Too many figs and lemons?

What to do when your street is overflowing with figs and lemons?  Try canning fig jam.

Easy ingredients: Figs, lemon zest and juice, and sugar.  You can jazz it up with spices/herbs like cinnamon, ginger, and rosemary.  I keep the skins on and seeds in and quickly blast it with the hand blender at the end before canning.  Great with pork.

Recipes abound online or use Tessa Kiros' version in Twelve on page 279.  It's slotted for September but with Southern California weather, early August is yielding good figs.

Beautiful Ruins Book Review

I ran across this book at the library.  It was on a special shelf labeled "Bucket List Books."  I was wary.  But the cover was absolutely stunning.  I also pick my wine by the label.  I googled it on Kirkus and it had a starred review.  So I gave it a shot.  

Go ahead and read it.

It is a lush story of old Liguria mixed with vintage and new Hollywood.  You may laugh out loud as I did when you read the Scientology jokes.

It's a great mix of old, new, exotic and, if you live in Southern California, local.  It's sweet and heartbreaking and I bet you can relate to at least one character. 

And if you don't like it, the cover alone -- stunning Manarola in the Cinque Terre -- will be lovely to look at on your night stand.

Summer Bounty

This picture, while not so appetizing, shows our first summer bounty of pesto from the prolific basil plants that love our sun and lack of rain.  I've found freezing in ice cube trays and transferring to zip lock bags for the freezer retains freshness.  And, it's so messy to make in the blender that I'd rather do it in a huge batch and only clean once!  

The most beautiful villages in Italy

You, too, may have stumbled across this article on buzzfeed recommending 15 must-see Italian villages.  It must have been hard to whittle it down to 15.

The Italian government has taken a much more in-depth stab at this list.  The Il Borghi piu d'Italia web site is slow to load (maybe a reminder to slow down?) but it's worth the wait.

The recommended villages are broken out into an interactive map - the north, centre and south, including Sicily.

There's also a hard copy book but it's in Italian. Even more reason to slow down and brush up on your language skills. At the bottom of the web site you can sign up for the newsletter, too. 

Even for devout Italophiles, there's bound to be some new towns for you to visit.

Vernazza, rebuilt after the 2011 mudslide, made the cut on both lists

No Wonder Volterra is So Different!

Rainy day view of countryside surrounding Volterra

We found Volterra to be the most unique of the Tuscan hill towns that we visited.  And, we wished we had allotted more time there!  This article in The Florentine points to one of the reasons why this medieval village has such a different flavor than the rest.

Prickly Pear Syrup

Prickly pear fruit

Prickly pear cacti is native to the Americas.  While not exactly Italian, I share this in the spirit of slow food. 

In the Southern Californian winter, prickly pear cactus fruit become ripe.  On a recent hike, we decided to harvest about 2 pounds of fruit.  Picking this stuff is tricky, especially with kids.  We used a couple of sticks but there must be some better implement.

Skinned prickly pear fruit

Then comes the laborious task of skinning them!  Some recipes call for skinning while others say to throw the whole fruit in the blender and then just strain through an old t-shirt or cheese cloth.  I decided to skin them.

Prickly pear syrup simmering

All that work is worth it.  After adding some water, sugar, mint, cinnamon, and vanilla, it becomes a deeply raspberry colored thick liquid that you boil for 20 minutes or so.  It's absolutely delicious over pancakes, fruit, or, even better, added to margaritas. 

If you are able to refrain from eating the whole batch at once, you can pour the syrup into ice cube trays and freeze it for future use.

I cannot attest to the freezing method...

Looks Like Liguria in Here!

Today the kids and I harvested the basil and made pesto in the blender using the simple recipe from Twelve.  Although it reduced quite a bit in the blender, there was still a ton of it.  We decided to try freezing it in ice trays to save for future meals.  Here is a pic of the gloppy goop. 

