American Gardens in Florence

La Pietra Estate

An article that includes the gardens at La Pietra, among others, appeared in The Florentine's online edition today.  New York University was the grateful recipient of the La Pietra estate and uses it as its base for the Florence Study Abroad Program.  I attended the second annual program in the summer of 1995, and stayed in one of the "lesser" villas (Villa Natalia) on the property, although now most students rent apartments in the city center.  This grand formal gardens have breathtaking views of Florence, pleasant breezes, and bats zipping around catching bugs at dusk.  You may even run into a family of hedgehogs.

My Top 10 Italy Climbs

Torre del Mangia staircase, Siena

What is is about climbing something?  A good view from the top?  Getting a workout in?  Pretending that you are the first to do it?

There isn't a vertical tower in Italy that I don't want to conquer.  Here are a few of my favorite tower or hill climbs focusing on Tuscany and nearby:

1. Duomo, Florence (read Ross King's Brunelleschi's Dome before you do it...or after!)
2. Walk to Piazza Michelangelo and San Miniato Al Monte
3. Patrol path tour, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence 
4. Hiking the Ligurian coast (especially the cliff-hugging sanctuaries)
5. Torre del Mangia, Siena
6. Torre Guinigi, Lucca
7. St. Patrick's well, Orvieto
8. Leaning tower, Pisa (you've got to do it once)
9. The entire town of Montepulciano
10. Ramparts of Monteriggioni

Oldest RX Source in Europe Turns 400

Photo courtesy of smnovella.it

Congrats to Officina Profumo-Farmaceuticadi Santa Maria Novella for turning 400 years old!

Believed to be the oldest pharmacy in Europe (1221), this historic treasure offered balms and medicinal herbs to the church's monks and Florence's poor.  It's been in continuous operation ever since and now sells mostly perfumes, lotions, and chocolates. We missed this stop on our last visit to Florence, but wish we hadn't.  Happy birthday!

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.

Move to Italy?

Photo courtesy of homeaway.com

At least for the summer.  I've been spending way too much time on homeaway.com and homeexchange.com - two websites that I frequently troll to find my perfect Florence apartment rental or a house to swap in Sicily.  Deals seem to abound last minute and in the winter.  If only the airfares weren't so high. 

A Florence apt. that is a 20-minute walk from the duomo for 200 euro a week that sleeps seven.  That's some cheap living.  Or swap our Socal house for this centrally located Catania pad.

I can dream.

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.