt/41/2.c05 white wine Onl /2flo2/ Y/sup red wine vinegar lemons a ' smal globe orthckes 1 hele black papper aliv il Servings: 4 _ 2074 Preporaton fi Morellini artichokes are purple in colour. They are one of my favourites for lending flavour to a nice rice salad, or for giving the finishing touch to a cold side-plate.CIPOLLE IN AGRODOLCE Sweet-sour onions Thy / 21/4 Ib red skied orions 125ml /4 flex /1/2cup ed ‘wine vinegar 3 tablespoons lve i 1 tablespoon sogor inch of sot Servings: 46 Preparation time: 10" ooking time: 3h 107 Diffcalty: — Flaw ‘eal (per serving) rote (pr serving 2 Fats (per serving): 10. Notional vue: ©@ We all immediately think of the commonplace white, cocktail onions commercialised on television and we are a little disconcerted when a plate piled high with a dark and mysterious mixture is put before us. ¢ ut the onions into segments and blanche for a few minutes (in Just try them and in this a pressure cooker, if preferred), until all the juices have run dish you will savour all ut, & Elly of fuse Place in a pan (traditionally, you carry on with the same one as be- ne fore), add all the other ingredients together in one fell swoop, put cuisine. Here we go s) ie OBER Pee again, talking about OVer a low flame... and wait. While waiting, patience and time... frequently stir the mixture, and, little by A particular touch can be little, it will change consistency and lent by eating them with — colour. : fresh ricotta, ewe’s milk Three hours are necessary for good cottage cheese: ann ; unusual combination to Tesults (much, of course, also depends dazzle and delight your on the type of onion). guests. 10CROSTINI CON | FEGATINI Chicken livers on toast Te the livers carefully, removing all traces of gall bladder. Rinse under the tap and leave to drain. Slice the onion finely and sauté in a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it begins to be- come translucent, add the livers. While cooking, gradually sprinkle in the vinsanto and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medi- um heat for half-an-hour. Finally add the capers, squeezed of all their vinegar. Chop up the sauce or, better still, pass through the mincing machine. Toast some slices of bread and sprinkle with just a little stock. Spread a portion of the mixture on each slice and serve. This is also good eaten cold. 300g /11 oz chicken livers ail stock 1 redskinad onion 0m /2 fl oz /4thsp vinsant (or sherry) 50g / 202 / 1/4 cup capers slices of white bread alive ol Kea per serving): 561 Proteins (per serving: 26 a pe serving): 14 eCROSTINI COL VINSANTO Vinsanto canapés 300g /11 oz chicken livers 2 garlicky sausages 1 onion sori of rosemary Wal / 1 pt / 21/4 cups vinsoto (or mediom-dry serving): 35, Fats (por serving): 33, Allow me to suggest, for a change, that this preparation does not need ‘Tuscan bread, but rather the French baguette type, round in shape, with a softer texture to it. Vinsanto can be found behind every threshold in Tuscany, and, to borrow an old Italian adage, it is like parsley: it turns up everywhere, in every dish, from the antipasto to the dessert. It adapts to thousands of uses: it can be drunk, poured or sprinkled, particularly when the occasion is special. G lice the bread into many rounds to be dipped into the vinsanto. Place the slices on a serving dish. Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with a trickle of oll. Crumble the sausages in your hands and add to the onion when it is half cooked, keeping the pan over low heat for a quarter-hour. Rinse the livers carefully under the tap and add to the pan, together with the other ingredients. Continue cook- ing for half-an-hour over gentle heat, seasoning with salt, pepper and the sprig of rosemary. Discard the herb and put everything through the grinder. Serve the mixture on the bread rounds and of- fer to your family or guests.CROSTINI DI POLENTA CON SALSICCE Cornmeal slices with sausages ‘Many qualities of cornmeal are available ‘on the market nowadays, from coarse Bramata to very finely ground Monte Amiata. T myself do not much care for the coarse type because the mixture turns out heavy and rather too “rough-and- ready” for me. For this “crostino”, I would use a medium-ground, bright yellow flour which has rnot been mixed with other starches, M ake a fairly thick porridge, stirring with a wooden spoon over a low flame for about 40 minutes. 300g / 11 o7 cornmeal Ved skinned onion Separately, sauté the onion with the spring onions in a trickle of oil | 1! ‘2 spring onions Aa pan. 2iomates Add the crumbled sausages and raise the heat to cook the mixture 4 sausages through. Add the coarsely-chopped tomatoes and allow to reduce | give of appreciably. Place the cooked cornmeal on a pastry board (or else in a rectangu- lar oven tray which is much more practical) and leave to cool. Servings: 4 Cut into rectangles which are not too thin and deep fry them in oil. | Preparation tin: 2075307 When they are very crisp and golden, liberally spread the mixture | Gokingtime:40's50" over them and serve hot. These tasty “crostini” are jor serving up ‘There is a trick and, like all tricks, especially in the winter, when the frying _itis simple. Everything depends and consumption of a hot dish do not” —_on letting the cornmeal slices colour require too much of an effort. nicely on each side before turning them Not everybody manages to fry polenta and on maintaining a high oil without it crumbling. temperature. 13J FETTE COL CAVOLO NERO Toast with kale 2 bunches of dark green imple to prepare, the outcome (as in cise the following recipe for “fettunta”) is stole brea i generally acknowledged to be superb, not just by virtue of the very tasty ingre- dients used, but also because of that minimum but indispensable care taken alive oi treshly ground pepper lemen, 2-3 garlic coves Servings 4 during the preparation which justifies my Preparation tne: 15 drawing up a proper recipe. ooking time: 30” | Boil the cabbage or kale, stripped of its midribs, for about 20 min- Diffs utes. Hovuneee ____| Toast some slices of bread (not too thinly cut) and rub a pared gar- lic clove over the surface. Serve the toast with the vegetable leaves still dripping water. Liberally dress with olive oil, a little freshly-ground pepper and a sprinkling of lemon and salt. The flavour can be fully appreciated only if the dish is eaten very hot.FETTUNTA Garlic toast ut four slices of firm, crusty bread. Toast them over the fire (marvellous cooked over charcoal, but of course a moder gas or electric grill will do fine), rub a clove of pared garlic over both sides. Finally, drench in olive oil (only Tuscan, of the best quality), sprinkle over a pinch of salt and eat while hot (cold “fettunta” is awful). If you wish to enjoy “fettunta” as a first course, serve it enriched with ripe tomato slices laid on top, with a sprinkling of chopped basil. 4 slices of white Holianstyle bread garlic doves clive oil Kel (per serving: 205 Proteins (per serving): 15 Fats (per serving): 10 Nutritional value: As soon as my children were a year old, their wise grandmother always ‘advised giving them bread «and olive oil at tea-time, heedless of pre-digested infant formulas and, more likely than not, of the dictates of a dietetics ‘system rather too prone to TV commercials. And, indeed, she is quite right. Of course, good, simple things never go out of fashion Gust like grandmothers)... It is a short step from this to the “fettunta” (literally an “oiled slice”), intended as an antipasto. The time for fettunta is November, with the newsly-pressed “olio nuovo”, but it is also great in summer (served as an appetiser, at tea-time, whenever you like) 15|/FIORI Courgette (zucchi 12 fresh courgete (avin) flowers 2 eggs 180/52 / 1 up pain our alive il Kel (per serving 40 Proteins (pe serving): 10 Fats (per serving): 31, Notional value: A popular variation in preparing the batter commonly followed in restaurants big and small, consists in using just the white of the egg and not the whole egg. In this way, the batter is frothier and creates a spectacular effect by forming a kind of “cobweb” over the fries (a similar result can be obtained by adding haifa glass of ale to the water). I find, however, that the batter which I have indicated in my recipe is particularly suitable for courgette (zucchini) flowers because it covers them with a light film, making them decidedly crisp and, at the same time, delicate in Canalis DI ZUCCA FRITTI ni) flower fritters he absolute freshness of the miniature marrow flowers is funda- mental to get good results. This means that it is a seasonal dish that you can only enjoy in the spring or summer months, whether you have the good fortune of growing your own vegetables or have to turn to the greengrocer. Carefully remove the pistil and the small, green, external leaves. Prepare a batter in the following way: lightly beat the egg with a pinch of salt, add the flour and whisk to remove all lumps. Now add water until a homogeneous, fairly liquid mixture is obtained. Set the batter aside to rest for about 30 minutes. Dip the courgette (zucchini) flowers into the batter, taking care to hold the flowers upside down for a moment to let the surplus drain off. Deep fry in boiling oil, turning them over cautiously with the aid of 2 forks. It is essential to serve them crisp and piping hot,FIORI RIPIENI Stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers wt the flowers thoroughly; they must be very fresh and rather large. The stuffing is prepared by mixing the béchamel sauce into the minced leftovers from boiled or stewed meat or the raw minced (ground) meat. In the latter case, first sauté in a table- spoon of oil over a fierce heat for ten minutes, allowing to cool be- fore adding to the béchamel sauce. Bind the filling with the beaten eggs, season with salt, pepper and a little chopped parsley. Get the frying pan ready, then open up the flowers with your fingers and fill them very carefully with the stuffing (about a tablespoon for each flower). Roll them in the batter and fry immediately. A tasty alternative to the forcemeat consists in using mozzarella cheese enhanced with the aroma of a boned, mashed anchovy. Cut up the mozzarella, add the anchovy, 2 tablespoons of béchamel sauce and a handful of stale bread which has been left to soak in milk and then squeezed thoroughly. Bind it all with a beaten egg and then fry the flowers in the usual way. 20 large, fresh courgette (auctini) flowers 200g / 7 oz leon raw minced (ground) meat, otherwise boiled or sewed meat ‘coating batter (see recipe ‘on the previous page) Leggs parsley olive oll | Béchamel sauce: Mill, 3.5dl / 3/4 pt /11/2 cups Butter, 20g /3/4 02 / 11/2 tsp a flor, 209 /3/4 0x /11/2 tsp Servings: 4 ation tine: 25" ooking time: 30°+157 Diffaity ‘Mead (pet serving): 527 Proteins (er serving: 19 For the preparation of the béchamel sauce, gradually blend the flour into the melted butter in a small pan. Season with a pinch of salt and add the milk a little at a time, stirring. Allow to thicken over a medium flame for about twenty minutes. 