Ribollita in Socal

Cavolo nero, a.k.a. Tuscan black kale

I finally found cavolo nero, a.k.a. Tuscan black kale (dark green, really) at the local farmer's market!  My quest to make my favorite ribollita soup was in my grasp.  I used the recipe from Twelve, which seemed to be authentic without taking three days to prepare.  Many other recipes called for making minestrone-ish soup, then adding slices of red onion and bread the next day, then reboiling it the next. Ribollita literally means "reboiled."

The finished product

You need about three pounds of kale and Swiss chard, a bit of white beans, lots of red onion, a couple of stalks of celery, a dab of tomato paste, and some salt.  Getting the mound of greens home and then having to chop them down for an hour was the hardest part.  A good crusty farmer's loaf of bread, well toasted, and set under a ladel of soup in each bowl made it hearty and just wonderful.   Loads of antioxidants and flavor.  We're on night two of it, and it's only getting better.

Neopolitan Potato Gatto

The second dish that we tried out of The Italian Country Table - Potato Gatto - was a hit.  Mashed potatoes layered with parmigiano and fresh mozzarella cheeses, onions, peas, and salami.  All topped with garlic breadcrumbs.  Savory, comforting, addictive.

Bialetti Espresso Maker

My husband wanted an espresso machine for Christmas.  I was utterly mystified by the number available - from Mr. Coffee's version to vintage Gaggias.  I read all the reviews.

Pod or no pod? Coffee/espresso combo? Was a milk frother important?  I had no idea other than feeling that it had to be Italian-made.

Before I spent the big bucks on a machine, I decided to spend under $30 on a stove-top Bialetti.   It's made in Italy, looks retro and sleek, and has a cute mascot on the front.  Plus, you can get it at Target.

What a great cup of espresso!  Dark, rich, and fast.  The unit is fairly easy to clean, doesn't take up space on your counter, and looks cool enough to leave on your stove top.

So, if you are interested in dipping your toe into the world of espresso, this is a cheap and satisfying way to go.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

My favorite Christmas song of all time is "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire."  When I lived in New York,  I loved getting roasted chestnuts on the street corners.  So, when I saw that Trader's Joes had whole Italian chestnuts to roast yourself, I was excited.  The little buggers are slippery, making it difficult to cut an "X" into the flat side - and a few had no flat sides.  Of the whole lot, about seventy-five percent had already gone bad - it is a rather soft nut seemingly prone to mold.  So, after roasting, we only culled about 10 good nuts.  They popped open, cream colored and wrinkly, but tasty.  Santa approved as an accompaniment to frosted sugar cookies on Christmas Eve.  Buon Natale!

Italophilia O.C.D. things to do after returning from your Italian holiday

1. Force your children to listen only to Strega Nona books at bedtime
2. Change your Travelocity Farewatcher to monitor airfares only to Italy
3. Wear lots of leather and scarves
4. Attempt to smuggle in non FDA-approved cured meats
5. Call your cul-de-sac a piazza
6. Harass the wine guy at Trader Joe’s with obscure requests
7. Try to talk Nutella into hiring you as the West Coast sales rep
8. Turn your mid century modern ranch into a Tuscan villa
9. Buy a Fiat 500 for your family of 6
10. Start saying rocket instead of arugula

Ventura Mushrooms

If you want the freshest cheapest mushrooms around, head to what most locals refer to as the California Mushroom Farms (now Modern Mushrooms) in Ventura, on Olivos Adobe Road.  The hours are odd and it's hard to find, but you can get wonderful white, portabella, and more exotic varieties.  The quality and prices are far superior to the grocery stores.  A whole bag of giant portabella caps is a few bucks.   They don't have every type every day, but whatever they have will be good.

Strawberries with balsamic vinegar

Tried the strawberries with balsamic vinegar, sugar, and wine recipe from Tessa Kiros' Twelve cookbook.  Substituted Grand Marnier for the wine.  Very good and also hit the mark on having less than five ingredients and using one prep and serving dish!

