Living with passion – lessons from Tuscany: discovering wonderful chocolate!
One of life’s great pleasures is definitely chocolate! I am very excited by the recent successes of the “Valley of Chocolate” in Tuscany. The area between Pisa and Prato (near Florence) has developed into THE place where great artisanal chocolate is produced.
Many people are already familiar with Amedei chocolate www.amedei.com. For the third year in a row, this chocolate maker in Pontedera has won the Golden Bean award for “the best bean to bar chocolate in the world” from the London Academy of chocolate. Started by brother and sister Alessio and Cecilia Tessieri in 1990, Amedei produces the highest quality chocolate using the best cocoa beans from Central and South America. Their products include Amedei Porcelana Single Origin Dark Chocolate – 70% Cocoa, an ultra luxury chocolate. Amedei is also known for their concerns for carefully selecting the farms and farmers they work with and campaigning for fair treatment and living conditions for them and their workers.
Other famous chocolate makers in this area are Federico Salza of Pisa http://www.salza.it, Simone de Castro of Montopoli, Adrea Slitti of Monsummano Terme http://www.slitti.it, Corsini of Pistoia, Cioccolato &C of Massa e Cozzile in Pistoia, Caffe Pasticceria Rivoire in Florence (their hot chocolate is so legendary that I even ordered it on the hottest days of summer), Paul de Bondt from Pisa, Luca Mannori http://www.mannoriespace.it the patisserie champion creator of the “Seventh Veil Cake” (composed of 7 different kinds of chocolate) and Roberto Catanari, the originator of the entire ‘chocolate movement.’
The goal is for Tuscany to become known for the quality and origins of their handmade, high quality chocolate production in the same way as they are known for the production of art, wine and for their landscapes of unparalleled beauty.
None of this is truly surprising as Tuscany’s history with chocolate goes back centuries. Christopher Columbus was not impressed with the chocolate he sampled. Cortes was told chocolate was an aphrodisiac and brought it back to Europe. Chocolate remained “Spanish” until a Florentine traveler Antonio Carletti described the process of making chocolate to the Duke of Tuscany in the 17th century. Chocolate quickly radiated out from Florence to the other major cities in Italy.
Living with passion, Tuscan-style – is your life ‘in tune?’
Are you ’singing in tune’ with life? I’ve written before about the importance of paying attention to each detail of a process. We used the freshest of eggs as an example of detail: http://www.examiner.com/x-854-Tuscan-Living-Examiner~y2008m9d11-Tuscany-Italy-Passion–In-Cooking-or-Art-Loving-Details-Create-Sublime-Results
Tuscans use this approach to life in general, paying attention to each aspect or each moment along the way of any process. It is with each inspired brush stroke that Leonardo painted his masterpieces and with each perfect note that Puccini constructed his melodious operas.
In fact, music can be used as an analogy to many ways in which Tuscans approach life; paying attention to each single note, not going “off-key” or “out-of-tune…”
I was recently reminded of the “off-key” aspect in a conversation I had near Lucca with Maria a.k.a. “The Pasta Lady” at the villa Maionchi estate. Maria and her sister-in-law Alba take 100 of only the freshest, newly-laid eggs each morning to make pasta by hand for the Villa Maionchi restaurant. They also make those amazing vegetable soups (with bread or farro) found only in Lucca.
I have tried to replicate the Lucca soups by using the classic recipes. Soups made anywhere else never taste quite like those in Lucca. The reason for this is that the Lucchesi (people from Lucca) are famous for the use of Erbi (wild greens) found in the surrounding areas of Lucca and in the Garfagnana region. There are wild asparagus, tomatoes, lettuces, bitter greens, etc.
Maria attended classes in Lucca at a cooking school dedicated to these Erbi. She shared with me that there are more than 100 varieties of Erbi and that it takes much studying and field experience to learn them all. I found this interesting because, until now, the mothers and grandmothers from the Lucca area (including my own grandmother) have gathered Erbi for thousands of years handing down their knowledge from generation to generation. I suppose it’s a sign of modern times that aspiring cooks are going to an official cooking school to learn Erbi!
Besides soup, Erbi are cooked in pies, as a side dish and even in some desserts. Maria explained that the most important thing she learned at this school was to always use the right taste and balance of Erbi in any preparation. She was taught to be sure that the preparation contained no wild green that “stonava” (stonare means to be “out-of-tune” or “off-key”). In other words, when cooking, you should always make sure there is no ingredient that clashes with the others and that everything blends together harmoniously.
The concept of food being balanced and “in tune” is one often used in Tuscany. It goes side-by-side with the philosophy of paying attention to each detail. All ingredients used in each step along the way should complement each other and form a great-tasting end result like the notes in a musical symphony. Tuscans use the “out-of-tune” guide as an aesthetic barometer in many ways: In fashion, art, cooking, architecture and in family life, it is important to make sure things are always “In tune.” Do you cook in tune? Is your life in tune?
Living with passion – lessons from Tuscany: olives and olive oil
November is olive harvest in Tuscany!
My cousin Massimo from Viareggio called this week because he was so excited to have his very own e.v.o.o. for the very first time. Anyone who has even a few olive trees on a small piece of land in Italy carefully picks and gathers their bounty and takes the lot to a local frantoio (olive oil press).
His call reminded me that this is a wonderful time of year to be in Tuscany.
For thousands of years, late October/early November has been the right time in Italy to pick and gather those full, ripe fruits produced from the ancient, gnarly olive trees. In Tuscany, the varied-colored nets that have been spread under the trees are filled with fallen olives and you can catch glimpses of olive pickers in the trees among the silvery leaves. Olives are still picked by hand.
