Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on culture. Tuscany is unrivaled as the center of art. One can find examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization to Roman monuments and ruins; from the Romanesque architecture and impressive Gothic cathedrals to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance. Florence has preserved its masterpieces and great works of architecture over the centuries.
Tuscany borders the regions of Liguria to the northwest, Emilia-Romagna to the north and east, Umbria to the east and Lazio to the southeast. Tuscany has a western coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, containing the Tuscan Archipelago, of which the largest island is Elba. The climate is fairly mild in the coastal areas, but much harsher and rainier in the interior, with considerable fluctuations in temperature between winter and summer.
Florence is the capital of Tuscany. Other important cities are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto and Massa Carrara.
The most important collection of paintings in the world is found in the Uffizi Gallery. Great paintings can be seen in the Gallery of Palazzo Pitti, such as Tiziano’s and Raffaello’s masterpieces. Florence also has the Museum of the Costume, the Museum of the Carriages and the beautiful Italian gardens, Giardino di Boboli. In the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, the famous “Pietà” by Michelangelo can be admired.
The Via de’ Tornabuoni in Florence, the city’s top fashion and shopping street.
The fashion and textile industry are the pillars of the Florentine economy. In the 15th century, Florentines were working with luxury textiles such as wool and silk. Today, the greatest designers in Europe utilize the textile industry in Tuscany, and especially Florence.
Simplicity is central to the Tuscan cuisine. Legumes, bread, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms and fresh fruit are used. Olive oil is made up of Moraiolo, Leccino and Frantoio olives. White truffles from San Miniato appear in October and November. Beef of the highest quality comes from the Chiana Valley, specifically a breed known as Chianina used for Florentine steak. Pork is also produced and the region is known for its many excellent cured meats. Tuscany’s climate also provides ideal soil for the grapes grown to create the region’s world-renowned Chianti wine.
It is Carnival time in Tuscany
It was February 1873 when a group sitting around a table at the Caffè del Casino in Viareggio had the great idea to have an annual parade of floats to celebrate carnival time. They wanted a parade out in the piazzas, in the streets and, most of all, among the people. The parade floats take center stage each year and usually represent satirical versions of politicians, figures from popular culture or show business. The floats are always based on the hot topics of the day. The floats parade through the crowds along Viareggio’s seafront every Sunday for 4 weeks until Mardi Gras. For 4 weeks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, the 4 districts of Viareggio hold large open air street parties with music and masked balls until the early hours. Open air restaurants offer local specialities, mainly fresh seafood dishes, and stages are put up on street corners where free live concerts are performed. Bands and DJs give it their all, dressed in costumes and wearing carnival masks.
Cenci’ are traditional sweets that are often prepared throughout Tuscany during Carnival time. These treats are made with fried dough and covered with powdered sugar. In Italian, their name means ‘rags’ because that’s exactly what these haphazard squares look like! They’re golden, crispy, light and easy to prepare.
Take A Tour Of Tuscany
Traditional Tuscan Regional Cooking
Soups, sauces and stews are the cornerstones of Tuscan cooking, many beginning with and relying upon the mastery of a soffritto on which to build more complex flavors. A soffritto can be considered the Italian verson of mirepoix and is a combination of olive oil and minced browned vegetables (usually onion, carrot and celery) that creates a base for a variety of slow-cooked dishes. Herbs (sage and rosemary) are used in many Tuscan dishes and seasonings can be added to the soffritto as needed to bring out the unique flavors of each different recipe.
Stracotto (braised beef) is a well-known favorite of the area, as are finocchiona (a rustic salami with fennel seeds), cacciucco (a delicate fish stew), pollo al mattone (chicken roasted under heated bricks) and biscotti di prato (hard almond cookies made for dipping in the local dessert wine, vin santo). Borlotti beans, kidney-shaped and pink-speckled, provide a savory flavor to meatless dishes and cannellini beans form the basis for many a pot of slowly simmered soup. Breads are many and varied in Tuscan baking, with varieties including, donzelle (a bread fried in olive oil), filone (an unsalted traditional Tuscan bread) and the sweet schiacciata con l’uva with grapes and sugar on top. Pastas are not heavily relied upon in Tuscan cooking and pappardelle (a wide egg noodle) is one of the region’s few traditional cuts.
