“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything. The purity of the contours, the softness of everything, the exchange of soft colours, the harmonious unity of the sky with the sea and the sea to the land… who saw them once, shall possess them for a lifetime.”

It was a deeply peaceful and serene few days of being totally spoiled. The views, the wonderful food, the water, the pampering, yoga on the beach, the absolute peace of this secluded location on Sicily’s south in a natural reserve (not to mention the kids busy at the kids club!) — an absolute dream.

Disclaimer: I was invited to stay at Adler Spa Resort Sicilia with my family with most expenses covered; this is a truthful account of my experience here.

The post A pampering stay in Sicily’s south – Adler Spa Resort Sicilia first appeared on Emiko Davies.

Introducing our new 5 day workshops at Enoteca Marilu!

This is a dream project that we’ve been floating around since 2007, when we thought up an idea to host wine tastings on a medieval rooftop tower in Florence. We finally found our very own space to host cooking classes, wine tastings and a natural wine shop — right in the heart of Tuscany, in our little hilltop town of San Miniato. We’ve been renovating it for the past year and it will finally be ready this spring! If you’re not ready to commit to a 5 day workshops, we also offer one day cooking classes, you can read about those here.

Let us show you the slow life of our charming Tuscan village, tasting the delicious fresh produce and wonderful artisans making bread, salame, cheese and wine in this area in a small, highly curated and intimate workshop.

We start in the mornings, visiting the market, the local butcher, breadmaker or cheesemaker. We will go hunting for truffles — black summer truffles, autumn white truffles and spring bianchetto truffles all grow locally to San Miniato. We will cook together, taste wine together, you’ll don an apron and get your hands dirty, learning about local traditions on the way. We eat and drink together, tasting wines chosen by Marco. Later, in the afternoon and evenings, you are free to go and explore or rest and perhaps sample one of the fantastic restaurants in town.

These seasonal workshops run from around 10am-4pm over 5 days over the following dates:

15-19 May 2023: Late spring workshop

5-9 June 2023: Summer workshop

4-8 September 2023: Late summer workshop

9-13 October 2023: Autumn workshop

14-18 November 2023: White truffle workshop

Who is this for?

It is for people who are curious to explore slow life in a small Tuscan village, who love good food and delicious wine, who want to connect with other people who love food and wine and learn more about the local small producers around here, while picking up some new skills and recipes along the way — it’s for you!

A Sample Itinerary (depending on the season):

Monday: Arrival day; we meet in the late afternoon for a tour around town to get your bearings, followed by aperitivo with nibbles.

Tuesday: We start with a visit to the weekly market to pick up ingredients and see what local produce grows in this area. Then we cook a meal of fresh pasta, two salads and a seasonal cake, which we will enjoy with paired wines.

Wednesday: This morning starts with coffee at the local pastry shop and a taste of some of their specialties, then we go to the kitchen for our own baking. A late lunch will be at a local biodynamic winery with wine tasting and vineyard visit.

Thursday: We head to the woods for a truffle hunt (San Miniato is home to a variety of delicious truffles that are in season all year long). Back in the kitchen you’ll learn how to use truffles in savoury but also sweet dishes. We’ll enjoy these with paired wines chosen from Marco.

Friday: Today we leave the apron behind in the kitchen to visit a local ancient grain grower and baker, then lunch at our favourite countryside trattoria for the best Tuscan experience before we say goodbye.

The cost is 1,600 per person. The white truffle week has an extra white truffle supplement of 100 euro per person.

What is included in the price:

• Three cooking classes with an award winning cookbook author Emiko Davies
• Wine tasting and wine pairings with Tuscan sommelier Marco Lami
• Truffle hunt in the woods with a truffle hunter and his dog, plus an all-truffle cooking lesson
• A winery visit with and lunch and wine tastings
• Tour of San Miniato and tastes around town — coffee, pastries and aperitivo!
• Visit of local farmers and producers and baker
• Lunch every day, including one at our favourite trattoria in the countryside
• Transport included for all the visits in the itinerary above
• Delicious natural wine during meals

Not included in the cost:

• Airfare and travel costs to the workshop
• Accommodation
• Travel insurance

To book now email us at vino@enotecamarilu.com

Getting Here

San Miniato is 40 minutes train ride from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station and a very convenient 30 minutes from Pisa airport.

The closest airports are Pisa (30 mins), Florence (40 mins) and Bologna (90 mins). San Miniato is also easily reached by regional train from Florence SMN train station (40 mins) or Pisa (30 mins). From San Miniato-Fucecchio train station there is the 320 bus that will take you to Piazza Dante Alighieri in San Miniato (the last stop), in 15 minutes, departing every 30 minutes. You can buy a bus ticket (1,80 euro) at the bar below the bus stop (or from an Italian phone number you can send a text message to 4880105 with the word “PISA” from your phone for a virtual ticket). Or call a local taxi driver (Antonio: +39 338 298 5310) to bring you up to San Miniato’s historical town in 5 minutes.