Great meal in Santa Ynez

A fine meal was enjoyed yesterday at Trattoria Grappolo in Santa Ynez.  The tortelloni di zucca was rich and fantastic - pumpkin, walnuts and a cream sauce.  Nice selection of Italian wines, including a local Super Tuscan-style.  And, they also share a few recipes.

Italy Trip Report, 2011

Trip Report: Firenze, Cinque Terre, and Toscano hill towns

Tenth anniversary, April, 2011

Planning - including shoe strategy

My husband and I hadn’t really been alone together since our first child was born. It was our 10th anniversary and I had been hoarding air miles in my account since before our marriage. For some reason his mom graciously agreed to fly out to take care of our kids for 2 weeks. There were a lot of variables in play, much could go wrong, but it was worth a shot.

We wanted art, history, views, active pursuits, food and wine, sun, sand, and charm. I’d studied in Florence 16 years ago, and had been trying to get back ever since.  I ended up using these resources for my research: Eyewitness Guide: Florence and Tuscany, Rick Steve’s Tuscan Hill Towns and Cinque Terre, Slow Travel and Frommer’s Forums

Our itinerary boiled down to 2 weeks - 4 nights Florence, 3 nights Cinque Terre (Vernazza), 3 nights hill towns of Tuscany (Volterra, Siena, Montepulciano), and 3 nights back in Florence.

I booked the mileage award tickets 9 months out. We booked rooms in Florence and Vernazza (if you want a view room in the CT, book ahead) about 3 months out via the hotel’s own web sites (we were aiming for 70-90 euro places with a bathroom in the room). We decided to wing it with hotels in the hill towns. The other pre-booked items were the car through Autoeurope, Uffizi tickets (crowded even in April), a tour at the Palazzo Vecchio, and a Vespa tour of Chianti.

And shoes? This was my biggest challenge. How could we blend in and look like stylish Italians without killing our feet? I didn’t go as far as wearing 3 inch heels on the cobblestone streets like the locals, but did bring a few items that worked well: Born wedge sandals, Eurostep dark leather walking shoes, and Reebok black Simplytone shoes (felt like walking on pillows). And if you throw a classy belted trench coat over anything, suddenly you look put together. Additionally, Columbia’s wrinklefree travel dresses came in handy. My husband's black sport coat was used daily.

Vespas in Chianti

Firenze - 4 nights

The party started early as we arrived at LAX 4 hours before our flight. This is not a problem if you have access to the Air France VIP Lounge, where we drank champagne and ate brie with two British paratroopers. Flying business class made the journey part of the vacation as well. Thank you airmiles!

Ribollita soup

Firenze was the first stop, staying at the well-located, roomy Albergo Merlini among the “cheap” hotels on Via Faenza. Near the train station but quiet and within walking distance to all sights. Our first meal was at Antichi Cancelli, also on Via Faenza, where you both can have a primi, secondi, and wine and get out of there just under 40 euro. My husband said the lamb was particularly good. It was my first taste of the bread and vegetable based twice-boiled soup ribollita. I think I ate it 5 times on our trip.

Brunelleschi's dome

Our first full day included the Uffizi – the only tickets we pre-booked saving us hours in line - and climbing Brunelleschi’s dome, slightly curving inward as you squeezed between the two shells.

Our second day was a highlight, zipping through Chianti on Vespas. The van took 7 of us 30 minutes outside of the city, oriented us to the scooters, and off we went. Mixing it up with traffic, hills, gravel, and stopping along the way for fresh pecorino panini, gelato, and a stop at the Corsini Winery, where we toured the wine cellars and olive oil operation, had a wonderful wine tasting and lunch, and even saw the princess! A fun stop was the hotel where Machiavelli stayed while in exile. We would do it again in a heartbeat.

Nap lawn, Boboli Gardens

The next day brought us to the Pitti Palace’s Palatine Gallery, royal apartments and the Boboli Gardens. For some reason, many museums were free that week, so Italians were out in force enjoying the gardens. We fell asleep for an hour with about 40 others on a sun-dappled lawn.

