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”.

The Italians are FAT, not only the older population but also (and even more alarming) the children. Italy is close to having the same rate of obesity in children (16%) as the U.S. Imagine the overload on the Italian health system in 10-20 years. Italy already has the highest percentage of people over 60 years old. What is going to happen to the health system when it is further strained as these children are inflicted with the chronic diseases associated with obesity? A perfect storm. Many experts believe that this may be the first generation of children that will be outlived by their parents!

Not only are Italian adults and children fat but so are their pets, 46% of cats and 36% of their dogs are obese! Really. Italian pets are fat. Perhaps there is a correlation between fat pets and a fat society? I bet you won’t find many fat pets in Afghanistan.

Western society and western culture have reached the boot. Supermarkets with refined and processed foods and lack of exercise are the two main culprits. Most women are now in the work force and have less time to be vigilant over the family diet. Years ago everyone walked or road bicycles; today everyone is in a car or motorcycle. Years ago, Italians shopped daily for fresh provisions which were grown locally; today, many shop once a week with packaged items that come from all over Europe.

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist or a personal training Fascista. There is no way I’m giving up my proscuitto, pasta, and formaggio – I just don’t eat them everyday. What I do eat is the same things that my parents made for me when I was growing up. Fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean meats and seafood. I was lucky to be born Tuscan, our food is from the earth and sea. It is unadulterated and simple. Last month sitting down with my Mother at the dinner table in my little village in Italy, I was eating anchovies on a slice of buttered Tuscan bread. It was accompanied with a glass of red wine. It was simply the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. .

Paul Frediani lives in New York, NY and is the Author of the following books: Surf Flex, Power Sculpt for Men, Power Sculpt for Women, Power Band, Golf Flex, Net Flex, Tri Power and Boot Camp Workout.

www.paulfrediani.com
www.surfflex.com

For more info: 
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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?

It seems I cannot drive more than a few minutes from home without seeing a “Tuscan” or “Tuscany” restaurant, hotel, condominium building, cooking school or billboard. Even the Olive Garden Restaurants have joined this trend with their Culinary Institute of Tuscany and their latest television commercials featuring Tuscan menu specials.

Perhaps my favorite Tuscan tidbit of the last few weeks was the following from The Onion:

Area Woman Will Eat Anything With ‘Tuscan’ In Name
MARCH 2, 2009 | ISSUE 45•10

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, NJ—Veterinary assistant Lauren Millardi, 27, will eat any dish prefaced with the word “Tuscan,” sources reported Monday. “Tuscan shrimp, Tuscan garlic chicken, it doesn’t matter,” said Millardi’s boyfriend, Tim Vernacini. “I’m not really sure if she even knows what makes food Tuscan, but there’s something about that region-specific culinary modifier that she finds inordinately appetizing.” Vernacini added that Millardi likely would have loved the 2003 movie Under The Tuscan Sun had it not failed to meet her strict film criterion of having taken place between the years of 1743 and 1919.

It’s wonderful to see this passion for Tuscany and I enjoy everyone’s enthusiasm for all things Tuscan. My one suggestion is this: if you really love Tuscany and Tuscan food, try your best to actually travel to Tuscany. Nothing compares to the real thing!

Following are reader suggestions and some recipes. Buon Appetito!

1. Leftovers vegetables make great pasta sauce: Take leftover vegetables, chop them up, sauté in some olive oil with garlic and add a little tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. This makes a great pasta sauce. You can sauté the cooked pasta in this sauce and add parmesan cheese just before serving
2. Leftovers for a creative frittata: All sorts of leftovers are good for making a frittata. If you have some leftover veggies or meat, you can cut them in pieces. Sauté some onions in olive oil, add the leftovers and add salt and pepper. In a separate bowl lightly beat some eggs (quantity will vary depending on the amount of leftovers) with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of grated parmesan. Add to the cooked vegetables and cook on the stovetop or pop into a hot oven for a flavorful frittata
3. Roast chicken or turkey leftovers: Make chicken pot pie or turkey pot pie using chopped meat and adding flavorful ingredients. Use the bones for making broth for soup.
4. Fish leftovers: chop the fish to make fish tacos or fish burritos
5. Potato leftovers: Make potato pancakes or try potato gnocchi
6. Leftover beans:  Make chli or bean soups or do as this reader suggests:
   “I made this recipe for Kemp’s Black Beans today. Unbelievably delicious. I used onion powder and more sherry than called for.”
7. Leftover meat: chop or grind the meat and use to stuff peppers, zucchini or to make stuffed eggplants

Please send in more suggestions and I will share with everyone,. Let’s help each other eat live better!