Where to Stay

San Miniato may be small but there are plenty of places to stay at all different budgets. With a car, you could consider one of the many agriturismi in the nearby countryside, otherwise within walking distance from Enoteca Marilu, right in the heart of the historical centre, here are some suggestions:

LUI a cute apartment on Airbnb, a 2 minute walk away
LEI another cute apartment on Airbnb (that can be joined with LUI)
Orange cute apartment on Airbnb
Ser Ridolfo Loft
Dimora del Grifo B&B, simple, classic rooms around the corner from the enoteca
Palazzo Essenza, a brand new palazzo of 5 beautiful rooms in Piazza del Popolo, 1 minute from the enoteca
Hotel San Miniato, a restored 13th century monastery (in need of some updates but comfortable)
Le Finestre del Seminario, new, spartan, spacious and economical rooms in a 17th century Seminary
Umamma Luxury unique apartment in Piazza Bonaparte

Things to note:

The itinerary is a guide; we reserve the right to make changes as necessary, such as where we may need to change the order of activities or replace some of the activities with something equally wonderful.

We require a deposit of 30% upon booking; the remainder should be paid before the workshop starts. This booking is non-refundable unless we are notified at least 90 days beforehand of a cancellation. We can however accept someone to take your place or we can give you a voucher towards any other classes to use within one year. We reserve the right to cancel a workshop if we do not reach the minimum number (5 guests) and in this case deposits will be fully refunded.

This is a really intimate group, there are only 8 spots in each workshop.

To book now email us at vino@enotecamarilu.com

The post Introducing our 2023 workshops first appeared on Emiko Davies.

This past weekend we spent a couple of gloriously crisp, sunny winter days with my mother in law, our girls and even the puppy(!) around the elegant northern Italian city of Turin, showing them some favourite old places that we love, while discovering some new spots to add to the list. It was a little harder to do everything that we’ve done on past trips (which, truth be told, involved mainly eating and drinking as I was researching for my third cookbook, Tortellini at Midnight, where I dedicated an entire chapter to the food and drink of Turin), catering to everyone’s needs but I can say that in Turin there is something for everyone and it was a fantastic city break for the family.

My mother in law’s father was from Turin and I wanted her to experience the city that her father loved and talked about so much so we ate at very typical Piemontese restaurants (things that you’ll find in Tortellini at Midnight like classic vitello tonnato, agnolotti al plin, brasato al barolo and more) and enjoyed aperitivo in one of the classic piazze in the centre of town; Torino is the city that invented aperitivo, after all. I ate agnolotti in every restaurant we went to, you’ll see my favourite in the list below.

One of the things that helped taking the children (4 and 10) around in particular was staying right in the centre of town; we rented an airbnb just two steps from Piazza Castello and around the corner from the Mole Antonelliana, which meant everything was within easy walking distance.

Here’s the Turin List from a trip back in 2015 for Corriere della Sera that I can still vouch for — many of these are oldies that we love returning to over and over again (in particular Caffe Mulassano, Caffe Bicerin and Consorzio, which go without saying you must visit).

Here are the other things we loved on this trip too:

Lunch at Porto di Savona. An old school restaurant filled with atmosphere in Piazza Vittorio Veneto where you can find all the classic Turin dishes. Very good tartare (with hazelnut and creamy caprino cheese), housemade pasta and desserts: a cloud-like hazelnut cake, a very good tiramisu (their specialty) and pannacotta (see photo below) with the perfect wobble. Like all good and popular places to eat, book in advance!

The Mole Antonelliana is the striking tower that you see in Turin’s skyline. It houses the museum of cinema and an entirely glass elevator that takes you up to the top of the tower for a 360° view.

A new one for me but definitely my favourite restaurant of this trip: Scannabue in the cute San Salvario neighbourhood. The menu is a mix of super traditional and modern offerings — the agnolotti al plin were divine (see photo below), the best of the trip, and the most delicious, delicate gnocchi in creamy Castelmagno sauce (which are also known as ravioles di melle or gnocchi delle Val Varaita but are unlike any ravioli or gnocchi you’ve seen elsewhere and are made mostly of toma, the local cheese). The girls appreciated the well made club sandwich and hamburger, while sommelier hubby was impressed with the wine list.

Farmacia del Cambio: If you’re going to sit out in a piazza and partake of aperitivo like a good Torinese then this is one elegant spot to do it, the bar of the more famous restaurant Ristorante del Cambio, which has been functioning since the 1700s. Lovely spot for a bicerin (coffee, chocolate and cream, see photo below) on a sunny morning, or aperitivo in the evening with some tramezzini (finger sandwiches).

Two steps from the Farmacia del Cambio is a gorgeous old English language bookshop that I always stop in at, Luxemburg. We spent quite a bit of time here as it’s such a special thing for us to get to browse so many children’s books in English!

The kids loved the Museo Egizio, even though it was overwhelmingly hot (dress in layers!) and quite crowded on a Saturday morning. For younger kids there is a special space Spaziozerosei dedicated to 0-6 years, where they do an activity that lasts 1 hour. You must book everything here quite far in advance and online.

If you need a break from Piemontese food, I was very excited about the Chinese options that you can find here: There’s the wonderful Oh Crispa! and also tiny, takeaway only spots like MU Bao (just down from Luxemburg) and a spot simply called Takeaway Street Food (Via San Francesco d’Assisi 1/c) where they make delicious jianbing and northern Chinese style jiaozi to order.

When my mother in law wanted to bring back some special treats as gifts, I took her to the nearly 200 year old Stratta in beautiful Piazza San Carlo for some pretty chocolates.

A drink at Banco Vini Alimenti, the natural wine bar of Ristorante Consorzio, around the corner. As we didn’t have time to visit the restaurant this trip, we enjoyed a quick drink with some nibbles (giardiniera and cheddar) here instead and took a bottle home too. Lovely (also conveniently around the corner from the jianbing place above).