Il Due Fratellini

Favorite Florence restaurants included Le Mossace (ribolitta) and Il Due Fratellini (we ate at this fiaschetteria at least 3 times, grab a panini and glass of Super Tuscan and sit on the curb near Orsanmichele). A lavish meal accompanied by excellent wines was enjoyed at Pitti Gola, where Zeno, one of the owners, should really have his own TV show. They travel all over Italy, buying up whatever the small winemakers don’t keep for themselves, making many of their wines exclusives. Rinaldi Brunello was a highlight. The pumpkin gnudi was unlike anything I’ve eaten before. Ricotta, pumpkin, and an egg made into fluffy little balls with a sauce chock full of truffles.

Vernazza harbor from the trail

Cinque Terre – 3 nights in Vernazza

After a 3-hour train ride to La Spezia, switching trains to the towns of the Cinque Terre, we emerged from the tunnel to see the Ligurian Sea. We stayed in Vernazza, near the trail to Corniglia, at Rooms La Torre. The room was spotless, new, and about the size of a king sized bed with a double bed, fridge, and bathroom squeezed in - comically tight for two people. The huge terrace’s 180-degree view included terraced grape vine hills, the pastel town, a castle (well worth the 1.50 euro), the harbor and sea beyond. Most everyone speaks English in the CT and everyone carries an embarrassing Rick Steve’s book. Try to hide it in your backpack.

Vernazza harbor from the castle

Many of the low trails were closed due to rockslides, so we hiked a combination of low and high trails. Some of the trails they said were closed were actually open. The first day we took the lower trail #2 to Corniglia, followed by the hill trail to Manarola. The elevation change was dramatic, from terraced grape vines to pines. New friends along the way included Seattleites and Aussies. In Manarola, we ate panini and pizza and shared a bottle of wine on the rocks by the harbor, before heading off to the Via del’Amore to Riomaggiore. The Aussies were game to add on a hike to a hilltop church so we joined in. About 16 miles were hiked that day. We jumped on the train back to Vernazza and closed down a bar with our new friends.

To Riomaggiore

The next day we set off “early,” meaning 9 am, taking the high trail to Monterosso. The view leaving Vernazza is breathtaking. The trail was empty save a couple Italians and Germans. My husband fixed a woman’s walking stick and we all cheered. The country cathedral of Madonna di Soviore was especially lovely. Frescoes were used throughout as money was obviously not available for marble. Plexi glass floors revealed ruins beneath. A bonus was the attached coffee shop! A lovely meal in Monterosso, where I had pear and pecorino pasta (at Via Venti), was followed by sunbathing at the “new town” beach. Warm blue sea, multi-colored pebble beach, and dramatic coastline.

Sicilian brothers at Il Pirata

Another eating highlight of the CT included Il Pirata in Vernazza. The Sicilian brothers running this place were characters, full of deadpan humor and hand gestures. Don't ask for bacon and eggs, they may kick you out. The pastries and cannoli were out of this world. Go here for your morning pastries, then go back for dinner. At the top of town, this short walk is worth your time. The raisin dessert wine schiattera and local limoncello were great.

Tuscan road signs

The hill towns of Tuscany - 3 nights 

The weather was starting to turn and our bright blue Alpha Romeo coupe was awaiting us in La Spezia. We had a wonderful breakfast in Sarzana at a roadside café off the autostrada.

Artisan in Volterra

About 2 hours later we were in a cold and rainy Volterra. The beautiful medieval town was shrouded in fog. The roman amphitheater and baths were wonderfully preserved and used to be the town garbage dump! We ducked into a take-away pizza shop where we at Schiacciata (thinner, crispier foccaccia) with sea salt and nutella, as well as excellent pizza. A fantastic and inexpensive dinner was had at Il Pozzo Oegli Etruschi. My husband raved about the stuffed wild boar. I had the zuppa Etruscha alla Volterrana, another fantastic peasant-type soup. The roomy Albergo Nazionale fit the bill both cost- and location-wise.