Photo: Stuffed eggplant (melanzana ripiena)

For more info: serenella@toscanamia.biz.

Beautifully coifed and elegant in a navy suit, with a sweet expression and lively eyes, she is still a commanding presence and passionate about her work. She published her autobiography in 2008. Montalcini is a senator for life in Italy and still working. She has dedicated herself to the FAO Goodwill Ambassador Program and is dedicated to promoting the FAO’s vision of a world without hunger.

I am not at all emotional or afraid. The only thing that still makes me emotional is life itself.

Montalcini celebrates her century of life on April 22 of this year. The scientist is being honored in Italy by many groups, including the Istituto Superiore de Sanita (Italian Health Institute) where a new conference hall is being dedicated to her.

In her interview, Rita Levi Montalcini listens closely to each word spoken about her: “Disciplined not only in her scientific life but also in her non –conventional way of thinking. These are Rita’s secrets to good success.”

Arriving at 100 is a prize for me. My secret? Don’t think about yourself but of others and work with passion!

Born in Torino (Turin), Levi Montalcini obtained her degree in 1936. She was subjected to the anti-Jewish laws in the 1930s under Mussolini’s Fascist regime. She was forced to quit the university and do research in a laboratory she set up in her bedroom.

Most of all, don’t fear difficult moments. The best things come from them!

She shared the 1986 Nobel Prize for Medicine with American Stanley Cohen for discovering mechanisms that regulate the growth of cells and organs.

I should thank Mussolini for having declared me to be of an inferior race. This led me to the joy of working, no longer, unfortunately, in university institutes but in a bedroom.

She is the quintessential role model of a courageous, coherent woman who is passionate about her work. She is also gentle, elegant and has always listened to the young.

Her advice to the Italian youth?

Honor your values, whether they be religious or not. Be proud to be Italian, not only for the beauty of nature that surrounds you but for your heritage.

With her white hair shining and a lovely smile on her face, Montalcini raised a glass of sparkling wine in a toast to her long life.

This Youtube video, although in Italian, will give you an idea of this admirable and strong centenarian:

The story, as told by the author Pellegrino Artusi in the historic Italian cookbook “L’Arte di Mangiar Bene” goes back to the year 1430 in Florence.  At that time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches were having a church council meeting.  When the Tuscans served this roast to the Greek bishops, they all exclaimed “Aristos, aristos, aristos!” (the best) in Greek.  From that day forward, the Tuscans have called this roast Arista.

Arista is served all over Tuscany and can be part of simple or elaborate meals.  It is great with potatoes or beans (Tuscans are known as fagiolari or bean eaters). It is delicious served hot from the oven or even better cold in a panino the next day.  Ask your butcher for a rib section center cut pork loin.  You can have the butcher cut the bones away from the meat but leave the undercut attached then re-assemble the piece and tie it with twine.  Or, you can just cook it on the bone.

As with all Italian specialties, the Arista recipe varies from cook to cook. Feel free to experiment with the optional ingredients.  Buon appetito!

Arista di Maiale (Tuscan Pork Roast) – Serves 6
(Printable version)

20 minutes preparation
3 hours total time

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped sage (optional)
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbs. sea salt, plus more, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 freshly ground cloves (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 4 ½ to 5 lbs – center cut pork loin  (the picture is of a boneless piece)
• 1 cup white wine

Procedure:

Arista refers to the pork saddle.  In Tuscany it is usually cooked on the spit but it can also be delicious roasted in the oven.

The story, as told by the author Pellegrino Artusi in the historic Italian cookbook “L’Arte di Mangiar Bene” goes back to the year 1430 in Florence.  At that time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches were having a church council meeting.  When the Tuscans served this roast to the Greek bishops, they all exclaimed “Aristos, aristos, aristos!” (the best) in Greek.  From that day forward, the Tuscans have called this roast Arista.