Tuscan Bread
This is a three-day process.
Makes 2 Loaves
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 cups warm water (110 F)
- 9 cups unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- Olive Oil
- Semolina or cornmeal to flour the work board
Directions
To make the biga:
Combine the yeast and ½ cup of water in a bowl; stir and set aside. Measure 2 cups of the unbleached flour into a large bowl. Make a hole in the center of the flour with your hands and pour in the yeast mixture. Move the flour from the sides of the bowl into the yeast mixture and combine. Gradually pour in 1 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to mix the flour and yeast mixture together to form a thick paste. Sprinkle another cup of the unbleached flour over the top and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a cool place to rise for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
The next day, add the whole wheat flour, 1 cup of warm water and another cup of the unbleached all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix, kneading the dough slightly in the bowl with your hands. The dough will be very sticky. Cover and set aside again to rise for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
On the third day, stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water. Work in the remaining flour, leaving a little of it aside to spread on the board or work surface. Turn the dough onto the floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough is silky and springy and has lost its stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl sprayed with olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the dough in a warm place (75 F) to rise for 2 to 3 hours.
It is best to bake the dough on a baking stone. To do this, preheat the oven stone at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes prior to baking the bread.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, knead it briefly and divide in half. Form each into an oval or round loaf. Set the loaves on 2 oven peels lined with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a clean towel and allow them to rise for 45 minutes while the oven is heating.
Transfer the loaves from the peel to the stone; if you only have one peel, form one at a time and set one on a piece of parchment paper.
Bake the loaves for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking another 40 to 45 minutes or until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped with your knuckles.
To bake the loaves without a stone, form the loaves as above and place each one on a lightly oiled and cornmeal lined baking sheet. Cover as above and let rise. Bake as above. Cool the bread on a rack before slicing.
Ribollita
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans, uncooked
- Olive oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 4 potatoes, diced
- 10 zucchini, diced
- 1 1/2 cups swiss chard, shredded
- 1 leek
- 1 savoy cabbage, shredded
- 1 bunch kale, shredded
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Loaf of stale Tuscan bread
Directions
Soak the beans overnight and then cook over low heat. It will take approximately 1 hour for them to cook.
In a soup pot, gently saute the onion, carrot and celery in a little olive oil. Add the other vegetables, with the exception of the cabbage, kale and beans which are added at a later point. When the vegetables have sweated out their juice, cover the ingredients with hot water and then add all the cabbage and kale. Cover and simmer for an hour over medium heat.
Add the cooked beans, salt and pepper. Let simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring frequently because the beans tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste.
Slice the stale bread and, in an earthenware casserole, alternate layers of bread with the soup until the bread is soaked. Cover and refrigerate the soup until the next day.
To serve, reheat it or “re-boil” it, as the name in Italian suggests.
Lemon and Black Pepper Grilled Chicken Legs
Serves: 4 as a main course
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs with thighs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Directions
Arrange the chicken in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice. If using a gas grill reduce the heat to low and cook 20 minutes. If using a charcoal grill, move the chicken to the edges of the grill, cover and cook over indirect heat. Check for doneness after 20 minutes.
Ricciarelli – Tuscan Almond Cookies
These cookies just happen to be gluten-free.
Makes about eighteen 3-inch cookies
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups sliced or slivered almonds
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Grated zest of 1 medium orange
- Confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until reduced to a semi-fine powder. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites on high-speed, adding the sugar a little at a time. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla. Continue beating the whites until very thick and glossy, at least 5 minutes.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the ground almonds and orange zest.