Our last meal of the trip was at L’Osto del Borg Vej, which is in the cutest little tree filled piazza, close to the cobblestoned streets of the old centre. They do a very classic Piemontese menu. Their agnolotti were tiny and incredibly delicate in a brothier sauce of pan juices than usual — quite nice. We finished with a plate of Piemontese cheeses with quince paste, which was perfect.

Special note on traveling with dogs to Turin: This was our first trip traveling with the puppy and I loved that Turin is such a dog friendly city (you’ll notice everyone walking around town with their dogs!). Ours was allowed in restaurants, no problem, and taxis but you should always mention that you have a dog when booking. If you’re visiting museums, dogs aren’t allowed in most of them BUT there are plenty of dog sitting services for minding your dog while you visit a museum, brilliant! Shoutout to Italo too, which made it very easy to bring our puppy on the train without a carrier (you do have to have with you a soft muzzle just for boarding and exiting the train by law, as well as as buy the puppy a ticket but they give you a dedicated space that has an extra spot for the dog).

Would you like to know more? Let me know in the comments!

Below: 1st and 2nd photos are of Porto di Savona, 3rd photo of agnolotti al plin at Scannabue, 4th photo of bicerin at Farmacia del Cambio and last photo is taken at Banco Vini Alimenti natural wine bar.

The post A winter weekend in Turin first appeared on Emiko Davies.

I have had my eye out on interesting food books for kids and came across this Magic Ramen book from a post by Amy Palanjian from Yummy Toddler Food and it immediately caught my eye because, well, ramen! The girls (4 and 10) both immediately loved the story, honestly so did I — the inspiring true story of Momofuku Ando, who invented instant ramen after witnessing the devastation of hunger and food shortages of World War Two. “Peace will come to the world when everyone has enough to eat,” he said.

It’s a wonderful story for a couple of reasons — it is firstly a story of hard work, dedication and resilience. Even though Ando fails over and over and over again, he keeps experimenting and trying new things like a true inventor, so even if the dough is too soft, or too crumbly or too soggy, he never lets this stop him. And it is an inspiring story because he is trying to make something for the greater good — his goal, after seeing long lines of poor people shivering in the cold waiting for a bowl of expensive chicken noodle soup, is to make a nutritious, delicious bowl of noodles simply and in minutes so that anyone and everyone can enjoy a warming bowl of noodle soup whenever they want (in fact, later, he goes further and invents Cup Noodles, so that you can literally make noodles on the run anywhere).

The illustrations are cute and fun and the story flows well enough to keep a 4 year old and a 10 year old equally engaged (and older kids might like the additional biography at the back of the book about Ando’s further inventions — he even invented noodles to eat in space!). But what is really telling is that the other night after requesting this as her bedtime read, my 4 year said, Mamma, this magic soup sounds yummy, can we try that?

She has actually had it before but I admit that ramen isn’t something I make very often at home, it’s not featuring in my upcoming cookbook on Japanese home cooking, Gohan, and it’s not something I grew up eating even visiting Japan every year of my life until I was in my mid-20s. Even though my Japanese mother loves noodles, like many Tokyoites, her preferred noodles are soba and udon.

Compared to centuries-old soba, somen and udon noodles, ramen is a relatively new arrival on Japan’s culinary scene. Thought to have been brought over by Chinese immigrants after the Meiji restoration in 1868, Tokyo’s first Ramen shop opened in 1910. Ramen, for most Japanese, is a very quick, cheap, practically “fast food” lunch option when you’re not at home.

I can remember as a teenager growing in Beijing, Cup Noodles (the same ones invented by Momofuku Ando) were a reliable, filling, cheap lunch or dinner when we were on China study trips and traveling on a long, slow train (in 1992, it took us 24 hours to train from Beijing to Xian!). Just add hot water and wait a couple of minutes — perfect! At some point some classmates showed me how to eat instant noodles as snacks, dry — have you tried this? Just open the packet, sprinkle over the magic dust and chomp on it or crush them up in the bag and eat them like crisps! Later, during my early 20s, I remember appreciating the little standing-only ramen joints in Tokyo where you punch in what you want in a machine before hand, pay with coins, it spits out a ticket and you take it up to the counter – a very spartan, no nonsense, tiny eatery that fits a handful of people standing. The size is not really a problem since you are in and out so quickly. The noodles come out in a flash, they are warm and filling and everything you need in a quick meal.

It’s a little funny to me that ramen noodles have taken on such cult status outside of Japan and have become a well appreciated, almost gourmet thing, because they will forever remain in my mind as these quick, cheap eats!

So this quick noodle recipe is along those lines too — I’m sorry, this isn’t a long, slow pork bone broth, this is quick and simple, using things I usually have in my fridge (but see the notes at the bottom for other ideas and substitutions) and if you like, I’ve added a 30 minute chicken stock recipe too (a hack where I use a rotisserie chicken picked up at the supermarket rather than my usual 2 hour chicken stock). I managed to find some instant ramen noodles — as you might guess, Japanese ingredients are not the easiest to find in Tuscany but it’s getting better. I could have just left it at that and made the instant noodles with the packet seasoning but I decided to make it a bit more interesting.