Arista is served all over Tuscany and can be part of simple or elaborate meals.  It is great with potatoes or beans (Tuscans are known as fagiolari or bean eaters). It is delicious served hot from the oven or even better cold in a panino the next day.  Ask your butcher for a rib section center cut pork loin.  You can have the butcher cut the bones away from the meat but leave the undercut attached then re-assemble the piece and tie it with twine.  Or, you can just cook it on the bone.

As with all Italian specialties, the Arista recipe varies from cook to cook. Feel free to experiment with the optional ingredients.  Buon appetito!

Arista di Maiale (Tuscan Pork Roast) – Serves 6

20 minutes preparation
3 hours total time

Ingredients:

¼ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. finely chopped sage (optional)
6 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbs. sea salt, plus more, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 freshly ground cloves (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 4 ½ to 5 lbs – center cut pork loin  (the picture is of a boneless piece)
1 cup white wine

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mince together garlic, rosemary (and sage if using). Mix in a small bowl with sea salt and add pepper. Rub 1 tablespoon of this mixture all over the outside of the pork. Start at one end of the meat and make a 3/4-inch slit with a long thin knife through the middle of the pork to other end. Stuff the entire length of the slit with the remaining garlic mixture, pushing it down with your finger or the end of a spoon. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.*

Put loin, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven.  Add the olive oil.
Some people prefer to keep  the meat directly in the pan (and not on the roasting rack) so that it cooks in its own flavorful fat. When the meat starts to brown, quickly pour the wine over the meat and close the oven to keep the temperature  constant.

When an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 155°F, (about 2 hours), remove the pork from the oven. Let the pork stand, loosely covered, 20 minutes.

Remove string. Separate loin from bones and cut meat crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. If desired, serve bones cut into ribs.

*Make ahead: You may rub and stuff the roast with the garlic mixture 1 day ahead of cooking.  Keep it chilled and covered overnight and bring it to room temperature before roasting.

Recap: My friend Manila is a beautiful, doe-eyed woman who lives in Florence. Her husband owns the Ancre jewelry store near Piazza San Marco which is a favorite boutique of the locals.

Manila has raised her three sons in Florence and has taught pre-school and elementary school for many years. Her dream, however, is to own a catering business.

Manila’s passion for Tuscan cuisine is well-known and she is considered one of the best cooks around. My cousins and I were blown away by a meal Manila cooked entirely based on fresh Tuscan mushrooms.  When she smilingly opened her front door and the aromas wafted towards us, it was heavenly. And I will never forget about the bone-in prime rib cooked in the wood-burning oven in her courtyard in downtown Florence.

Following are Manila’s recipe for the Tuscan Mushroom Soup, Chicken Liver Crostini and Chicken Liver Croquettes, all typical Tuscan autumn dishes.  Buon appetito!

Note from Serenella: John and I tested the soup and crostini recipes this week-end.  We had fun and liked them both. 

For the soup, we chose to put it through the blender but it also looked prettty chopped up with the different vegetable colors.  The pictures are from our recipe testing experience.

Minestra di Funghi (Tuscan Mushroom Soup)
Printable Version

Ingredients:
300 gr. porcini mushrooms, sliced (fresh porcini are optimal but if you can’t find these use the best fresh mushrooms you can find.  Porcini have a very strong taste – similar to truffles.  If you use blander mushrooms, reduce the amount of spinach to 200 gr.)
1 potato
300 gr. of baby spinach
1 carrot – roughly cut or chopped
1 onion – roughtly cut or chopped
2 ripe red tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Italian (flat leaf) parsley leaves – 1/2 bunch
250 gr whipping cream
vegetable broth – around 32 oz.

Execution:
Saute the onion with the garlic and parsley.  Add the potato, the carrot, the spinach, the tomatoes.  Add enough broth to just cover.  When the mixture is half way cooked, add 2/3 of the mushrooms.

When the soup is fully cooked, you can choose to leave it as is or put it through a blender to make a smooth soup. Stir in the whipping cream and add the fresh, very thinly sliced remaining mushrooms, sprinkling some on the surface.