17INSALATA DI BACCELLI E PECORINO Cheese and broad bean salad ‘Dig / 41/2 Ib fresh broad (fave) beans, unshelled ‘Semi-soft pecorino cheese (unmatured) 1 bunch of catmin! or basil alive oil ake a nice basket of broad (fava) beans (refer to the recipe fo braised broad beans on page 106 to appreciate what we meat by the term). Choose them preferably small and fresh (you can tel they are fresh if, on snapping open the pod, they “sing”, ie. they make a sharp, cheerful sound). Shell (removing each footstalk) wash and place them in a saucepan with a trickle of olive oil, bunch of basil (or catmint) and salt. Cover and bring to the boil fo 4 jew minutes. Once cooked, they will appear “wrinkled” but mus be al dente or crisp to the bite. Drain and leave to cool. In a vegetabl dish, prepare parings of semi-soft, unmatured pecorino cheese to mi: with the beans. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and correct the salt To give a touch of colour, which is never amiss on the dinner table add a handful of well-chopped radicchio rosso and a bunch o radishes cut into rounds. eal per serving: 614 Proteins (per servingl: 39 Fats (per serving): 27 iLINGUA ALL’ARANCIO Tongue with orange oil the tongue, with some root vegetables, in plenty of water. The cooking time depends on the size. Draw off the heat when cooked through thoroughly (to test this, pierce the back part with a fork; the tongue will not bleed if cooked, but if it does bleed, return to the heat), skin at once (even if your fingers get burnt!) and leave it to cool completely. Then slice very thinly. Prepare the marinade in a separate dish with the finely-shredded orange peel, the juice and the vinegar and lay the tongue slices on a serving dish, smother- ing them in olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside to allow the tongue to become impregnated with the flavours, turn ing the slices carefully from time to time. 1 smal olf’ tongue 125ml /4 hoz / 1/2 cp ed ‘wine vinegor 22s (less) ond juice of 2 oranges alive oil Kea (pe serving): 739 Proteins (per serving): 9 Fats (per servi Nutritional va Although tongue is ‘generally used as a Substantial main dish or is traditionally served on a platier with boiled meat, I suggest using this recipe as an antipasto because the orange marinade lends ita fresh, appetising flavour that is more suitable for the light, elegant impact of an entrée. 19PAN DI FEGATI liver bread 600g /1 Ib 5 oz chicken, caf’ ond pig iver a few by leaves half large lof of stole bread 5S whole eggs Onl / 2H 02 / 1/4 cup brondy 125ml / 4 fl oz / 1/2 cup milk «generous knob of butter Sewing 6 Preparation time: 20°+30° ooking time: h 30” Difficulty: @@@ Flave e Kal (per serving): 870 (per serving): 29 ee (per serving): 60, S oak the crustless bread in the milk, then squeeze it well. Trim the liver pieces, cut them up and place with the butter, salt and pepper in a casserole over medium heat for " about half-an-hour. Souse with the brandy, al- low to evaporate and draw off the heat. Crumble the well-squeezed bread and add to the beaten eggs. Put the liver through the mincer and reduce it to a homogeneous paste. Carefully add the other in- gredients. Lay the bay leaves on the bottom of a rec- tangular, ovenproof dish to line it uni- formly. Slowly pour in the mixture and yo cook in a “bain-marie” in a moderate i, oven for about 2 hours. Take it out of the oven, loosen the edges from the dish with a spatula and leave it to cool (but not com- pletely). Turn it out onto a serving dish.This very refined “antipasto”, typical of our traditions, is not really likely to crop up on daily family menus or even on restaurant tables, as it is the prerogative of ‘gastronomic establishments of a certain tenor. This dish can even be served cold, surrounded, perhaps, by some roughly- chopped aspic jelly to give it sparkle and appease the eye, It is, in fact, a major dish which creates a fine effect and befits feast days. An aerial view of Florence, with the catheciral and Giotto's Bell Tower. 21PANZANELLA Bread salad 1 arg lot of wit rend, stale | 1 lrge reskinned onion large selod tomatoes }obundant bei alive il Servings: 4-6. Preparation tne: 57+15” Fats (per serving): 10 | Nutone value: The rolling hills of Tuscany have been portrayed in paintings of all ages. 22 Li else is needed beside some stale white bread. Slice thickly and put to soak in a basin of water. Finely slice the onion and 2 tomatoes into a dish and add 2 handfuls of chopped basil. Squeeze the bread dry (therein lies the se- cret), add to the vegetables, plus olive oil, vinegar, salt and pep- per. Stir to combine alll the ingre- dients thoroughly. Itis a very simple dish, but the bread ‘absolutely must be stale and well- squeezed. "Panzanelta’ is also very good if eaten straight out of the refrigerator, especially in the summer. Of course, there are other versions (some rather complicated) and most of them require the addition of cucumber. It may be that Ido not much appreciate this vegetable, or it may be that “panzanella” has always been made in this way in our household. At the most, I can suggest adding aromatic herbs such as catmint or thyme.23J/PESCE FINTO Mock fish 5009/1 Ib 2 ot yelo, mealy potatoes 1 ths uno fishin ole ‘2 thsp mayonnaise 10 pickled gherkins 1/2 set red pepper T black lve TT recipe does not merely require the basic ingredients, but al- so a lot of imagination... Boil the potatoes until they crumble easily and mash them with a fork. When they have cooled down, add the tuna fish (previously drained of oil), the mayonnaise (home-made with lots of lemon). Mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper and then... have fun! Take a long, oblong or round platter; it does not matter which as the “fish” will take on the shape you wish to give it Take the mixture in your hands - it’s like becoming children again - and shape it into a fish. Slice the pickled gherkins horizontally into quite thin rounds. Starting from the fish’s tail, lay them one over the other to create the scales of the fish, then, with the red sweet pepper, make a nice smiling mouth and a long, majestic tail. The black olive forms the mischievous eye.DONE ALL’ALLORO Bay leaf pancakes “Tonc BY leaf pancakes were meant to “pad out” din- ner by completing it and, — F 100g / 4.02 / 2/3 cup pin in some cases, even substitut- ee ing bread. The recipe is very simple, but, like a/k/a most Florentine concoctions, its execution requires time, patience, | give gif no hurrying (or “furia” as the Florentine expression has it) and the usual splattering of love. Sending 4 So then! Finely chop the scented bay leaves (discard those which fon are nice and young, but which have no aroma). In a bowl, whisk up a thick batter with the white flour gently mixed into the water (be careful of lumps: that is why a whisk is the best thing). Add the chopped bay leaves and allow the mixture to stand for at least half-an-hour before ladling it into a nice and hot, greased baking pan, letting the “tondone” turn golden brown on both sides. This is good either hot or cold. aeSA | ee | TONNO CON LA CIPOLLA E | FAGIOLI Tuna fish with beans and onion 800g / 13/4 Ib fresh connellini cor small horicot beans (3003 Movil died) ‘2 medium sized red-skinned onions 200 /7 ox tune sh nove ci alive ol solt ond pepper oil the beans for forty minutes if they are fresh, or for 2 hours if they are dried and have previously been soaked for half an hour. For the correct procedure for cooking beans, please see the relative recipe. Cut the onion up finely and add to the tuna fish (that you will have flaked) in a bowl. Add the cold, well-drained beans. Season with olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper.SALSA ALLA TOSCANA Tuscan sauce 50g / 202/ 4 tsp lard 1 onion 1 stall of celery 1 carat 5g / Zor boiled, unsmoked ham ‘one boletus edulis mushroom T/al/1 ph / 21/4 cups meat stock knob of butter olive ol Servings: 4 mings 4 Preparation tine: 20” Kol (per serving): 318 Fats (per serving): 31 Notritional value: M elt the lard in a saucepan and add the finely-chopped onion, celery and carrot. When all the vegetables are lightly coloured, add the ham cut into strips, with the fat discarded. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Now add the boletus edulis mushroom (carefully wiped clean of all dirt with a damp cloth and sliced paper thin) and the stock. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to blend alll the ingredients really thoroughly. Skim off the fat and sieve the sauce. Returm to very low heat and, if necessary, add a knob of butter to bind the sauce together. 