I had half a roast chicken in the fridge so I took some slices of chicken breast and put the rest of the carcass in a saucepan to make a simple chicken stock, along with some carrot and leek (you could use spring onions or regular onion). Separately, I wilted some spinach in a small pot of boiling water boiled, then pulled it out and popped in an egg (7 minutes if the egg is at room temperature) to garnish with too. When the stock is ready, strain it, and now turn this into a more delicious noodle soup stock by adding dashi (powder or liquid dashi is ok), soy sauce and a splash of sake or mirin if you have it. This is a simple shoyu ramen. You could also, if you like, make it miso ramen by adding — yep — some miso (Just One Cookbook has a recipe here).

This soup is really where this is at, so taste as you’re making it and keep adjusting a bit of this or that until it is very tasty. Ladle this over the noodles in a bowl, cover for 3 minutes, then fluff up the noodles and add the garnishes (I added also the leek but if I had had it for this photo, I would definitely have sprinkled over some finely chopped green onion).

Quick chicken ramen soup 

For one

• 1 packet instant ramen noodles (see notes for using fresh ramen)
• 2 cups of chicken stock (see below if you’d like to make your own)
• 1 tsp dashi powder
• 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Splash of sake or mirin if you have it
• 3-4 thin slices of roast or grilled chicken breast
• 5-6 spinach leaves, blanched then squeezed of excess moisture
• 2 green onions/scallions, finely chopped
• 1 soft boiled egg (simmer a room temperature egg for 7 minutes for a perfectly jammy egg), cut in half
• A square of nori, if desired

Heat the chicken stock and add dashi powder, soy sauce, sake or mirin if you happen to have it for some extra umami and let simmer for a few minutes, then taste. Adjust with some salt if necessary (depending on whether the chicken stock is already salted or not).

Place the instant ramen noodles in a bowl. Pour the chicken soup stock over the noodles to cover the noodles completely, then cover with a lid or a plate to let it steam for 3 minutes. Fluff the noodles with a fork, then place the garnishes over the top (see notes below for ideas on what else you could add here) and ladle over a bit more soup stock to warm them slightly.

I quite like a drizzle of sesame oil over the top, my husband likes some heat from chilli flakes. You can also just place these extras on the table for people to add as they wish. Real life: my 4 year old ate the nori first, then took everything off except the carrots and the puppy stole her jammy egg.

To make a quick chicken stock:

• 1/2 roast chicken (use a rotisserie chicken or if you have leftover roast, this is perfect for making stock!)
• 1/2 leek, cut into two sections (or use 2 spring onions or 1/2 an onion)
• 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
• salt, as needed

Place everything in a pan and cover with 1 litre cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. Skim the top of the stock then strain. Use any of the meat left on the chicken in the soup too if you wish, I also used to the leek and the carrots in the soup, but you can leave them out or discard if you like. I usually salt the stock lightly as there will be soy sauce added later and then adjust for salt after that has been added.

If you want to make a really divine chicken stock (not that this isn’t good, this is great for when I have less time available) with fresh chicken, take a look at this recipe, which calls for a longer, slower cooking of 2 hours of gentle simmering on the stove.

Kitchen Notes:

Other ideas for things you could add here are tinned or fresh corn, carrot or leek from the homemade chicken stock (below), fresh mung bean sprouts, blanched bok choy, cooked mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms can be added to the stock below), fresh ginger, pork belly, leftover roast pork or turkey, toasted sesame seeds or gomasio, fresh chilli, chilli oil or powder, a splash of toasted sesame oil, anything else your heart desires! Generally speaking the garnishes aren’t warm but don’t worry, they will warm when put into the soup, which will be piping hot, really too hot to eat right away, so those first 2 minutes will help the garnishes warm through while you blow on the noodles.

You are aiming for a soup that tastes delicious and savoury, one that you want to drink on its own — if you need to add a bit more soy sauce, salt or pepper or anything else to suit your tastes, go ahead and do that. If I’m not making this for my kids, some fresh ginger grated in this is wonderful.

If using fresh ramen instead of instant ramen, this is still pretty quick only you’ll have to cook the ramen noodles separately in a pot of boiling water (don’t salt it!) for several minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water quickly (it helps separate the noodles and give them a bit of “spring”), then place in bowls and ladle over the stock.

The post Quick chicken ramen inspired by “Magic Ramen” first appeared on Emiko Davies.

There is a bar I pop into now and then that always has a pastry in the counter that I almost never say no to — they call it simply a fig and walnut pastry (treccia con fichi e noci) and while it’s different to this (that one has something like a frangipane type base and a deep caramel flavour), it definitely inspired the braided shape of this pastry. The thing is that making pastries at home means you get to eat them while they are fresh out of the oven, shatteringly crisp, the filling oozing and warm.

This filling is essentially the filling of a Sicilian cookie that I love called buccellati (which I wrote about here for my newsletter, with a Christmas cookie tin idea). It tastes like Christmas as it’s heavy with dried fruit, candied fruit and nuts of all kinds, plus it is scented with orange zest and cinnamon — so festive!

What I love about this too is that the filling can and should be prepared in advance to let the flavours develop nicely, which makes this a really perfect one for Christmas morning as you can prepare the filling in the days before you need it. Then, the morning you want to bake this, just pull it out of the fridge, arrange it on a store bought sheet of puff pastry (why not?) and bake. You’ll have these crisp, flaky, warm fig pastries to munch on while opening presents or perhaps you know someone who would love these and you can share some (the perfect gift?) — I already know that these will be an annual tradition for me!

