Amsterdam backery

Not intended to try those, just a pic for souvenir.

After lunch coffee

After a hearty winter soup, it is time for an Italian coffee. We crossed the Piazza Duomo and entered this 100-year old bar. The place is spacious with beautiful paintings on the ceiling. I had a really creamy hot chocolate made by an elegantly dressed bartender.

Hearty winter soup Ribollita – a classic Tuscan soup

At a cold raining day, a hearty winter soup really saves the day. We went to a cozy bar & restaurant near Piazza Duomo in Florence. At lunchtime, the narrow bar entrance was full of people having an after-lunch coffee. We went downstairs to have a seat. The place is also full of wines on the shelf and rustic objects as decoration. One waiter kindly tells us the old history of this ancient place. That is the beauty of Italy; everywhere has a history and story to tell.

We started with assorted meat on bread. Then followed by a classic Tuscan soup: Ribollita. Ribollita means 're-boiled' in Italian and it would have been reheated day after day – increasing in flavor each time. There are different versions of the recipe, but the main ingredients are: stale bread, cannellini (white) beans and green leafy vegetables (such as black leaf kale) - some versions also add sausage or prosciutto. I followed a Portuguese receipt for a kale sausage soup. It is interestingly similar.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/bean-soup-in-the-style-of-tuscany-ribollita-recipe/index.html

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18321.asp

The BEST Beef Steak – Bistecca alla Fiorentina

How could you leave Florence without trying their best beefsteak? That is what Italians say. I missed it the first time while I was in Italy. That is why I am going back for the second time.

My friend Luigi took me to his favorite restaurant in countryside of Toscana: Locanda il Gallo. It is also a Bed and Breakfast Inn with high quality local cuisine. You can see how beautiful is the steak looks like from the pic. It is the tenderest steak I have ever had. I heard that the Italians sell the Florence beefsteak at Gasparro’s butcher in Toronto. You just need to ask the people work there. I have to try it next time!

http://www.locandailgallo.it/html/restaurant.html

I also tried Colonnata’s fat bacon. It looks all white. Obviously is pure fat. Very tasty!! Also the creamy delicate pasta cooked with saffron, called “Strozzapreti allo zafferano” in Italian. “Strozzapreti” is kind of pasta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strozzapreti

Second course, we had quail, white beans and spinach. Of course and the beefsteak! By the time we finished chocolate moose and poutan, it was already pass midnight!

Osteria della Lodola – A night with endless food and drinks

A friend brought me to a romantic genuine Bed and Breakfast called “Osteria della Lodola”, located in the fascinating Tuscan ValdiChiana.
www.lalodola.com

Charmed with an Eighteenth Century home atmosphere, host Chef Prepares menus typical of the Tuscan and Italian culinary tradition. The fix menu price is about 30 Euros, not including wines.

Of course, the menu starts with the local products such as cheeses, salami, jams etc. Then followed by gnocchi in tomato sauce, white beans with olive oils and ginger zucchini soup. For the main course, to my surprise there are pigeons. But not everyone at the table tried those poor little birds, and I was too full to eat a second one. Most people ate the beef, which is really tender, but left many pigeons wasted. As I was still keeping working on the pigeon on my plate, the waiter was impressed with my courage. Ha! Didn’t he know I am a Chinese who love to eat! For appraise me, he even give me a small bottle of freshly made olive oil for gift. I love the spicy grassy flavor from the fresh olive oil so much and finished all of it in 10 days.

The entire night, the waiter kept indulging us with wide choice of wines. After the dessert, we set close to the cozy fireplace, sipping on champagnes. They offered a warm and relaxed hospitality with high-quality cuisine. It is a truly delightful night in Toscana!

Home cooking at Sbarbacipolle -Arezzo

“Sbarba” in Italian means “To shave”; “Cipolle” means “onions”.
Now you can translate the restaurant’s name. The place is owned by a lady, who also makes amazing metal sculptures. The interesting metal art works she put up on the walls overwhelmed me when I was entering the place. But the owner does not allow photography.


I only took pics of the food we had: Handmade pasta with ragù, Handmade spinach gnocchi and roasted pork. How could I complain? Handmade food with love in a rustic restaurant …. Did I mention the owner’s dog is just right besides me? Look! Dog eat pasta too!! In Italy!

Arezzo humor

Pics taken in action sometimes are quite funny. I took this one in Arezzo antique flea market. They were selling some food in a Sunday afternoon. The pic has nothing to do with antiques.

By the way, they told me that antique market is the biggest in Italy, all started with an old lady with a small antique store.

http://www.arezzofieraantiquaria.org/