27NSALSA DI POMODORO Tomato sauce Dig / 41/2 ie tomatoes onions Tearot 2 celery stalks alive oil 28 Wwe the tomatoes, cutting out any blemished parts. Chop roughly and place in a large saucepan with the other vegeta- bles, chopped. Heat slowly to boiling point over a moderate flame. Periodically, skim off the excess juices with a ladle (this will depend on the quality and ripeness of the tomatoes), leaving only the red, juicy pulp of the tomatoes to cook along with the other vegetables. When the mixture has broken up, lower the flame and drizzle a thin stream of oil into the pan, adding a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for twenty minutes. Then leave to stand a little and pass the sauce through a vegetable mill. Allow to cool completely and pour into air-tight jars. If in season, a sprig or two of basil could be added during the cooking stage, while a few whole, fresh leaves are placed in each jar to remind you of summer through the encroach- ing winter, which will be less tedious if brightened up with the aro- mas and colours of summer entrapped in your little jars. “Florentine” tomatoes (i.e. those tubby, rather ungainly ones which are a bit like apples in shape, or rather, like miniature pumpkins) are the ones I would use, because they are sweet and rich in juicy pulp. I hold that they are highly suitable for making a sauce, even more so than the canonical Neapolitan plum tomatoes, all smooth and roughly olive-shaped. If you do not live in Florence or round about, you will have to find something suitable in replacement of my adored “fiorentini”.SALSA VERDE Green parlsey sauce Ri the parsley and [J chop all ingredients finely after draining the capers of their preserving liquid. Place the ingredi- ents in a bowl with 4 ta- blespoons of olive oil, the vinegar and a pinch of thyme, going easy on the latter because its strong flavour tends to smother the other in- gredients. Blend the sauce well by stiring and correcting the quantity of vinegar. Serve with boiled meat or as a tasty spread on rounds of fresh, untoasted bread. SALSA VERDE ESTIVA Summer green sauce se only the leaves of the herbs, which are to be rinsed under the tap and dried in a clean tea towel. Shell the eggs and com- bine the ingredients in an electric blender, binding with the butter Goftened at room temperature) and a few drops of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, taking care not to overpower the deli- cate aromas of the herbs. This is excellent served with meat, even gtilled, or boiled vegetables, particularly potatoes. There are umpteen variations mint can easily be found of this sauce. on the roadside in country lanes, The recipe I have just described or else in a good greengrocers is apt for the summer season, when wild for those who are not so expert. bunch of pasley 100g /4c2/ 1/2 ep pickled cones 3 eggs, hardbiled ain of thyme 1-2 tblespocns fred wine vinegar alive ail Servings: 4 Preparation tine: 157 Proteins (pr serving: bunch each ofctmin, parsley, mint an bs 2 eggs, hard-biled 100g /4c2/ 1/2 cup butter Teen Servings: 4 Preparation tne: 157 ooking time: 7” for the gs) Diff: 29JSuco Olive sauce 100g / 4 ox/ 1/2 cup + 2 thsp each of swt black oes, ‘groan olives in thei seasoning liquid and garlicky green oles 50g /2 ox 5 tsp gaticky black aves 4 ted skinned onions 2 doves of gti 1/1 3/4pt/41/2095 ped fresh oimed (conned) tomcto alive oil cil pepper Proteins (per serving): 5 4 (per serving: 27 a CON LE OLIVE hop the onions roughly and brown in 8 tablespoons of olive oi in a saucepan Meanwhile carefully pit both green and black olives, cut into rea. sonably-sized pieces and add to the onions when these have turned golden. Cook gently over medium heat for about a quarter hour, stirring with a wooden spoon, so that the olives are full blended with the onions. Then add the tomato purée or tinned tomatoes. Continue cookins over medium heat, stirring frequently, and season with salt and lot of chilli pepper. Simmer for about an hour. This delicious sauce is perfect with short pasta, particularly pen nette and rigatoni, which combine with it better, because, as both types are shaped like small tubes, the sauce is trapped inside be sides coating the outside.Pasta, SOUP AND jg RICE DISHES#eeACQUACOTTA 4 rod sknned onions 1 yelow sweet popper 1 sil of ery 3 ripe tomatoes stole ite breod (8 ses) ogg yolks some pecorino, grated alive ol singh: 20 Ke Proteins (per serving Fats (per serving): 17 The elderly lady who provides me with freshly. laid eggs seems to have stepped out of an antique print: she is all wrinkles with a large handkerchief on her head. We have a proverb which runs, “A nevily-laid egg is worth a ducat”. My version of “acquacotta’, a dish originating in the Maremma district of Tuscany, is extremely simple as regards the ingredients and the preparation. There are more complex and “spectacular” recipes, but J truly believe that mine has the merit of. being delicious, yet not too laborious. 32 Cc ut up the onions, pepper and celery. In a frying pan, sauté the onion in oi] until golden, then add the pepper, celery and the tomato pulp and leave to cook slowly for about an hour. Transfer everything to a casserole (preferably in earthenware) and add about a litre (13/4 pints / 9 cups) of water. Leave to boil about ten minutes more. Meanwhile, set out some soup bowls with slices of toast laid on the bottom, fill with the “acquacotta”. Place a yolk in each bowl, taking care not to let it break. Leave to stand for a mo- ment, sprinkle over the grated pecorino cheese, then serve. A cowboy of the Maremma; in the background, a beautiful sunset on the Nature Reserve Uccellina.Thy / 21/4 onions 150 / 5 oz peas and other ‘garden vegetables 1 head of elery 1 carot VYa1/1 pt /21/4 cups chicken stock wiite bread 125m! / 4 flor / 1/2 cup white wine olive oil Parmesan cheese Seong A ___ Preparation time: 15° Cooking time: 55° Dif Kea per serving: 472 Proteins (pr serving): 14 Fes (per serving): 11 [Notrtona value ‘0g / 4c dicken Tver toc’ testes and combs, hen’ une ggs 3 egg yoks 50g / 2 02/4 tsp biter J onion white flour 60m] / 10x /1/4 yp stock Temen 3-4 sage leaves singer eal (per serving: 365 Proteins (per serving 79 Fats (per serving): 22 Notrtional vale: 34 CARABACCIA> Onion soup Cc hop the celery, carrot and onion up finely, an cook in a casserole (preferably one in earther ware) with 6 tablespoons of oil. Sauté gently for about 40 minutes until the veget bles have completely expelled all their liquid. Then toss the peas into the casserole and finis cooking. Toast the bread, dunk it in boiling water and, ait laying a slice in the bottom of each diner’s sou bowl, pour over the “carabaccia”, finishing off wi a liberal dusting of Parmesan cheese. JCIBREO Chicken giblet casserole B rown the finely-chopped onion in the butter in a casserole. soon as it starts to colour, add the giblets. These will consist the livers well-trimmed of any bile, the cock’s testes and the com previously scalded, skinned and rolled in flour, but not the unle eggs which will only be added at the end. Cook over gentle he every now and again sprinkling with stock. When cooked (ie. after about 20 minutes), take the casserole off t ‘heat, beat the egg yolks with the lemon ‘a separate bowl and immediat pour onto the giblets. T “cibreo” is technically p pared like a fricassée, | without hesitation I st gest serving it as a fi course, considering its comparable delicacy. must be served steam hot and eaten at once.Over the years, the original recipe of this delicious soup has been modified and simplified (indeed, during the Renaissance period, almonds, sugar, cinmamon and vinegar were added to it). One could say that this operation of “rationalisation”, which goes back centuries and which has been carried out with very many (if not all) dishes belonging to our culinary traditions, has amply succeeded in sharpening the flavour and aroma of the onions and other vegetables in the “carabaccia’. The result is a dish which can confidently compete with any “soupe a Volgnon’” To the “modern” recipe requiring the peas to be pre-cooked (with some left whole and some sieved), I prefer this very personal interpretation of mine, which adds the peas whole as cooking proceeds. Asa final touch, I suggest dunking the bread not just in pure, hot water, but in water to which a glass of white wine has been added, to lend more aroma to this ancient dish and to finish it off nicely. 35| CRESPELLE ALLA FIORENTINA Florentine savoury crépes the filing: 15 very rsh riot of good quo or cotage cheese ‘Leggs 20 10g /7 ox spinach c handfl of gotad Parmeson choose ginch ofnuimeg the pes 60, af 11/202 / 6s wie, supertie flour es 2 ml / 4 fl oz / 1/2 cup milk 20g/ 3/4 02 / 11/2 tbsp butter Servings: 4 Proportion tine 20°37 ooking time: 50/415" eal (per serving): 472 Fats (per serving Notritionl val ‘Simple and tasty as they dare, these crépes are, unfortunately, served up nowadays in several ways which are not always correct. At any rate, the original recipe for these so-called “grandmother's kerchiefs” is the one I have described. The only valid variation could be to add aromatic herbs mixed into the spinach to make de 36 the crépes still more lelicate. This would only be in summer, however, when the aromas are at their keenest. E irst of all, cook the spinach, squeeze out all the liquor and put in a bowl together with the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and a grating of nutmeg. Stir well to combine all the ingredients uniformly into 2 homogeneous mixture. Then prepare the batter for the “crespelle”, first incorporating the eggs and salt into the flour, then adding the melted butter and the milk. Leave the mixture to stand for at least half-an-hour. When the crépes are cooked (in practice they are thin omelettes, fried in a little butter in a small frying pan until set on both sides), spread a little of the cheese and spinach stuffing over each one and roll them up like mini Swiss Rolls. Grease an oven dish, cover the “crespelle” with béchamel sauce (please see page 17) and dredge with plenty of Parmesan cheese. If you like, you can even dot with a few splatters of home-made tomato sauce (see relevant recipe). Bake in a hot oven for 20 min- utes._ GNOCCHI DI PATATE Potato dumplings P ut the potatoes in cold water and bring to the boil. They can be peeled before cooking, if you prefer, to avoid having to handle them when they are boiling hot, but you should be aware that in this way they will not keep their mealy consistency. This is the case, in general. Boil for half-an-hour over medium heat, drain, peel (protect your hands with a tea towel so as not to get scalded) and mash. Place on a pastry board or on top of the kitchen table. Blend in the flour a little at a time (not all in one fell swoop), one whole egg, one egg yolk and a little salt. Work the mixture in your hands until you get a soft pap (be careful that it does not stick to your fingers; if it does, add yet more flour to the mixture, sprinkling it in lightly and progressively mixing it in). Shape the dough into long sticks that you will cut at an angle into half-an-inch-long strips. As you work, put them on a tea towel and dust with flour. Boil in lightly-salted water, drain and pour some meat sauce over, or else, quite simply, sage-flavoured butter. In any case, always dredge liberally with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese before serving at table. 