For some other ideas for Italian treats for Christmas, try one of these:

• Maritozzi always have a special place in my heart.
• My ultimate Yule Log (tronco di natale) with candied walnuts and sugared rosemary decorations.
• Australians who have cherry season might like to try these fresh cherry crostatine with my favourite shortcrust pastry.
• Although these might be a bit strong for breakfast, panforte is probably one of the best ways to end a Christmas meal (or as a pick me up in the late afternoon!) — there is a chestnut version too.
• If you love pandoro, try turning it into a wonderful no-bake dessert with homemade mascarpone and fruit.

Braided fig and nut pastries
Treccia con fichi e noci

Use any of your favourite nuts here — almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts… and the same goes for the jam component, though I think the best flavours would be fig, apple, apricot or marmalade. I veer slightly from the original buccellati filling here a little bit by adding brown sugar instead of honey and an egg to hold things together. I took out the raisins and added more nuts. This recipe is enough for two puff pastry sheets that will make 8 serves each (or 4 larger ones), which means you have a second one to give away as a gift to someone special.

Makes 16 pieces

150 grams dried figs, halved
80 grams walnuts (or your favourite nuts), chopped roughly
2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
75 grams (1/4 cup) fig jam
1 unwaxed, organic orange or lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs (save one for the egg wash)
2 sheets store-bought puff pastry

Soak the figs in just boiled water for about 15 minutes to soften. Drain them completely then pulse them in a food processor until they become like a rough paste. Place this is a bowl and add the brown sugar, jam, citrus zest, cinnamon and an egg and mix until well combined. Let this chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, overnight is even better, if you are good at preparing things in advance, as the flavours have time to develop. You can even leave it for 3 or 4 days if you need to get things out of the way.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 200C (390F).

Unroll a puff pastry sheet and place the filling in the centre, so that it is about 3-4 inches (7-10cm) wide or taking up about a third of the pastry sheet. On either side of the filling, cut strips at an angle (refer to the photo). Now to “braid” it, simply alternate strips in a criss-cross fashion over the top of the filling from each side and at an angle — it’s not a true braid but it looks like one! Repeat with the second pastry.

With the saved egg, beat it in the bowl and brush over the top of the braids, then sprinkle some brown sugar over the top.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. If the bottom looks quite pale, give it an extra 5 minutes on the bottom shelf of your oven for a total of 25 minutes.

Remove and let cool slightly so you can handle the pastries, then slice into 8 smaller slices or 4 larger ones. Serve immediately if you can (if serving these later, you can always warm them up again in the oven until crisp).

The post Braided fig and nut pastries for Christmas morning (treccia con fichi e noci) first appeared on Emiko Davies.

I have been coming to Japan my whole life, ever since I was a baby, my Japanese mother would bring me home with her to visit my grandparents. In 1985, when I was about to turn five, the government made a law that children of Japanese women could now claim citizenship and I got my first Japanese passport, a complicated privilege since children can only hold this dual citizenship until they turn 20 years of age. We continued visiting, every single year until both my grandparents passed away within a year of each other, 17 years ago. One summer I even flew over alone, I think I was 12, and spent the entire summer with my grandparents at their home, attached to a Buddhist temple where my grandfather was the priest, about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo. Their home was my only constant, rooted place, growing up moving back and forth between China and Australia. Visiting Japan for me now is pure nostalgia. Every sound, sight, smell and flavour makes my heart leap. The ravens calling; the electric green of lush vegetation; the smell of the Kinmokusei or the Autumn Osmanthus tree with its unassuming but powerfully scented orange flowers; the texture of chilled, sweet mochi with a warm, fluffy whipped matcha tea.

I haven’t been back to Nagano since I was a child — we visited one summer and picked blueberries, buckets of them, which my Obaachan turned into the most delicious jam I can ever remember having tasted. So I was curious to come back after so many years and spend a couple of days with my parents and my sister. My mother said she wanted a place to relax; I was on a mission to capture artisan tofu being made and if possible, in my very last days before speeding back up to Tokyo on the train (a 2 hour journey) and heading straight to the airport, to visit an onsen, the hot springs. We found all these and more at our stay in Chino.

Chino is a town in Nagano prefecture that sits at the foothills of an ancient, long inactive volcano, Mount Yatsugatake. There are in fact several beautiful mountain ranges that surround Chino, and this is mostly what it is known for — beautiful mountain trails, skiing in the winter, hiking in other seasons, lush moss forests and lakes. It’s also a rural area with fields everywhere you look, but its cold climate and high altitude (Chino sits at 800 metres above sea level but goes up as you head into the mountains past 2,000 meters — the highest peak is 2,899 metres) mean that there is a “rice line” — literally a boundary where the rice paddies stop and the mountain forests start. The rice paddies and their interlocking shared irrigation system were built by samurai centuries ago to encourage people to move to the area. The dark, volcanic soil means it is fertile land but the winters are long and frosty so farmers took on a tradition of freeze drying goods during those long cold months and this is still what the area is known for, gastronomically speaking — in particular freeze dried daikon, tofu and kanten (a seaweed used for its gelatinisation effects). There are also soba fields (sporting pink flowers when we were there), fields of hozuki (Japanese lanterns, also known as winter cherries) and plenty of vegetables — namely cabbage and daikon — and perilla seed fields (known as egoma in Japanese, the seeds are used much like sesame seeds, to be ground into a delicious, sweet paste to top rice balls or turned into a highly prized, expensive oil). Cosmos flowers are blooming everywhere while we were there, popping up on the side of the road as much as in people’s perfectly curated gardens.