Use 2 tablespoons to scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. The cookies should be oval-shaped, about 2-1/2 inches long x 1 inch wide. Only put about 9 cookies on each baking sheet as they will spread a little. Dust the tops of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch, but pale in color, not brown.
Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. When completely cool, re-dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar.
The cuisine of Italy changes as you move from region to region (even sometimes, from city to nearby city), with each area having unique recipes, specialties and culinary traditions. Most households in Italy reserve a meal or two for beans, just as they include specific days for meat, pasta or fish. Beans play an essential role in Italian cooking and, consequently, they are grown throughout the country. From Sicily in the south to Piedmont and Veneto in the north, various regions produce different kinds of beans, all of which are enjoyed by the Italian culture.
Beans contain a wealth of fiber both soluble and insoluble and contain more protein than any other vegetable; some beans even rival chicken or meat in protein content. Italy, also, boasts a rich tradition of bread soups, which was born out of necessity. In the past people were much too poor to throw away stale bread, therefore, they had to devise ways to make it edible, such as working it into a soup. Vegetables also play an important part in Italian soups. Soups are always made from scratch and include the freshest of ingredients, so the soup recipe can change, depending on what vegetables are in season. That is why you will often see recipes for Summer, Fall or Winter Minestrone. Pasta and rice are also common additions.
Soups in the Italian cuisine can be light, clear ones or thicker purees and even stews-like. Vegetable soups are usually served during spring and summer and somet are served cold. Hearty soups include minestrones, bean and sauerkraut soup, garlic bread soup, chickpeas and string-beans soups, Supa de Scigol, a specific Milanese onion soup, and Zuppa di Primavera, an Italian specialty made with vegetables, potatoes and bits of pasta. Meat is also used in Italian soups, especially pancetta. Beef, chicken and pork are used for thick hearty soups served with cream, while fish is used for lighter spicier soups served with pasta bits and onion rings. Most soups are accompanied by bread, and are seasoned with cheese and parsley, dill, basil or oregano. The soup recipes included in this post are classic, hearty, country soups that have been part of the Italian cuisine for centuries.
Italian Wedding Soup
The Italian Wedding Soup, is one of those Old World dishes that comes complete with a colorful story. Serve a bowl, fill your head with images of folks in colorful native dress, dancing in circles to celebrate wedding joy while somebody plays the accordion and grandfathers smoking cigars and clapping their hands.
Great story, great image. There’s just one little problem. It is not really true. This hearty soup is Italian all right, but at least historically, it has nothing to do with weddings. With regional variations from Rome to Abbruzzi to Naples, this peasant dish earned the Neapolitan name “Minestra Maritata” or “married soup,” not because of any connection with weddings but simply because it brings together meat and greens in a happy marriage.
But the old name stuck, and over time – more in Italian-American culture than in the Old Country – it became the custom to serve it at wedding feasts, simply because the name prompted the tradition. It’s certainly not restricted to wedding meals and is often served during the holidays, on cold winter days, or just about any time you’re in the mood for a hearty, healthy soup.
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots)
- 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 2-32 oz cartons low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup small tubular pasta, such as ditalini
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 10 ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Meatballs
Pour the milk over the bread crumbs and rest ten minutes. Add the ground turkey, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, egg substitute, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.
With a teaspoon, form 1 inch meatballs and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
Soup
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
Add the fresh basil and meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook until the meatballs and spinach are hot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
Ribollita
Tuscan Farm
Most Tuscan food is rustic and hearty; nothing fancy. Grilled meats, brothy soups and beans are featured prominently, for example, the simple ribollita. While this is now a staple in restaurants in Tuscany and elsewhere, its roots are clearly in the home — or the farmhouse.