1kg/ 21/4 lb potatoes 250g / 902 / 12/5 cps plain flour Leggs 37MINESTRA CON LE PATATE Potato soup I na saucepan, put the potatoes cut into chunks, together with th 600g / 1 Ib 5 oz potatoes other vegetables in 6 tablespoons of oil. Bring gently to the bo 1 ted-sknned onion and then add about a litre and a half (2 1/2 pints / 6 3/4 cups) of we lomo ter, salt, pepper and the white wine. Pei Simmer for about an hour, adding 2 tablespoons of oil half-wa arated Parmesan cheese through. . white Tuscon bread Pass through the vegetable mill and return to the heat for twent @nl/2flcr/1/sup tile | minutes more. wine Toast the bread slices, dice (if you wish, the bread cubes can b alive ol fried in olive oil) and put a handful in each person’s bowl. Dust generously with Parmesan cheese Fats (per serving | Notitiona 38MINESTRA DI CECI E PEPERONI Chickpea (garbanzo) and pepper soup oak the chickpeas (garbanzos) overnight in cold water with a ta- blespoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and one of coarse sea salt. Rinse thoroughly in cold, running water, then place in luke-warm water in a saucepan and heat. Add strips of bacon, the bay leaves and the thyme. Cover and cook slowly for 2 hours. Put the finely-chopped onion in a saucepan and sauté in 6 table- spoons of oil. As soon as it turns a golden colour, add the diced potatoes, the peppers (washed, seeded and cut into strips), the finely-chopped carrot and the tomatoes in chunks. Bring to the boil and cook for a quarter-hour over moderate heat, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon. The moment the chickpeas are cooked, pour the prepared sauce in- to them, stirring gently. Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. This fine soup, indeed distinctive on account of the original concor- dia discors of its flavours, is only good when served piping hot. 300g / 11 07 /2 cops chickpeas (gorbanz0s) 100g / 31/2 oz smoked bacon 1 red-skinned onion 1 red ond 2 green sweet peppers 1 carrot 2 potatoes 3 ripe tomatoes 2 bay leaves: litle thyme 1 cove of gor parsley olive oil Servings: 4-6 Seeing 6 Proparton ine: 150 ‘Cooking time: 2h ca 7 Keal (per serving): 927 ___ Proteins (pr serving: 21 ets (per serving): 63, Nutone vel 39MINESTRA DI FARRO Emmer (wheat berry) soup Sx the beans for 5-6 hours. Drain, reserving the soaking water. 2003/7 07/ 11/4 ups Place in cold water and, over a very low flame, with the emime (wheat berry) saucepan cover on, bring to the boil for a good half-hour. In the 100g / Tox died boro meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, rosemary and sage finely and let i sa it all colour slightly in 5 or 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. rosemary, sage Add the emmer and “toast” for a few minutes. Then pour over the Ddloves of garlic water you have kept aside and simmer for a good hour. sual Gninensliread | Halfway through cooking time, throw in three quarters of the ali ll beans. Rub the rest through a sieve or vegetable mill, and add this purée at the end to give the soup bulk, — Allow to rest a few minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of freshly ata ground pepper. Drizzle over a trickle of unrefined olive oil and dunk a slice of Continental bread (toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic) in the dish. Kal (per serving 582 Proteins (pr serving: 25 Fats (pr serving:MINESTRA DI PORRI | Leek soup T= the leeks, slice and cook gently in 6 table- =i spoons of oil in a pan. Be careful not to fry ~ them, but let them cook slowly, turning them of- 2 ten with a wooden spoon. When they are cooked, remove from the heat and add the flour, little by little, stirring continuously | until the flour has been complete- | ly absorbed. Pour on the stock (not boiling) and leave to cook over medium heat for another half-hour, until the leeks disintegrate. Toast 6 slices of Tuscan bread, place in a baking dish, cover with the leek mixture and dust generously with grated Parmesan. Bake in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. There used also to be pine-nuts in the traditional, age-old recipe, to be added along with the Parmesan before baking, probably to give it a summer touch. This recipe is characteristic of St Lawrence's feast day on 10 August, a date which the Florentines particularly cherish, full of Medicean reminiscences, as well as being known as the night of falling stars. It would even seem that this dish was so loved by Lorenzo the Magnificent’s fellow citizens that they forgot all about the poor martyr roasted on the grid-iron ‘and instead called that day the “Festa della porrea” (this possibly gave rise to the Italian term “purea” and subsequently to their “puré”). Vig / 21/alb leeks 2 sp pain ur Tal /1 pt / 2/4 cups stock continental bread pormesan olive oil 41MINESTRONE Vegetable soup 100g /7 ot fresh white beens (100g / 1/4 Ib if dried) 2 red skinned onions Danis stalks of celery ‘Z potatoes 3 courgettes (2h) swiss chord Va savy cobboge 200g /Tox/1 cup +12 tbsp ice stack alive ol Servings: db Preporation ime: 15° Cooking time: 1h 20° petakiee If made with rice, the minestrone is really only ‘good served hot, but if you substitute the same ‘amount of maccheroncini ‘or pennette (both very short kinds of pasta), itis excellent eaten cold (on a ‘summer's evening perhaps), with a nice bunch of fresh, fragrant basil finely chopped over your soup plate. 42 E ry the onion, finely-chopped, and the other vegetables, diced, 1 § tablespoons of oil over medium heat, stirring often with wooden spoon. Keep the saucepan covered so that the vegetables ‘sweat’ in the’ own juice as long as possible. As soon as you see that the juic seeping out is no longer sufficient, add enough water to completel cover them. Leave to cook slowly for about an hour, with the lid o1 seasoning with salt and pepper. Then add the rice and boiling water to submerge everything agair Stirring frequently, simmer gently for another 15 to 20 minutes.MINESTRONE CON LA SALVIA Vegetable soup with sage [2,2 208 saucepan, brown the garlic, sage and mushrooms (pre- viously soaked in luke-warm water) in 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the tomato, the cooked beans (you will remember to soak them first if they are dried, won't you?), mashed in a vegetable mill, and their cooking water. Season with salt and pepper and add the pappardelle. Cook gently until the soup is thick and tasty. This dish should also be served with a trickle of crude olive oi] as a final touch Other types of pasta could take the place of the pappardelle, ie. maccheroncini or small ribbed penne (pennette rigate), so long as they are made of durum wheat. If the soup is cooked in less water, you will obtain a “ragi to serve over a dish of pasta. This is a slightly more modern interpretation of an ancient peasant dish which was, of course, once eaten as a complete meal, but its “heaviness” may not be appreciated nowadays. | 250g / 9 ox resh or dried borlti beans 100g /4 or papparalle By hondful of dried boletus edulis rshroams a clove of gel ar bunch of chopped sage | ripe tomato olive oil a Freportion ine 15°15 Fats (per serving): 10 | Nutritional 43PAPPA Tomato bread soup adore this dish. I am horrified if it is proposed in the winter (where to find the scented basil and the ripe tomatoes which are essential for its successful outcome?). 1 realise that outside ‘Tuscany you cannot be so fussy. But my advice is to try and get as close as possible to the same quality of ingredients and the same preparation techniques described here. Some people suggest leeks as a substitute for the garlic, others sieve it all before serving with crude olive oil, I hold that the basic recipe that Iam presenting is the most balanced. By the way, it is delicious either hot or cold, but never dredged with Parmesan cheese. 