We turned to Chino Tabi, the local tourism organisation, to help us organise our dream stay here and the whole experience did not disappoint. In fact, the moment we arrived I knew that 2 days was nowhere near long enough, we should have stayed at least a week, and I immediately started planning in my head another trip here — perhaps in the summer, which is humid but thanks to the elevation is not as hot as Tokyo.

Through them we found our accommodation at Yamaura Stays, a series of traditional Japanese farmhouses — they call them “retreats” and they are in every sense of the word a place to retreat to, a sanctuary — run by Chino Tabi, which have been so thoughtfully and beautifully restored with the help of Alex Kerr, a Japanologist who restored his own 300 year old Japanese home in the 70s and who founded the Chiiori Trust, a non for profit organisation that helps develop sustainable tourism projects — giving people the opportunity to experience traditional village life.

We stayed in the Kiyomizu house in pretty Sasahara village just outside of Chino. It had been brought to Sashara over the mountains 150 years ago — traditional Japanese homes don’t have nails, just an interlocking system of wooden beams. So it was taken apart and transported on horseback and built again. Our beds were futons on warmed (ah modernity, underfloor heating bliss!) tatami mats. I slept like a baby in this place, I can’t remember having had such deep sleep in so many years. Perhaps it was not having my children around, perhaps it was just that this home reminded me so much of my grandparents’ temple home that I felt cocooned and so at peace there.

Everything has been thought of in this place, from the irreplaceable antique ceramics and decorations in the house to the coffee beans from a local roaster. The table mat was made by a local rice farmer who weaves the rice straw from his last harvest into these circular mats and the bed runners are made of old kimono that are torn apart and rewoven into new fabrics by local women. Even the beautiful lacquered chopsticks are made by an artisan from nearby Kiso (known as one of the most beautiful villages in Japan, I wish I had had time to visit but see, this is going on my list for when I return) and the folder that houses the manual for all the modern gadgets in the house (even the bathtub is filled by the press of a button) is made with rescued timber from the original house restoration. I mean, the thoughtfulness of every single detail in this place is staggering.

Outside, the house is surrounded by garden and this is the first greeting when you arrive. There is a kura, a traditional store house, that is virtually untouched. These kura were decorated with plaster of paris in the 1800s and you can spot them around the villages with different designs, colours and crests — this one is a leaping rabbit. Every garden in Sasahara has a pond and they are all connected by the same water. Let me back up because this is one of the things that struck me most about this community. To paraphrase what I learned at Kiyomizu house, there is a picturesque, mirror-like pool of water called Mishaka Pond, which is part of a network of streams known as “segi”, those waterways I mentioned earlier made to irrigate the rice fields. The villagers dug kilometres of these out themselves, helping transport water from the mountain rivers to each field to better the community’s chances at growing rice. In Mishaka Pond, the cold mountain water is warmed by the sun before heading to the fields. And it passes through each home, too. The ponds in each home were used to raise koi fish, carp, for food for the harsh winters. They are all cared for because the are each filled by the same water that flows from the mountains to the village, from house to house. Everywhere you go you hear this sound of running water that connects each home and if you take a stroll, which you should, especially in the direction of the most charming cafe I have ever stumbled upon, Tosenbo (about a 15 minute walk through rice fields and cosmos flowers and under chestnut trees from Kiyomizu House), you will see some of these gushing streams and the pretty gardens and ponds of other people’s homes.

You can also walk to the local tofu shop from here. It is the place I came to Japan for, basically. I have been wanting to capture artisan made tofu for my latest cookbook, Gohan, as one of my strongest, best memories of my grandmother’s cooking is her breakfast, which always featured a block of that morning’s freshly made tofu. She didn’t make it herself, but there were a number of small tofu shops on her street — sadly, all gone now — which made it so easy to have the freshest tofu. I’ve never tasted tofu like this outside of Japan and to those who don’t know what I am talking about, I liken it to proper buffalo mozzarella in Italy. It’s just not the same when you find a vacuum-packed, hard, tough version of “mozzarella” or “tofu” abroad. It’s so delicious that all you need to dress it in is some soy sauce and perhaps some katsuobushi bonito flakes or grated ginger. Or, as I learned in Chino, with just a sprinkle of salt and some herby egoma (perilla seed) oil. Incredible.

Chino Tabi actually organise tofu making classes at the tofu shop, with the tofu maker himself, Kobayashi-san, and his smiley wife and daughter helping too. He makes all the tofu for the local schools by himself in his tiny laboratory. We first watched him make tofu with the help of his machines – a surprising process that takes only about 30 minutes. Then he showed us how to make small batches of tofu for home (which I’ll share a version of soon) and we all sat down to a delicious tofu lunch of our own handmade tofu and some of their specialties like doughnuts made with okara (the soybean pulp, leftover from the soymilk making process) and a delicious miso soup warmed on the wood stove.

I couldn’t wait to make it myself as soon as I got home to Tuscany. I may not have the special mountain spring water of Chino flowing through my kitchen as Kobayashi-san does (full of minerals, he points out) but it came out as delicious as I could hope for.

The post Yamaura, a hidden gem in the mountains of Japan first appeared on Emiko Davies.