Serve over toasted (Italian) bread (otpional)

Crostini Toscani- Chicken Liver Crostini (recipe from the Chianti hills area)
Printable Version

This crostini recipe can be used for the classic crostini on toasted bread )

Ingredients:
300 gr. (10.5 oz.) chicken livers, cleaned and washed
1 tbspn.  capers, drained and finely chopped
5 anchovy fillets packed in salt (if not available, use anchovies in olive oil), chopped
40 gr. (2/3 tbspn. or 1.4 ounce) butter
One small onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 slices coarse country bread or French baguette

Exectution:
If using salted anchovies, soak in milk for a few hours or overnight. Drain and chop.
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until wilted (about 5 minuste).  Add the chicken livers and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.  Let cool a little then chop finely. Add the chopped capers and the anchovies and cook for an additional 10 minutes adding salt and pepper to taste. When done, add butter and incorporate.

Toast the bread slices in a pre-heated 350° oven until golden.  You can remove the bread still hot and wet it with some light chicken stock or leave it dry (your choice).  Spread the liver mixture on the bread pieces and serve.

Risotto con Carote e Mozzarella (Risotto with Carrots and Mozzarella)
Printable Version

Ingredients:
Rice (Vialone, Cannaroli or Arborio): 300 gr.
1 fresh mozzarella ball (around 125 gr.) – 1/2 cut into cubes, 1/2 sliced
1 white onion (around 30 gr.)
4 carrots sliced, green leafy part on (separated, washed, dried and chopped)
1 glass of white wine (your preference)
Vegetable broth, about 900 gr. - heated
6 Basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Execution:
Clean and peel the carrots.  Be sure to save the greet leafy parts.  Wash well and drain.  Chop the onion and saute in a pan with 2 tablespoons of e.v.o.o. until wilted.  Add the rice.  Stir and toast the rice (do not let it burn) for a few minutes.  Add the glass of wine.  Stir well.

Add the vegetable broth, a little at a time, and keep stirring the risotto for about 8 minutes.  Add the carrots (sliced) and cook for another 10 minutes.  Keep adding the vegetable broth as necessary so the risotto does not dry and stick to the pan. Add the chopped carrot greens finely chopped along with 6 shredded basil leaves and salt to taste.

When rice is cooked, add 1/2 the mozzarella cut into cubes and stir until melted.  Serve very hot with the remaining mozzarella slices on top.

So, my mind naturally turns to chocolate.  (My mind always seems to turn to chocolate, no matter what the excuse!)

As the weather gets colder, I dream of the wonderful hot chocolate served in cafes all over Italy. Once you have tasted the Italian version of hot chocolate, it is very difficult to drink the bland versions back home.

In fact, three years ago, a woman on one of my tour groups became so enamored of “cioccolata calda” that she ordered it several times a day everywhere we went – even when the temperature was in the 80s! When we reached one of the pinnacles of hot chocolate, the Caffe Rivoire in Florence’s famous Piazza della Signoria, we were actually sweating.  That did not stop us from ordering the wonderfully thick and delicious concoction.

Italians prefer desserts and drinks that are less sweet-tasting than Americans do and hot chocolate is no exception.  The goal is a bitter-sweet, smooth taste with non-sweetened whipped cream on top.

In Tuscany (the home of “The Valley of Chocolate” that lies between Pisa and Florence), there is no end to the supply of velvety, deeply flavorful chocolate from local suppliers such as Slitti, Amedei, Corsini and many others.  Any of these chocolates make a great start for a hot chocolate drink.  If you cannot find Italian chocolate, any high quality chocolate will work. Remember, the secret is in each detail so use the best possible ingredients!

Italians generally drink their chocolate in a cappuccino cup filled halfway.  Here are two typical recipes below.  Are you up to the chocolate challenge?

Hot Chocolate Recipe 1 (Adapted from “La scienza in Cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene by Pellegrino Artusi):  Printable version

Ingredients:
3 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate
1 cup water
2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened whipped cream
Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Note:  In Italy, many people add corn or potato starch as a thickener.  You may want to try this if you like your hot chocolate extremely thick.

Execution: Please pay careful attention to this process as it is very important: In the top of a double boiler, over boiling water, combine the chocolate and the water to melt the chocolate. Stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour into a blender and whip for 30 seconds (or use an immersion mixer) or whisk by hand for 5 minutes. Return mixture to double boiler and heat until hot and steamy. Serve with the whipped cream on top.