Everyone’s “Bucket List” should include “I want to taste extra virgin olive oil immediately after it comes out of the press!” At no other time will the olive oil taste this wonderful as it immediately starts to lose some of its amazing organoleptic properties after pressing. This is why olive oil must be quickly bottled and stored in a dark, dry place.
If you are like me, you’ll want to savor the new oil directly from a spoon. Or, pour a bit over a slice of great bread and you will have an incredible treat.
Freshly-pressed olive oil is used in recipes that highlight its fresh taste and penetrating fragrances such as simple fish or vegetable recipes and carpaccio,
Adventures in Cooking – Julia Child and her affair with Italian food
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Everyone loves Julia Child as evidenced by the opening of this week’s much-anticipated movie “Julie and Julia,” sure to be seen by foodies and food buffs all over the world.
During her long television career, Julia was known as the “French Chef.” Julia studied at length in France at the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school. However, Julia and her husband were gourmets and loved food from many nations. In fact, according to a Julia Child biography on Answers.com, Julia’s passion for cooking originated during her assignment to China in 1941 where she was influenced by her future husband Paul’s passion for food.
What you may not know, is that Julia Child had a great love for Italy and Italian food as well. This one-woman dynamo hosted an annual luxury tour to Italy for food buffs during her long career.
Rosemary in Italy – more than a cooking herb
Italians are known for their use of the fragrant herb rosemary in many food preparations. Perhaps this use grew from the fact that rosemary grows spontaneously on the rocky terrain along the Mediterranean coasts in incredible quantities. In fact, rosemary is also very popular in other cuisines such as those of France, Spain and Greece.
In Italy, rosemary is predominantly used to flavor roasted and grilled meats and fish. It is often coupled with garlic (rosemary is a perfect pairing with the aroma of garlic), wine and vinegar.
Italy emulates U.S. – Italians getting fatter
Native Italian and fitness expert Paul Frediani recently returned from his annual trip to Italy. Paul is passionate about Italy and the Italian lifestyle. While he always loves the precious time spent in his native village of Bozzano in Tuscany, Paul is bothered by a disturbing trend. Are the Italians emulating some of America’s negative habits?
Here are Paul’s thoughts:
“Tutto il mondo é un paese” – an old Italian saying meaning “the world is a village” – is certainly true when it comes to the alarming increase in the rate of obesity in western society today. The Italians are no exception. The obesity levels in Italy are up 25% since 1994. Italian obesity is at 9%, while America’s is at 30% but the Italians are gaining fast. It’s no wonder Fiat bought Chrysler. It was a strategic move: At the rate of their fast expanding waistline Italians will no longer be able to fit into their Cinquecentos. I was shocked and baffled by what I saw in Italy this past year. Young teenage girls with big bellies hanging over their waistline, men so fat their Armani’s are busting at the seams. Although I have seen the slow but gradual weight gain of the Italian population over the years, this last trip simply “blew my mind”.
Italian cocktail recipes for entertaining at home
As I mentioned in the last article describing the various parts of an Italian meal, it is customary to have an aperitivo or cocktail before a formal meal. Some Italian cocktails are also catching on in the U.S. as the popularity of Italian liqueurs such as Campari or Limoncello (purchased or home made) continues to rise.
Following are some recipes for enjoyable Italian cocktails that can liven up your next get-together. The Italian words used for a toast include “Salute” (sah loo tay) or “Cin cin” (cheen cheen)!
Cocktail Americano: This drink was invented in the 1930s when the fascist regime dictated using national products, such as Campari (from Milan) or Vermouth (from Turin). It is believed the drink was named to commemorate the victory of Primo Carnera who became the world heavyweight boxing champion in Madison Square Garden in 1933. Read more
7 Ways to save money and make great food using leftovers – Italian-style
In a previous Examiner.com article, I challenged readers to come up with some low cost, healthy and delicious recipes using leftovers and inexpensive ingredients – just like the Italians do. As you may know, Italians throw nothing away and utilize every part of the animals they consume (think of head cheese or pickled pigs feet)! This is true now more than ever. We all want to save money and not waste anything. It’s better for the earth too.
Following are reader suggestions and some recipes. Buon Appetito!
The American love affair with Tuscany
Tuscany has always been a very popular tourist destination for people from all over the world. For Americans, since the publication of Frances Mayes’ “Under the Tuscan Sun” (and the eponymous movie plus her other subsequent books on Tuscany), the fascination with this region of Italy has reached amazing heights.(1).jpg)
I am not knocking this trend - the desire to share the Tuscan lifestyle is the reason I began writing this column. I am from Tuscany and passionate about all it has to offer :Art, architecture, food, wine, history, vineyards, sunflowers and natural beauty. Tuscans are very proud of their heritage and live a great life. But who knew that all the traditional foods I grew up with (such as bruschette, crostini, rustic bread soups, home-made salumi and sautéed beans) would end up being featured in the trendiest of U.S. restaurants?
Save money wisely: The antique Italian art of cooking with leftovers
I challenge you to come up with some low cost, healthy and delicious recipes using leftovers and inexpensive ingredients – just like the Italians do. As you may know, Italians throw nothing away and utilize every part of the animals they consume (think of head cheese or pickled pigs feet)! This is true now more than ever.
Some of my favorite meals as a child resulted from my father or mother using kitchen leftovers. Most people know about the delicious Tuscan soups (like ribollita or pancotto) made utilizing breads – usually stale breads. Have you heard of polpette (meatballs made from leftovers – sometimes coated and fried) or fresh pasta ravioli with stuffing made from leftover fish or meat? Have you heard of soups or pasta sauces made with fish bones and fish heads or those flavored with parmesan crust?