Classic ribollita is actually not one dish, but three. It started out as a minestra, a simple vegetable soup with greens and white beans. The next day, leftovers of of the minestra were extended with pieces of stale bread to make minestra di pane. On the third day, the soup was reheated (ribollita means “reboiled”). As is typical with most soups, the flavors meld and improve with time. No matter which phase of its life you are consuming, be sure to serve it with a drizzle of very good, fresh, fruity olive oil.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1- 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound cavolo nero (lacinato kale, Tuscan kale), stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
- 4 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, see post http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/04/23/how-to-use-beans-in-italian-cooking/
- 1/2 pound Italian bread (such as ciabatta), crusts removed
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- zest of one lemon
- Parmesan Cheese
Directions
In a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot, and onion. Cook for 10-15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid browning them. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the kale, 3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a small amount of water until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20 – 30 minutes. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.
Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated the next day and finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese.
Makes 10 servings.
Pasta e Fagioli
Palladio’s Bridge
Fagioli, also known as” pasta fazool”, is a typical dish of the Italian table. In nearly every region, province and village you will find a version of this pasta and bean soup.
Pasta e Fagioli originated as a peasant dish, due to the wide availability of pasta and beans. Italians, often, use legumes in their cooking, but they are most widely used in the regions of central Italy: Tuscany, Abruzzo, Umbria and Lazio. However, the Veneto region, located in the northeastern corner of the boot, is well known for their version of Pasta e Fagioli. The traditional bean variety used in Pasta e Fagioli is the borlotti bean (also known as the cranberry bean). Many specialty grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, sell cranberry beans. Cranberry beans have a white and deep pink marbled pattern on their skins, and when cooked, their taste is similar to that of chestnuts, however, any white bean will be good in this soup.
This Italian soup–which has as many variations as there are cooks—is chock full of pasta, beans, and vegetables, making it a hearty one-dish meal. Serves 8.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried white beans cooked
- see post for instructions: http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/04/23/how-to-use-beans-in-italian-cooking/
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium onions, finely chopped
- 4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
- 3 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon. dried rosemary
- 1 quart lower-salt chicken broth
- 1-28 oz. container Italian chopped tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ditalini (or other small pasta)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & Pepper
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
Serving garnishes:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Chopped basil
Directions
In a 6-quart (or larger) soup pot over medium heat oil and add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the ditalini according to the package directions and drain. Add to the soup with the parsley and crushed red pepper. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes: olive oil, cheese, basil and parsley
Pappa al Pomodoro
Siena in Tuscany
Pappa al pomodoro is a traditional farmer recipe invented by peasant housewives in Tuscany to avoid wasting stale bread. The recipe was also made famous thanks to a hit song by Rita Pavone, “Viva la pappa col pomodoro” (1965)
Pappa al pomodoro – a rustic Tuscan tomato bread soup – is an excellent example of the Italian belief – “never throw anything away, especially bread!”
Most likely created in the Sienese hills, pappa al pomodoro can now be found throughout central Italy. Authentic pappa al pomodoro requires the unsalted Tuscan bread as a base, and the extra virgin olive oil of the region. Pappa al pomodoro is delicious cold or hot, and is never eaten with Parmesan or any other cheese in Italy, but in the US cheese has become customary.
The preparation varies from family to family, and some variations may include onion, leek, carrot, celery, chili or rosemary. This version is more of a basic ‘pappa al pomodoro,’ which can be modified to suit your preference.
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
- 1 cup medium-diced carrots, (3 carrots)
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 3 cups (1-inch) diced Italian bread cubes, crusts removed
- 2 (28-ounce) containers Pomi strained tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
For the topping:
- Diced Italian bread cubes, toasted
- Whole fresh basil leaves
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
Puree the soup with a hand blender or in the processor. Reheat and serve with the soup sprinkled with the toppings and olive oil drizzled over the top.
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- Zesty Italian Wedding Soup (foodsqueeze.wordpress.com)
- minestra di cicerchie (briciole.typepad.com)
- The Godmother’s Italian Wedding Soup (themidlifesecondwife.com)
- Italian Wedding Soup (pastaprincessandmore.wordpress.com)
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