Hot Chocolate Recipe 2 (from Caffé Vestri in Florence)
Printable version

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder (like Pernigotti, Van Hooten, or Droste)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces (70 – 80%) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups milk
Chili powder (optional)

Execution: Place the cocoa powder, sugar, and 3-4 tablespoons of the milk in a saucepan and heat until the sugar melts, stirring well to remove any lumps. Boil the remaining mile then add to the chocolate mix. Heat to steaming, while whisking to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients.

Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir to melt the chocolate then let it sit. Reheat and stir well before serving.

Hot chocolate with chile pepper is currently very “in” in Tuscany.  You can add a pinch of chili powder, or ginger if you like.

Stay warm!

Ciao, Serenella

I am presenting a series of recipes from friends, family members and colleagues who are authentic Tuscan women or women from other regions of Italy.  The theme is authentic recipes, not Americanized versions. You will find plenty of those online, in cookbooks and on television!

The first thing you should know is that Italian recipes are written with weights (not measurements for cups or spoons).  The second thing you must know is that recipes are guidelines and suggestions since everyone has different tastes and traditions.  For example, everyone in Tuscany has a different twist on their soups.  So, if you want to add an accent of your own (such as a favorite herb), feel free to do so.  Just make sure to pay attention to the freshness of each ingredient and that any additions you use be “in tune” with the taste of the recipe.

Manila – Florence, Tuscany, Italy

My friend Manila is a beautiful, doe-eyed woman who lives in Florence. Her husband owns the Ancre jewelry store near Piazza San Marco which is a favorite boutique of the locals.

Manila has raised her three sons in Florence and has taught pre-school and elementary school for many years. Her dream, however, is to own a catering business.

Manila’s passion for Tuscan cuisine is well-known and she is considered one of the best cooks around. My cousins and I were blown away by a meal Manila cooked entirely based on fresh Tuscan mushrooms.  When she smilingly opened her front door and the aromas wafted towards us, it was heavenly. And I will never forget about the bone-in prime rib cooked in the wood-burning oven in her courtyard in downtown Florence.

Following is Manila’s recipe for the famous Ribollita (twice boiled) soup of Tuscany.  If this recipe works for you half as well as it does for Manila, you will be very happy!

Ribollita
Printable version

1 kg unsalted Tuscan bread
1 kg cannellini dry cannellini beans
3 bunches Tuscan black cabbage* shredded
1 Napa cabbage shredded
1 leek roughly chopped
4 carrots roughly chopped
1 large onion (red preferred) chopped
4 zucchini sliced
4 potatoes cut into cubes or sliced (your preference)
4 celery stalks roughly chopped
parsley (according to taste)
1 large can San Marzano whole tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

*Kale Laciniato. Known as Tuscan Black Cabbage or Dinosaur Kale in its native Italy, where it is prized for soups and stews. Tall plants have savored, strap shaped leaves up to two feet long.
 
Follow the dry bean package directions and cook the beans.  Saute the onion in the e.v.o.o.  Add the tomatoes, the Tuscan black cabbage, the leek, the carrots, the potatoes, etc and add water half the depth of the vegetable mixture.

When these are cooked, take 2/3 of the cooked beans and run them through a food mill, blender or processor until smooth and thick. Add this to the cooked vegetables along with the rest of the cooked beans.

Cook for another 15 minutes.

Slice the bread into 1/4 inch slices and arrange them in the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven add some of the cooked soup.  Alternate layers of bread and soup until you have used up all the soup. Let this rest covered for at least 12 hours.

After the ribollita has rested, pour additional e.v.o.o. to taste (anywhere from 2 Tbspns to 1/2 cup).  Bring the soup to a slow boil and cook for at least another 1/2 hour. Serve hot.
Buon appetito!

Ciao a tutti, Serenella

As part of the “You know you’re in Italy when” series, I am delving a little deeper for those of us who particularly love the town of Lucca and the surrounding areas. 

Lucca is a beautiful city and province in Northwestern Tuscany.  It is rich in water and natural beauty has a rich and varied architectural, religious political and artistic history. Lucca was the birthplace of world-famous opera composer Giacomo Puccini.