I will just say first of all, traveling in Italy in summer is not for the faint of heart (you might want to read this post on how to survive an Italian heatwave). This was our first full-blown summer in Puglia experience. Most of my trips have been either in autumn or winter and I personally love visiting in these months (this New York Times article agrees). Our very first visit was in early June, 11 years ago. It was a pleasantly warm trip with beautiful early summer produce, but not a sweltering one (hello climate change). This June it was almost too hot to even be at the beach but the water was incredibly refreshing and sparklingly clear. But fit in some long afternoon naps somewhere cool and quiet and keep your shutters closed in the hot parts of the day, plan to be eating out when it’s dark and you will keep your cool.

We were house sitting for new friends, Julie Ann Marr and her husband Francesco Creanza, of Everyone at the Table. They have created a beautiful home in the white washed town of Oria (above), which lies between Brindisi and Taranto, the Adriatic sea and the Ionian sea. Together they run workshops and cooking classes from their home (below, dream kitchen!) and their newly renovated studio in Altamura, which is famous for its bread. So if you’re looking for a really beautiful food experience, learning about local traditions and cooking together, contact Julie and Francesco through their website.

Taranto

Taranto isn’t the first place people tend to visit when they arrive in Puglia in search of white washed towns, crystalline beaches and abundant good food (though the first two are close and latter there is definitely no shortage of). It’s a bit rough around the edges (a true port city is with a crumbling, half-abandoned old town, a history of corruption and Ilva, the largest steelworks in Europe, polluting the otherwise charming skyline. But what brought us the first time was personal research – a visit to the state archives to pull up a birth certificate that set off a project that resulted in a cookbook and a full family tree of Tarantini dating back to the mid-1700s. But what kept us coming back was the food, a special experience of rustic, incredibly fresh and simply prepared seafood and… no tourists.

“Taranto is a perfect city. Living in it is like living in a shell, in an open oyster. Here, new Taranto, there, the border, old Taranto, around them the two seas and the promenades.” Film director Pier Paolo Pasolini put it perfectly, especially as oysters (and shellfish in general) are something that Taranto does so well. The Mare Piccolo, Taranto’s natural bay, is home to thirty-four citri (fresh water springs) that surge up from the seabed, creating bubbling pools on the sea’s surface. The mixture of fresh and sea water in the bay creates an ideal environment for cultivating shellfish like mussels and oysters, which has been done in Taranto since the third century BC when it was a Spartan colony.

Earlier this year, in 2022, Taranto’s mussels were finally recognised as a Slow Food presidium. Try them any chance you get in Taranto, but in particular, lovers of crudo, raw seafood and raw oysters should try them raw, yes, raw. You’ll find them as part of a raw antipasto in any of Taranto’s seafood restaurants.

I would suggest a taste of Taranto’s specialties in an old school restaurant like Basile Luzzi (Via Pitagora, 76) in Taranto Nuova (the “new” side of town), for abundant antipasti and wonderful plates of seafood pasta or the Cassola, a rich seafood stew (more from this instagram post here). They do pizza here too but we have never been able to shift our attention away from the mussels to try the pizza. If you want a real port experience, try one of the ristopescherie (fishmongers that function as restaurants too, or vice versa!) like Trattoria del Pescatore. And if you are after something a little more casual, don’t forget that panzerotti — deep fried pizza pockets — are from Taranto, as are pucce, delicious sandwiches that are made from plain, woodfired pizza dough that is sliced in half and stuffed with fillings.

I have more in my Taranto guide on my newsletter.

Cisternino

I had wanted to bring my mother in law to see this charming town in the Valle d’Itria and to eat at one of the Fornelli Pronti (literally “ready ovens,” they are butcher shops that cook your food for you) that I first wrote about in 2011. I hasn’t been back since that trip and was pleased to find it just it hadn’t changed. If anything it was even cuter than I remembered it. We ate at Zio Pietro and it was absolutely perfect, the kids loved it, my mother in law loved it and I have to say we had our best meal of the trip here. The way it works at fornelli pronti (read more about it here along with the recipe for bombette, you will want to re-create these breaded involtini filled with ham and cheese at home!) is that you order your meat directly from the counter — these will be cooked on huge skewers in a roaring wood-fired oven, then brought out to your table in the white-washed alleyway (above). You can add on drinks and sides such as salad, grilled vegetables and woodfired roast potatoes. It’s simple and the atmosphere is magical. More here.

Martina Franca

A stunning, elegant town, Martina Franca is, for me, the Queen of the Valle d’Itria, and if you are in the area you have to make a stop here. If you are a treasure hunter, you must time the visit for the third Sunday of the month when the flea market will be sprawled out in Piazza Crispi, or come for the huge, much-anticipated antique market, the biggest in southern Italy, which is held over a couple of weeks in August. And market lovers will appreciate the weekly produce market here on Wednesday mornings.

Stroll through town to the wonderfully old school Caffe Tripoli (Via Garibaldi, 10, above) and order some wonderful gelato or perhaps some bocconotti and caffe leccese (espresso over ice with almond milk or a creamy almond syrup) and people watch from the chairs outside. Bocconotti (the name comes from the word boccone, mouthful) look simple enough from the outisde but inside, these little pies harbour sweet fillings of custard and sour cherries, ricotta, perhaps with pear or chocolate, apple or jam.