44 AL POMODORO FS perfect results, assemble all the ingredients first be- cause, though simple, this dish needs both very little cooking and a speedy preparation with no interruption or change of mind and mistakes are not al- lowed. Jn a large saucepan, sauté the garlic gently in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as it turns golden, toss in the peeled toma- toes and a nice bunch of basil, all roughly chopped, and finally the thickly-sliced bread. Bring to the boil for a moment, adding the water or (if you like a smoother, fuller flavour) the veg- etable stock so that you get a dense mush without the bread disintegrating, Be careful, however, of the amount of juice exuded by the tomatoes; it does not go without saying that you absolutely must add ail the liquid, be it water or stock, Season with salt and pepper. That's all! Lift the lid and you will savour all the aromas of summer; close your eyes and you will see the blue Italian sky and will hear the cicadas drone.250g / 9 oz stale, white, Tuseonstyle bread 1/13/4p1/ 41/2 cps water or hot vegetal stock 600g / 1 1b 5 02 ripe tomotoes 4 large coves of gal alive il bunch of scented basilPAPPARDELLE SULLA LEPRE Pappardelle with hare sauce pre: the pasta with the flour, the whole eggs and the olive oil (which is missing from the “ordinary” pappardelle recipe). Work it in your fingers and roll it out. Leave for half-an-hour and cut it into long strips an inch wide. To make the sauce, use only the forequarters of the hare. Collect all the animal’s blood because you will need it in substitution of the tomatoes (this is how they used to make this and other dishes before 1492). Joint and add to the pan where the onion is browning in the oil. Over a slow flame, let the juices run out of the meat and add the parsley and other vegetables with the chopped offal. Allow the flavours to blend and then douse with red wine and the blood, and reduce. Remove the hare joints from the pan and bone them. Re- turn the boned meat to the sauce and leave it to cook for a few minutes more. Boil the pappardelle in salted water until cooked but firm to the bite and serve very hot, generously seasoned with the sauce, and sprinkle over some grated Parmesan. This recipe today can only be attempted them is limited or even forbidden by lav, by those few who come by a sufficiently- or whether itis because this species is matured, fresh hare (and not frozen or now scarcely encountered on Tuscan imported as almost always is the case). _tervitory, this dish has become a choice Whether it is because the hunting of delicacy of gourmands of our cuisine. Typical Tuscan farmhouses in the Siena district the hare sauce: | smal, yourg hae with heat, lier, lungs, et. 2 carrots J onion dary parsley red ine Tip lve oi ‘the poppardelle: 400g / 1402 / 22/3 cups soperine plain flour 4 whole eggs ‘a tblespon ave ol ngs: | Preperation tine: 3075307 Cooking time: 1h 20” Dif: Fao NutritionalPAPPARDELLE AL CONIGLIO STRASCICATO Pappardelle with rabbit sauce Riete rabbit and joint, leaving aside the liver. In a pa brown the chopped onion, carrot and celery in 6 tablespoons 1 robit weighing 1.2kg / 2b 10 a oil. When it has all coloured, throw in the rabbit joints and sav onion, carrot, celery ripe tomatoes over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces over frequent ali thyme with a wooden spoon. Add the peeled tomatoes and the rough! parsley chopped liver, salt, pepper and savory. Simmer the rabbit in 350g / 3/4 poppardlle sauce for half-an-hour over a moderate flame. Draw off the he {ee pois recipe) and remove to a dish to cool. Bone and chop up the meat with oneal “mezzaluna”, i.e. a double-handled Servings: rocking knife. Return to the cooking juices to boil. Pour this delicacy over pappardelle (home-made if possible) which become better impregnated with the sauce. Serve boiling hot, garnishing the tureen with sprigs of fresh parsley which you will also chop finely over the pasta. Prepon tie 15 Cooking time: Th ca Fats (per serving): 16 Nuttonl vol: 380g / 3/4 ponpordlle (see racipe on poge 47) 1 duck, wih heart on iver 400g / 14 oz tomatoes anion, cart ond otek af celery parsley white wine grated Parmeson alive il PAPPARDELLE SULL’ANATRA > Pappardelle with duck sauce ently fry the chopped vegetables (with the exception of t tomatoes) in 6 tablespoons of oil, then toss in the jointed du (plucked, drawn, cleaned out, wiped and singed as usual). Brov then add the white wine. Cover and leave to cook for 15 minut Add the tomatoes (tinned ones are fine), cook a further hour o low heat. Remove the duck from the pan, bone it as soon as pos ble and return the meat to the sauce with the roughly-chopped li and heart. Bring to the boil once more and season with salt a pepper: Cook the pappardelle in salted, boiling water until dente” (about 10 minutes), serve with the steaming sauce pou over and dust with grated Parmesan. Alternatively, sprinkle a hand of fresh, finely-cut chives over the pappardelle and, in season, g nish each plate with chive flowers. Serings A Prepaaton ine 1 Finezee___ Kea (per serving: 647 Proteins (er serving): 36 Fots (per serving: 22 4850| PASTA E FAGIOLI Beans and pasta ook the beans over gentle heat for 40 minutes (for an hour-and-a-half if they are dried, after soaking for 2 hours covered in water), with the herbs and garlic to lend flavour and aro- ma. Then, either sieve or pass through a vegetable mill, so as to eliminate the outer husks. Place the purée in a saucepan, season with salt, pepper and a little chilli pepper to taste 2 Cook the pasta in the purée and add a little water to finish cooking. This famous “soup” absolutely (about 3). I find, however, must be served hot with a °C" trickled that excellent results are obtained over the surface in olive oil. if the ancient recipe is streamlined The original recipe advises ‘and adapted to modern rhythms, cooking the beans in an earthenware unfortunately faster and more pressing pot in a slow oven for several hours even in the kitchen RIGATONI STRASCICATI Rigatoni sautéed in sauce Er irst of all, prepare the meat sauce by chopping up all the veg- etables (except the tomato) and browning them in 6 table- spoons of olive oil. When they have taken on colour, add the meat, raise the heat and cook over a medium flame for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer very gently for an hour (but it is fine if you allow it to cook for longer), stirring with a wood- en spoon from time to time. Cook the rigatoni in plenty of salted, boiling water and drain when the pasta is practically half-cooked. Put the ragii into a large saucepan, pour in the rigatoni and allow to finish cooking - the Italian term "strascicati" means “dragged through the sauce”. 200g /7 0x rigton shot, fluted noodles) 700g / 11/2 connelnt beans (300g /11 ozif dried) 2doves of garlic 1 sprig of sage | sprig of rosemary alive ol cl pepper Seevings: Preparation tine: 15°+2h ooking ime: 30°40" 350g / 3/ I igton 300g / 1107 lean minced (ground) met 1 athe large red skinned enon 1 stick of celery 1 carat 5 ripe tomatoes or 1/2 / 1 pi/ 21/4 cpshome-made tomato sauce alive ol Seeding: Preperain ie 207 Fats (per serving): 17,3009/11 02/ 2 cups commen! 2-3 bunches of Tuscan ‘lack’ cabbage or kale alive il bacon Servingssd—_ Preparation time: 15" ooking fm: 30°40" Dif Flavour: 0 6 Kea Proteins (pe seri | Fats (per serving) a Nottional va POLENTA COL CAVOLO NERO Cornmeal and kale Fo about 20 minutes, cook the wrinkled leaves of the ‘ble cabbage (actually dark green) - but kale or collard will be fi which will previously have been rinsed in running water and midribs stripped off and discarded. Drain, preserving the cook liquor. Into the latter you will gradually pour the cornmeal fl and let it cook slowly for about 40 minutes, stirring constantly v a wooden spoon so that unpleasant lumps do not form. In anot pan, fry the diced bacon. When reduced, add the cabbage. W the polenta is almost ready, add the cabbage and bacon and sc immediately, if you like it hot. Otherwise, when it has completely cooled down after transferrin an ovenproof dish, cut it up into half-inch slices and put under grill| POLENTA PASTICCIATA Cornmeal pie na large pan, sauté all the finely-chopped vegetables with 4 tablespoons of oil. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes over low heat, then add the minced (ground) meat, raise the flame a little and brown. After about 20 minutes, add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of chilli pepper paste. Continue cooking very gently and in the meantime prepare the po- Jenta. Bring two litres (3 1/2 pints / 9 cups) of water to the boil, draw off the heat and, with the aid of a wooden spoon or, even better, of a whisk, shower in the cornmeal flour, stirring continuously so that lumps do not form. Return to very low heat for about 40 minutes and, meanwhile, pre- pare the béchamel sauce. Finish cooking the polenta, turn it out onto a pastry board (make sure that it is no thicker than 1/2 inch) and allow to cool, while the meat sauce is simmering away. Cut into squares and arrange a layer in a large, buttered ovenproof dish. Alternate layers of polenta with 5 table- spoons of ragh and a handful of Parme- san cheese. Continue in this way until the dish is full. Spread a generous ladle of béchamel sauce over the last layer, dredge with Parme- san and bake in a medium oven for half-an-hour, until a nice golden crust forms on top. the cornmeal: 500g / 1 Ib 2 02 / 31/2 cups fine-grain cornmeal the agi’: J orion 1 stick of elery 1 coro W141 /41/2.00p5 home-made tomo sauce 300g / 11 oz lean minced (ground) meat alive ol chil pepper ‘the béchame! sauce: 50g / 2 0z/4thsp butter 2 tbsp plain flour VWal/1 pt/ 21/4 cups milk time: 30” - Cooking ine: 1h 3040" 53RIBOLLITA Réchauffé of bread and vegetable soup S oak the dried beans and cook over a slow flame. In a pan, gently fry the onion, sliced. Add the other vegetables, diced, with the exception of the cabbage, kale and beans which are added at a later point. WI the vegetables have sweated out their juice, cover wit hot water and then add all the cabbage and kale, shredded. Cover and simmer for an hour over medium heat. Add the cooked beans (some of them whole and some puréed), salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for an- other 20 minutes, stirring frequently because the beans tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add two or three tablespoons of tomato purée. Slice the stale bread and, in an earthenware casserole, alternate layers of bread with the soup until the bread is well impregnated. Leave to stand for a day. To serve, remove the desired quantity from the casserole and heat it up or “re-boil” it as the name in Italian suggests. An unusual shot of the Cathedral of Florence.