Definitive Tuscan Recipes – It’s the Interpretation!
When you are looking for “true” Tuscan (or Italian) recipes of any kind, you may become very perplexed over numerous versions of the same recipe. Which one is the right one? Which is the “classic?” Let me try to shed some light on this quandary: In Italy, each person or restaurant, puts a personal spin on a recipe. The variations depend on personal taste, family background, specific area of Tuscany (or Italy) and what is easily available and very fresh in that area. Tuscans are notorious for being fiercely independent, even when it comes to recipes.
Again, we can use a musical analogy. Many musicians can play the same piece of music but it is the interpretation that makes one stand apart from another. Each recipe has a personal interpretation. To make it even more complicated, Tuscans will hardly ever be able to give you a precise recipe: It’s “A handful of this, a pinch of that” as cooking is often learned from watching other family members and done “a occhio” (by eye-balling) quantities.
Cooking is not a chemistry formula, it is an artistic experience; it is a way to express your creativity, enjoy all the steps of the process and render a wonderful result.
Recipes from Tuscan Women: Mushroom Soup, Tuscan Crostini, Risotto with Carrots and Mozzarella
Manila – Florence, Tuscany, Italy (more recipes from Manila’s repertoire)
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.