The inhabitants of the town of Lucca have always been famous for being astute and successful business people and are endlessly teased for their reputation of being very tightfisted with their money (I say this lovingly, of course). 

So, with no further ado,

You Know You Are in Lucca When…

In the town itself:

• You are meandering in a park-like setting on top of the beautiful Renaissance walls that go on for miles.  People are walking, jogging, riding bikes or simply sitting and enjoying the view.
• You’ve discovered farro soup
• You keep running into cafes and stores named Butterfly, Turandot, Boheme
• You feel as though you’ve entered the authentic “mediaeval times”
• You notice every house has colorful potted lemon plants that signify abundance.  People of means have a Limonaia (a fancy green house building specifically for lemons) to store these plants in the winter time.
• You love farro salad
• You wonder why many statues, busts and paintings look the same until you realize they are all depicting Giacomo Puccini
• You can’t “one-up” anyone when it comes to money matters
• Every time you turn a corner, you come across a church (or two or three).
• You meet everyone in Via Fillungo
• Each day you learn new ways of putting aside your savings
• You’ve learned to make the savory farro pie
• Every historic coffee place or restaurant claims Puccini was a regular there
• You know people whose families have been in the same successful business for hundreds of years
• You are becoming an expert on local, first-press olive oil
• You can’t wait for spring to eat Garmugia (local spring vegetable soup)
• You start working on a business or business deal or many business deals
• You can tell the time of day by the lightness or darkness of the narrow streets Everyone asks you whether you know their relatives in northern California. 

In the Province of Lucca (a province is similar to a U.S. county):

• You are standing on a wonderful beach listening to the sounds of the sea while you look back at the majestic silhouettes of the Apuan Alps
• You cannot begin to count the number of beautiful, historical villas in the areas around the town of Lucca
• You are wandering through the same marble quarries used by Michelangelo, Henry Moore, Botero and many other famous sculptors.
• You go exploring and find hundreds of interesting, picturesque villages hidden around curves in the back roads
• It is Fall and your mouth is watering for the local Porcini Mushrooms, fresh, flavorful chestnuts and freshly-ground Tuscan polenta from the Garfagnana area
• From the mountains, you have breathtaking views of the sea.  The air is fresh, the birds are singing and you have just had a fantastic meal at that little hole-in-the-wall trattoria you stumbled upon
• You inch your way in your rented car up a very narrow, unpaved and steep road, only to find a tour bus coming down the in the opposite direction
• You are enchanted by the varied and lovely hill towns and are taken back hundreds of years as you wander the narrow alleyways
• You wonder if your car will make it up the steep climbs as a group of cyclists whiz past you.
• Everyone asks you whether you know their relatives in Northern California 

Additional Note:  You know you are in San Francisco when…

• Most Italian-Americans ask you whether you know their relatives in Lucca 

Ciao a tutti, Serenella

Chico’s clothing chose me as the female business owner to highlight in their travel series segment on Lucca (Tuscany), Italy.

I am in great company: Chico’s is currently featuring Debbie Phelps (also seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show), mother of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps won 8 Olympic gold medals for team U.S.A. – a feat never before accomplished. Michael Phelps is the gold medalist all others will look up to as the ultimate athlete.

My own experience with Chico’s was fantastic.  They chose me because we have the same views: Chico’s believes women should be encouraged to follow their dreams and reach their full potential – at any age. Their choice of models is a tribute to all women; they look real and approachable, not like the disinterested walking skeletons seen in other publications! Yes, they are beautiful but also women we can identify with.

The photo shoot took place in my favorite piazza in Lucca, Italy – the Piazza Anfiteatro (amphitheatre square). As I walked under the hot summer sun in this enchanting place I love, I felt proud to be sharing my Tuscany (Toscana Mia).

The folks from Chico’s clothing catalogue and website and their crew were supportive, kind and so fun to work with. They fully “got” my message about the transformative effects of Tuscany and why I love sharing the vivid lifestyle of this  land of sun, sea and romance. I also “got” why Chico’s has such a devoted customer base. I am a new fan!

I am honored to be in the company of Debbie Phelps and so many other wonderful women featured in the Chico’s clothing catalogue.

Ciao a tutti, Serenella