| fairly large red-skinned onion 1 bunch of Tuscan ‘black’ cabbage Servings: Deals ar kole Preperation Vine: 207+5-the 24h 1 stick of celery Vek ooking time: 1h 30°40" _ 4 potatoes tomato purée 10 courgetes (utc) 2deys stale Tuscan white breod | 300g /11 oz dried beons bunch of suis chard 1RISO AGLI ASPARAGI Asparagus rice [3009/11 oz/ 1/2 ps Bi: the asparagus in + 2 thsp orborio rice a saucepan deep enough / i ‘Zundles of asparagus to accommodate it upright, | | 50g / 2 02 / 4 thsp butter fastened together. Be careful | i gated Permesonchese not to completely cover with water, but put the lid on the pan and make sure that steam does not escape from it while boiling (about 20 minutes). Drain the asparagus, reserving the water, then cut it up, ensuring that only the tender (not the stringy) part i used. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté, stirring frequently. Boi i Keolfperserviagh-455___| the rice in salted water, remove while still “al dente” and mix with i Frots (px serfag 1 the asparagus in the pan, adding half a ladleful of the liquor fron 16 the asparagus which you can allow to evaporate. Keep on the hea for a few minutes and serve the rice dredged with the cheese ea {Risotto Al CARCIOF 40g / 11/2 02/3 ths ter i i 2089/7 ecb, vsnaed Artichoke risotto am J onion lemon fuses Tin te gions alcaang the tough leaves, and uti pack thin wedges. Place in a bowl with water and the lemon. Cho up the onion and sauté slowly in the butter with the ham in strip Servings: 4 ‘Add the artichokes, brown for 10 minutes, then add the rice and Proparaiontine:20" | glass of the raisin wine. Stirring with a wooden spoon, cook the ri¢ Gookingtime:40° | over medium heat. Begin adding the boiling water (about thre bficiyree _____] quarters of a litre / 11/a pints / 31/3 cups). When the cooking Fiworee _____| finalised (20/30 minutes), season with salt and pepper and, at th eal pr serving 787 or; Proteins (per serving: 28 moment of serving, beat the rice, pouring in a handful of parsle Fats (per serving): 41 and lots of grated Parmesan cheese.TORTELLI DI PATATE Potato tortelli irst of all, the pasta. Heap the flour into a mound on the table and hollow out the centre into which you will break 5 whole eggs. With much care and patience, gradually work the eggs into the flour. The result will be a slab of dough that you will shape into a ball and that you will leave under a tea towel to rest while you prepare the filling. Boil the potatoes in their jackets (in this way they ab- sorb less water). Chop up 2 cloves of garlic and a nice sprig of parsley. Add a ripe tomato, peeled and diced, a generous handful of Parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg to lend aroma. Then mix it all with the peeled, mashed potatoes, adding salt and pepper and, last of all, a whole, lightly- beaten egg. Roll out the dough and cut into strips 11/2 inches wide. Over half of these, spread 5 or 6 tablespoons of stuffing at well-spaced distances. Cover each strip with another one of pasta and seal by pressing down well on the borders. Cut each strip into tortelli that you will place on a lightly-floured tea towel ‘aS you go. Boil the tortelli in plenty of salted water, draining off the water when cooked but still firm to the bite. Make sure that the pasta is well-cooked in the thickest part. Serve spread with a good meat sauce and sprinkled liberally with Parmesan cheese. This is also delicious with just butter and sage, pro- vided that there is always lots of Parmesan. The castle at Poppi, in Casentino.Ton $$ $$___—_§— the pasa: 100g / 4 07 /2/4 ap Parmesan 500g / 1 Ib 2.02,/ 31/3 cups cheese plain flour nutmeg Seggs garlic parsley tho filing: 1 tie tomato 1 egg 600g / | tb 5 oz potatoesZUPPA DI CECI E PANE AGLIATO Chickpea (garbanzo) soup with garlic bread 3009/11 02 / 2 cops dred oak the chickpeas (garbanzos) - the Mexican type would be bet chickpeos (gorbonz0s) ter - in 2 litres (31/2 pints / 9 cups) of cold water in a saucepar 1 sig of rosemary together with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and a handful c in base esi coarse sea salt for 8 hours. Cook over a low flame for about a hieherteafina/bikig | HOUr and a quarter, adding the bacon rasher half-way through. A cok ter that, sieve most of the chickpeas (careful of the husks whic alive i must be discarded completely) and keep the remaining whole pea to one side. Toast the slices of bread, rub both sides with garli Servings 4 ___| cloves and cut into cubes. Separately, heat several rosemary leave Frepuaiontine 20" | (discard the woody stem) in a tablespoon of olive oil and whe! Cooking ine: 1h25" | they soften up, toss into the soup to which you will have added th Difcaty: whole chickpeas. ( id Serve the soup with the garlic bread croutons and a trickle of oliv Proteins (per serving): 25 oil in each bowl. Do not overdo it as regards the latter because tha Fes (per serving): 25 would make the soup too thick with a “heavy” flavour. Nutitonl oe: © 0| ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI ALLA FIORENTINA Florentine bean soup ook the beans with the cut-up pork rind in plenty of water. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and brown with the rosemary in lots of oil. Add half a glass of hot water and the tomatoes (or the equivalent amount of tomato paste) When the beans are cooked (40 minutes if they are fresh or 2 hours if they are dried and have been previously soaked), sieve three quarters of them into the saucepan containing the root vegetables and also add the whole ones in their cooking liquid and the pork rind. Boil for another 10 minutes and the soup is ready. Arrange the slices of stale bread (if you like, toast them) in a soup tureen and pour over the soup. Leave to rest a short while and serve warm (but it can al- so be relished cold) 3009/11 0 fresh camel bans (200g /7 oxi ered) 2009/7 oz Tuscan ‘black cabboge or kale 4 very ripe tomatoes 1 onion 1 carct 1 sick of elery 2 daves of garlic sine brend pork rind 1 sprig of rosemary lve ol Proteins (pr serving): 30 Fots (pr serving: 18, Nutritional voe:@@6 Here is yet another recipe based on olive oil and bread which allows umpteen variations. For example, there are some who add leeks to the onion, carrot, celery and ‘garlic at the start, but T would prefer perhaps to “summon” the aid of savory, so easy to pick up at the side of a Tuscan country lane, 61)Zup A DI PANE Bread soup ‘One ham bone 400g / 14 oz savoy cobbaye 5 courgettes (zucchini) 400g /14 07 bread 200g /7 07 potatoes onion, carro and celery porsley ond basi 600g /1 I 507 borloti beans (300g / 11 oz if dried) 200g /7 02 tomatoes clive cil eal (per sorvng): 598 Proteins (per serving): 20 Fats (pr serving): 13. Nurtional value: ee 20 whit piling onions 2 teacups stock Thy /21/4b/41/2 aps shelled garden peas parsley stole, Italian-style bread live oil Servings 4 Preparation tine: 15” ooking tne: 507410" Dil: Favours Heal (per serving 581 Protein (per serving: 26 ets " Nutrtona valve: @@ 2 I 62 n a saucepan, sauté the onion with the ham bone (or else with 50g / 2 oz / 4 tbsp of lard) in 6 tablespoons of oil. Cut the other vegetables into pieces, add the parsley and basil, too, and sauté very slowly. After having cooked the borlotti beans (if fresh, they will need about 40 minutes in plenty of water, whereas dried ones, previously soaked in water, will need about 2 hours over very slow heat), sieve most of them, leaving a couple of tablespoons whole. Put the bean cooking water in the saucepan with the bone and the vegetables, add the beans (both the purée and the whole ones) and the roughly-shredded savoy cabbage. Cook for about half an hour. Finally, add the very ripe tomatoes (I would prefer “Florentine” | tomatoes). Continue cooking for about another quarter-hour and serve the soup nice and hot on slices of stale, toasted bread, finish- ing off with tracing a “C” in olive oil. 9999 ZUPPA DI PISELLI ALL’OLIO Pea soup with olive oil a the little white onions in 4 tablespoons of oil. Add the stock, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the onions are a golden colour, add the peas, parsley leaves and more of the stock. Make some bread cubes to fry in 2 table- spoons of oil. Cook the soup over medium heat for three quarters- of-an hour, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the bread croutons last thing, stir rapidly and serve steaming hot, garnishing each soup bowl with fresh parsley sprigs.M EAT AND GAMEARISTA AL FORNO Roast loin of pork 11/2 kg / 31/4 Ib loin of pork onthe bone 2.3 cloves of garlic sprig of rosemary alive ol peppercorns Servings: 6 = gfe: Th ca Tx the loin of pork (even if carving becomes more difficult, it absolutely must be on the bone because the taste is indis. putably improved) and roll it in chopped rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. If you like, you can score the meat with a knife and stick some peppercorns in the slits. Grease an oven tin, put in the pork and cook in a slow oven for a couple of hours. While cooking, the meat will exude a tasty gravy that you can cook potatoes in (but al so turnips, Swiss chard, cabbage or spinach) to make an excellent, appetising side-dish. This is a dish fit for feast-days and is delicious even eaten cold, carved thinly and washed down with some good red wine.BRACIOLE DI MAIALE COL CAVOLO NERO Pork chops with kale rim the leaves of the cabbage or kale, stripping them of their midribs, and rinse them. Cook in salted, boiling water for about 20 minutes. Drain well and chop with the aid of a “mezzaluna”, i.e. a double-handled rocking knife. With the garlic and finely-chopped onion, brown the chops on both sides in 4 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan, then add the red wine. Cover with the lid and cook over gentle heat for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and flavour the cabbage or kale in the gravy which has formed. Add the meat and return to the flame for another 10 minutes, stirring con- tinually with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and serve nice and hot. Variation: instead of the cabbage or kale, use turnip tops or broc- coli, first blanched briefly in boiling water, then broken up and added to the meat. Atypical winter's dish, it likes to be accompanied by a good, sturdy red wine. BRACIOLE DI VITELLA Al CARCIOFI Veal chops with artichokes Te the artichokes, removing the tougher outside leaves and the internal choke (if there is one). Place in a bow! of water lightly acidulated with a few drops of lemon. Beat the meat briefly to flatten and allow to stand a while in the egg, beaten with a pinch of salt. Slice the artichokes paper thin. Stuff each chop by covering about half of the meat with a little cheese and some artichoke slices. Fold over to make a parcel and press down well with your fingers. Dip first in the egg and then in the dried breadcrumbs. Cook in butter with a pinch of salt and pepper for 15 minutes over medium heat, flipping the parcels over gently to brown them com- pletely on both sides. Serve the dish really hot, garnished with lemon slices and sprigs of parsley. 