The next day we drove to a rainy San Gimignano, it was full of tourists and we didn’t stay long.

Eating panini in Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni was a lovely, well-preserved tiny fortress built by Siena to give warning if Firenze was on the attack. The Antico Travaglio bar crafted fantastic paninis (mine was pecorino, tomato, and truffle oil) and we picnicked with our wine on a bench in the main square surrounded by turrets and olive trees.

We drove on to Siena, where we stayed at the clean and friendly nun-run Alma Domus. The staff was especially wonderful at this convent turned hotel just under San Domenico church, which looks awfully austere next to Siena’s main cathedral. The relic of St. Catherine’s mummified head is especially powerful.

Stairs to Torre Mangia

We visited the usual sites, Il Campo, climbed the windy Torre Mangia, spent a lot of time in the beautiful cathedral, with its lovely mosaic floor, Pisano pulpit, Bernini chapel, and legions of popes staring down at you. The Alma Domus staff recommended Osteria Il Campaccio. This well-priced meal was stellar (my husband loved the pork with prunes).

Pienza alley

The next day we drove to Montalcino (the town that produces our favorite Brunello wines) but found the shopkeepers and Italian tourists snooty. We moved on to lovely Pienza, with its perfect Renaissance square and idyllic views. We rolled into Montepulciano late and struggled to find a value hotel, but ended up passing Albergo La Terrazza and ringing the buzzer. Roberto and his wife Vittoria were the most enthusiastic and gracious hosts. We had a large sitting room, four-poster bed, parking and excellent breakfast for 90 euro.

We expected to stay one more night in a hill town, but frankly, we were ready to be back in the city. We found that we weren't the "rent a villa in Tuscany"-type folks. We considered sleeping in Greve in Chianti but found it soulless and overpriced, although we did have good wine and a nice walk in nearby Panzano in Chianti.

Another amazing panini at Il Due Fratellini

Back in Florence - 3 nights

We got back to Albergo Merlini, which felt like home, had a tasty Sicilian dinner with ornery service at Trattoria Il Bargello after I Cche ce ce wouldn’t allow us to wait for a table.

San Miniato

The next day was the Bargello, a quick lunch at Il Fratellini (eat here as often as possible, I'd do it daily if I could) and walking to Piazza Michelangelo and San Miniato Al Monte. Le Mossace was again our choice for dinner. Although I am a vegetarian, I enjoyed the loud sound of chopping through meat and bones in the open kitchen at Le Mossace.

Our last day in Florence was filled with a visit to the San Marco monastery with Fra Angelico’s frescoed cells (highly underrated site and not crowded), a fantastic, fast, and cheap meal at Da Mario (worth the wait), and a guided tour of the Palazzo Vecchio, focusing on the Medici family’s reign of power. The map room with the secret passageway to Bianca’s eavesdropping chamber was a highlight (tours are free and some are in English, book ahead at www.palazzovecchio-familymuseum.it).

Mercato Centrale

The Mercato Centrale is worth a visit if you want to get well-priced vaccuum-packed meats, olives, and tomatoes. Be sure to check the USDA web site to see if your edibles will make it past the dogs sniffing your luggage in the airport.

We had gelato from about 15 places and our favorite was Carapina on Via Lambertesca near the Uffizi. Give the Vin Santo flavor a try.

Street art, Oltrarno

Our last night we tried to be adventurous and walked to a recommended pizza place in the Oltrarno. We had slow rude service and the joint was too trendy, so we left. We stopped at a family run trattoria where my frittata and insalata caprese were wonderful but my husband’s pork chop was dry. I believe it was God’s way of saying that it’s time to go home.

Early the next morning we left for the airport and my husband left his wallet in the cab. He realized it not long before our flight was to depart, ran back to the cab line, waited for a cab to show up, told them what happened, and somehow they got a hold of the cabbie, who raced through town in time to return my husband’s wallet and for us to make our flight. Thank you cabbie Signore Manelli!