4 pork chops, about 150g / 5 each o 23 bunches Tscon ‘black’ cebbge or kale 1 redskined orion 2 doves of gti 125ml / 41 0271/2 up light red wine wal lack paper alive ci Servings: 4 Serdgssh Preparation ine: 20” Cooking time: 507 LT boned vee! loin chops 8 small, tender globe artichokes, 1 small lemon Leggs 50g /202,/ 1/2 cup dry breadcunbs 100g / 4 0z/1/2cup butter 80g / 302 fontina cheese Kel (per serving: 724 =| Proteins (per serving): 40 Fats (pr serving): 50 65BCAPPONE ALLA FIORENTINA Florentine capon lean and singe the capon, stud it with a few pieces of garlic, sa- 1 ~ Bkg / 63/4 omnia (GR vory leaves, a bay leaf and a little salt. Truss the legs and place 1 medium onion Vcartol in 6 tablespoons of oil and a knob of butter in a saucepan, together 1 slick of celery with the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Brown over fierce heat, ‘opinch of savory (fresh frequently basting both with the juices in the pan and the stock it posible) that you will have prepared separately (a stock or bouillon cube | ae i ill do fine). Tboy el is Continue cooking the capon for half-an-hour, basting every now and then and shaking the pan so that nothing sticks. Add the shredded raw ham and allow to brown before adding the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper (remember that cured ham is salty) and cook over gentle heat for an hour and a half. Taste the gravy which forms and adjust to taste with the vinsanto. On cele- bration days, the capon is served up whole on a large dish. Or else it is jointed and arranged on large slices of toast, dipped in the gravy you get from boiling up the cooking juices (when the capon has been removed from the pan) with the addition of half a glass of stock, if necessary. 125ml /4 loz /1/2 up vvinsonto Val/Vpt/ 2/0 cps ‘home-made tomato sauce Val Vpt/ 2/4 cps stock stole Tosco bread ‘knobs of uter olive oil Servings: Preporation time: 30” Coking time: 2h ca Fats (per serving): 43 Notritionalvlue: © @@ Nowadays, capons are little exploited at meal times, indeed almost only for the Christmas festivities. It is the great size which makes them suitable for consumption when the company includes large numbers of relatives and friends.CAPPONE IN AGRODOLCE Sweet-sour capon lean the capon by drawing, singeing, rinsing under the tap and cutting off the head and claws. Chop all the dried fruit in a bowl, breaking up the walnut halves and the green olives in your fingers, and season with salt, pepper and the cloves. Mix well by hand, stuff the stomach opening of the capon and sew it up with kitchen string. Melt the butter together with the sour cream and the vinsanto ina large saucepan Add the capon, cover the pan and keep over medium heat for an hour and a half. Turn the capon over once only and baste frequent- ly and carefully with its gravy. Should the liquid reduce too much, add a little hot water and a few teaspoons of vinsanto. When the fowl is cooked but very tender, place it on a serving dish and leave to cool for 15 minutes before jointing and serving it with its gravy, which you will have obtained by scraping the bottom of the pan and boiling the cooking juices over fierce heat. Remember to add a tablespoon of vinegar, but only at the last minute. | 1 smal copon | 200g /7 02 /2 cups walnut kernels 200g /7 02 / 11/2 ups stoned prunes 10g / 40x /2/s cups id fis 100g / 4 02 /1/2 cup + 2 thsp stoned green olives 25¢\/98o2/ cup soured cream 250ml /9 #102 /1 cap vinsanto 1 ioblespoonvinegor 15g /S 02 /3/+eup butter 10g / 1/4 oz doves sal ond popper Servings: 4-6 Preperation tine: 30° | ooking ine: 1h 357 In Tuscany, this is a triumphant Christmas dish. The original blending of the various flavours jazzes up dinner tables tired of the fowl invariably boiled. The dried fruit and the sour cream flavours marry perfectly. If the latter is difficult to find, use a rather liquid (not thick) yoghurt 67This was one of Grandfather Luigi's favourite dishes. He, a keen hunter turned into a city dweller, expected his wife to provide it on feast days. This dish originated in the ‘Romagna region of Italy where it was endowed with the aroma of nutmeg, grated over at the last minute and blended in with care. 1 rabbit, about 11/2 kg / a/b onion, carat and celery white wine 4 ripe tomatoes gatlickyblak olives, white flour 68 CONIGLIO ALLA CACCIATORA Rabbit cacciatora Cc lean the rabbit, joint and coat with flour, Sauté the chopped onion, carrot and celery in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of oil. When it all begins to colour, throw in the rabbit, except for the liver which will be used elsewhere. Douse with the wine and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the chopped tomatoes and some olives, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for another 40 minutes over moderate heat.[CONIGLIO ALLA CONTADINA Rustic rabbit dish Joint and rinse the rabbit. In a saucepan, brown the chopped Jonion and cloves of garlic in 4 tablespoons of oil. Add the rabbit joints, drained and dried, together with the liver cut into pieces. Raise the flame and pour a little white wine over, lowering the heat when the liquid has evaporated. Cover with the lid and leave to cook over medium heat for about a quarter-hour. At this point, add the peeled, chopped tomatoes, the rosemary and also 5-6 basil leaves (if you like the fragrance and the season is right). Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 20 minutes, if necessary gradually adding the vegetable stock to maintain the mixture smooth. 1 robbi, 1/2kg/ 31/4 1b 1 red-skined onion 500g / 1 Ib 2 02 ripe tomatoes rosemary 2 loves of gatic white wine vegetal stock clive oil Kea (per serving: 417 Proteins (per serving): 46 Fats (per serving): 22IFAGIANO ALLA FIORENTINA Pheasant, Tuscan style B ard the pheasant with thin strips of bacon, after seasoning it in- ‘A pheosant, about 1 3kg / side well with salt and pepper. Truss with kitchen string, put in 23/alb a baking tin or pan with 4 tablespoons of oil and roast in a hot 150g 5 ox bacon oven for at least 40 minutes. Baste frequently with the juices in the ae pan so that the meat does not dry out. When cooked, loosen the live oil oneal string and remove the bacon barding (chopped up, it goes into the Seong juices in the pan to make the gravy). Divide the bird into portions | Preparation and serve it hot, covered in gravy. Hel (per sen Prolins (per sri Fats per serving) 40 onal value: Pheasants that you find in the shops are often already ripened and drawn (ie. with internal organs discarded). If this is not the case, remove the innards and leave the fowl to mature for a week. (A little time is needed to bring the flavour out.) Pluck it with care (this is a lengthy operation which requires infinite patience!) Cut off the claws and head, singe and rinse the bird in water and vinegar. Now it is ready to be cooked. Thanks to its “trappings”, this recipe enables us to appreciate the pheasant cock, even though the flesh is notoriously tougher than his mate's. 70FEGATELLI DI MAIALE Tuscan pig's liver ws the pork net in Juke-warm water. Cut the liver into 2-inch pieces and coat with the well-chopped bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cut the net into squares big enough to wrap round the liver pieces. Impale them on the laurel twigs (cut in roughly 8-inch lengths), alternating a liver parcel with a slice of bread (preferably cut from the crusty part of the loaf) and separating them with a bay leaf. Arrange the skewers in a meat tin or baking tray with 5 table- spoons of oil and an additional pinch of salt. Cook in a medium oven for 20 minutes. Take care in the cooking; ifthe liver kind of bread you like, but Tuscan-style parcels are left in the oven for too long, bread is doubtless the most suitable. they will become tough You see, our bread is nice and clase- I suggest using laurel twigs because textured and, above all, itis not salted, they impart flavour to the meat from the so it will “back up” flavours without inside. altering them. Indeed, it will bring Lastly, the bread... You may use any the aroma out. 600 / 1b 5 oz pig’ iver 200 / 7 02 pork nt (cal et) bay leaves leutl tig for use as skewers sliced bread clive ol Proteins (pr serving): Fats (per serving: Nutritional vot: 71LA BISTECCA T-Bone beef steak 800g / 13/4 lb piece of sirloin steak sal andfeshly.ground pepper Proteins (per serving): 48 Fs (per serving): 23 i uritionl value: © Ts the beef steak out of the refrigerator two hours beforehand, otherwise it will suffer in the cooking. Use a barbecue grill, with the charcoal glowing hot, but with no flame. Place the steak on the grill and keep over the fire for 5 minutes until a nice crust is formed. Turn it over (without piercing the meat) and repeat on the other side. The steak will remain over the fire for the time needed just to sear the surface well but keep it nice and rare inside. Season with salt and pepper (better to use freshly ground pepper) and serve at once. Relish it accompanied by a nice green salad or cannellini beans dressed in oil. Grazing cattle of Chianina breed.Originally known as “carbonata” or "cooked over charcoal’, the name bistecca comes from the English “beefsteak”. This name, part from the fact that it has become accepted as such, also has an aura of internationality, making it preferable. The success of Florentine beefsteak hangs for the most part on the quality of the meat, but without doubt on the cooking, too. I suggest using oxen of the Tuscan Val di Chiana breed, even though not easy to find. If the cut is right, the result is very good with other cattle stock (provided they have been reared properly). The bistecca must be an inch thick and complete with its T-bone, tenderloin and fillet. This precision is called for beyond the reaches of Tuscany (where it is simply called “fiorentina”) as non-Tuscan butchers tend to proffer entrecotes or rump steak instead of bistecca, the equivalent of visiting a neighbourhood primitive art exhibition instead of the Uffizi Gallery! 73FRICASSEA RUSTICA Veal in a lemon sauce Cc up the steak and place in a frying pan 800g / 12/4 Ib steing tok with 3 tablespoons of oil, the butter, the parsley parsley (tied in a bunch for easy removal) and 2 doves of galc the garlic. Cook over medium heat for 20 rol minutes, basting now and then with lemon the wine. Remove the parsley and gar- 100g / 4.02 / 1/2 cup buter lic and continue cooking an hour alive longer. Moisten with hot water, if nec- essary. Then draw the pan off the heat and remove the meat while it is still tender, but not rarely done. Beat the yolks with the juice of a lemon and pour it all into the gravy in the pan. Stir and, if neces- sary, sprinkle in a little hot water to bind, without returning the pan to the heat. Cover the meat with the sauce and serve. Protein (per servngh 45, 9 ots (per serving:59_ | Half-way through cooking, and then chopped. I approve, provided, Notion veie:@ee | some cooks add a few dried of course, that the mushrooms are mushrooms, revived in hot water strictly Boletus edulis. mayihtase INSALATA DI TRIPPA ‘fistful of black olives a fistful of spicy green olives | Tripe salad T/a red sweet pepper sprig of parsley Zlemons olive oil lean the tripe thoroughly and cut into strips half-an-inch thick (or thinner, if you prefer). Put in a bowl and add the stoned, roughly-chopped olives, the sweet pepper, finely shredded, the onion, cut into rings, and the parsley, chopped. Season with salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice. This delectable salad is particularly to round off the flavour appreciated in the summer because (globe artichokes in oil) or to intensify it it is to be consumed cold. (€g. basil leaves instead of the chopped Of course, everyone may add ingredients parsley, either roughly torn up as they wish to give it a personal touch in your fingers or left whole (eg. fresh tomatoes in wedges), as a colourful garnish).LESSO RIFATTO Réchauffé of boiled meat Cc ook the finely-chopped onion gently in 4 tablespoons of oil in a ucepan. Do not let it colour, but allow it to retain its white- ness, covering with the lid and omitting salt. Once the onions have withered somewhat, add the drained, chopped tomatoes, a little chopped basil and 3 whole sage leaves. Cook for 10 minutes over moderate heat. Now add the sliced boiled meat and bring to the boil briefly to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the slices doused in the tasty tomato and onion sauce. 500g / IIb 2 oz boiled beef 2 whiteskined onions 300g / 11 oz tinned (canned) tomatoes « fw bas loves sprig of sage alive ol ea (per serving 275 Proteins (per serving): 19 The towered of SanPEPOSO Peppered stew 500g / 14 oz beef stewing sieok ‘6 doves of gale 3 ripe iomatoes 4 slices of stole tuscan bread, toasted salt ond pepper Servings: 4 Proportion ine: 10" ‘Cooking tine: 2-3h Market day at Impruneta. lace the cubed stewing steak in a deep saucepan with the chopped garlic and the toma- toes, skinned and roughly chopped. Season with salt judi- ciously and with as much pep- per as you like (or peppercorns if you prefer). When I say “as you like”, I mean a lot of pepper (the dish is not called “peposo” for nothing!), at least a full table- spoon. Pour in enough cold wa- ter to cover completely and cook very slowly, stirring from time to time. The dish will only be ready after some hours’ cooking, two at least, maybe even three. Serve it all boiling hot over slices of toast. If the stew tends to dry out while cooking, add hot water so that the meat always has a little liquid to cook in.Haste in the kitchen is not in general an ingredient in the production of successful dishes, but, especially in this recipe, | should say that patience is indeed an essential element. In fact, “peposo” stew is indissolubly tied to the vigil watch of the furnace lads at Impruneta, in the hills behind Florence, who used to spend the whole night keeping an eye on the wood-fired ovens where the famous earthenware pots, bricks and vases were cooking. The cooking of “peposo” stew was then even lengthier than it is today, extending over six or even eight hours, The pots of stew were placed at the mouth of the furnace where the red terracotta was hardening and where the heat was low and even. 77PoLLo ALLA DIAVOLA Devilled chicken 1 chicken, 1,200g / 2b 10 oz bunch of sage V temon alive oil Servings: = 1 chicken, about 1,200g/ 2 tb Woz soye and rosemary lemons 2 coves of pat olive oil Servings: § 78 JPoLLo AL MATTONE » lean the chick- en by removing the head, claws and insides. Wash and singe it. Open it out like a book, cutting it along the breast bone, and flatten it evenly all over, dusting with salt, pepper and plenty of chopped sage. Grill (broil) over glowing charcoal for a quarter-hour on each side, basting with a brush dipped in olive oil and lemon. Serve hot, accompanied by lots of potato chips. Chicken underneath a brick cee the chicken by drawing it, cut off the claws and head, wash and singe it. Open it out like a book, cutting along the breast bone and beating it out, just like in the previous recipe. Chop the herbs finely (if you like, 2 crushed cloves of garlic can be added) and sprinkle over the chicken, brushing with oil. Place on the grill (broiler) over glowing charcoal. While cooking is proceed- ing over a nice, crackling fire, crush the chicken undermeath a heavy clay brick. It should remain so for half-an-hour, during which time you will turn it frequently (without forgetting to baste it with oil and to season with salt and pepper) so that it cooks on both sides, every time covering it up again with the brick. Serve hot ” and sprinkle liberally with lemon juice. qJPoLLo FRITTO Fried chicken T sping hides, cout 1,200 Ct the chicken into small pieces, rinse and dry. Beat the eggs in 711b10 02 a bowl with a pinch of salt, and dunk the chicken pieces in it, Seggs leaving them to stand for about 20 minutes. Stir well from time to 150q/ 5 cz / Teup plain time so that the chicken is well-impregnated. When you are ready to flour live ol fry, sprinkle the flour into the bowl and let the egg absorb it thorough- ly. It is fundamental that each piece of chicken be well imbued with the mixture. Heat the oil (lots of it and strictly of olives) to the cor- rect temperature in a large frying pan and fry the chicken in it for 20 minutes. Keep the flame low to start with, raising it towards the end to give that final golden colour which is indispensable when frying. Serve with lemon wedges as soon as you have drained off the oil. Servings: 4 . Preparation time: 15'+20" Cooking tne: 20° Difficulty: 1 thicken, about 1,200g /2 Ib P O LL O 1 onion J carrot ise | ALLA CACCIATORA » ‘white flour olive oil Chicken cacciatora Sree the chicken, wash and draw it. Joint it (there will be about a dozen pieces if the chicken is nice and meaty) and coat with flour. Chop up the onion, carrot and celery and sauté in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of oil, adding the chicken when the vegetables are on the point of turning golden. Brown for a few min- utes over a high flame, turning the joints to impregnate the chicken with the vegetable flavours. Lower the heat and add the chopped tomatoes and olives. Correct for salt and pepper and leave to cook for 40 minutes, turning over the joints from time to time. 80Not infrequently is the preparation of this dish enriched with dried mushrooms (previously moistened in water). I find, however, that the traditional recipe is the winning one as it does not mask the delicate flavour of the chicken meat. With regard to the name, the origin of which is lost in the mists of time (can you really see hunters or “cacciatori” preparing such a delicacy with grace and patience?), any curiosity will have to remain unsatisfied (at Teast in this book). However, this is a dish that still today appears fairly frequently on Florentine and Tuscan tables, as it requires little fuss and the preparation time is short. 81Sausages and beans, ideal for warming up on a cold served up in a buffet a strapping, tasty combination, winter's evening. for example, as the star attraction softened by the aroma But they are also very good eaten among the cold meats, cheeses of the sage, garlic and tomato, in the summer, and quality wines. . i 82

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