Manduria

We drove through Manduria and its ancient surrounding olive groves and vineyards each time we headed to the beach and back, with tired or eager kids in the back, stopping only to buy wine or fresh vegetables from the side of the road! So this isn’t so much about the town but to tell you about Manduria tomatoes, a Slow Food presidium, and if you get a chance to buy them and taste them, do! And if you do want to visit a winery — Manduria is well known for its primitivo, a DOC wine — then seek out Morella winery. Such a brilliant discovery (though Marco had already drunk their wines a decade ago in Melbourne). A husband and wife team run this winery in Manduria, he’s Pugliese, she’s Australian. They tend to ancient primitivo vines that are cultivated with biodynamic principles that are made into incredibly elegant wines.

Grottaglie

I couldn’t come all the way to Puglia and not visit the ceramic quarter of Grottaglie, especially as it’s only 20 minutes drive from where we were staying in Oria! I revisited the places I wrote about already in this guide to Grottaglie, especially Nicola Fasano, but also want to mention a cute spot for a coffee at the top of the ceramic quarter is the literary cafe of Casa Merini (via delle Torri 4), above.

Beaches on the Ionian coast

If you’re here for the beaches you won’t be disappointed. We spent most of our time on the Ionian sea, Puglia’s west coast, just south of Taranto and not far from Manduria. This coastline is spoiled for choice with fine white sand and the clearest, most beautiful water I have ever seen in Italy. I read it is because of the low salinity of the sea around here, with a number of fresh water sources that flow into the sea creating this extremely fresh, clear water. You could see the fish swimming around your ankles — fish that are camouflaged with the sand — and you can count every grain of sand. Luna kept saying, “Mamma come into the pool!” She was not wrong. It was like a swimming pool, only better. One tip, go during the middle of week. The number of people you see in the photos here are not orchestrated, we practically had the place to ourselves.

Campomarino — First of all, do not let google maps mistake this beach with the town of the same name in Molise, a four hour drive away! Campomarino is close to Maruaggio, a charming village between the sea and Manduria. It’s a very cute seaside resort town with a ferris wheel and plenty of shops, gelaterie (go to Sandrino, a chain of natural gelaterie) and bars around. Not being prepared with beach umbrellas and all the accessories, we went to a beach resort with cold water showers and a simple bar, it really did the trick. Tuareg (above) was the perfect spot to plop ourselves on the beach and the bar served us a perfect, simple lunch with spritzes, frise or friselle (you must try these, twice cooked bread rings that you dip in water and serve topped with tomatoes and olive oil) and an ice cold plate of summer fruit. The girls loved the panini and easy access to magnums and other ice creams! It was simple but all you needed on a lazy beach day. Although we didn’t make it as it’s only open in the evenings, a very good friend told me the fish panini at La Barchetta Fish Bar were worth a stop, and I believe her.

San Pietro in Bevagna — This is the beach that Francesco told us we should visit and I’m so glad we did, it was stunning (below). The town around it doesn’t have as much going on as Campomarino but we stopped at a bakery to pick up some delicious olive buns for snacks, and headed to a beach resort, MurMur, where you can simply book your beach umbrella online. They also have a simple bar for cold drinks, snacks and meals — their seafood pasta and fried calamari, served simply on paper plates, were ideal. You can also get hot showers and wifi here.

Punta Prosciutto — Marco wanted to go simply for the name! I first came here with Maria Grazia and Chiara from Masseria Potenti (which is not far, and a divine place to sleep and experience a beautiful traditional Pugliese masseria), and was blown away by the crystal clear, light blue shimmering water so characteristic of this beautiful section of the Ionian sea.

More…

Further down the coast towards Gallipoli there is a wonderful spot for a meal with rooms that I wrote about here. And if you’re going north, up towards Andria you should find every way you can to eat here. Have you been? Is there anything else you’d like to know about this part of Puglia?

The post A Puglia guide to summer in Taranto first appeared on Emiko Davies.

The post Fabrizia’s Sicilian Involtini di Carne and a Summer Bounty Workshop first appeared on Emiko Davies.

Last spring I was invited to spend some time in the Dolomites at Adler, at the original, historic lodge where the resort first began in 1810 in the centre of the picturesque, pastel-toned town of Ortisei (Urtijëi) in Val Gardena in the South Tyrol. Around the Dolomites area, Adler have four resorts (the other we stayed in on this trip and I’ve written about before is Adler Lodge Ritten), plus one in Tuscany at my favourite hot springs Bagno Vignoni, and one in Sicily.

Surrounded by the stunning Dolomites mountain range, which you can see from every angle, you can soak in the warm waters of the outdoor pool, enjoying the views and breathing in that fresh mountain air, or sunbathing in the garden. It’s easy to imagine how incredible it would feel, after a day of hiking nearby in the summer or skiing in the winter (the resort is right next to two lifts that take you to the Super Ski area of the Dolomites with 1200 km of skiing to be had, and if you’re not a skier there are horse carriage ride or tobogganing), to have a long soak in the spa and then relax in the day bed by a fireplace. But to be honest, even just a weekend enjoying the spa and not going anywhere other than a stroll through town — as we did — was absolutely blissful.

The theme here is wellness and relaxation and this is what Adler deliver so well. From the moment you step into the beautifully designed building with its warm wood interiors and large windows with views to the mountains, you can feel it. I indulged in a full body massage — there is an absolutely dizzying choice of offerings and packages from the impressive spa menu with solutions for everyone in the family (my girls would love the chocolate massage with a milk bath in the wooden Tyrolean tub for kids!), which you can combine with a visit to their salt grotto for the ultimate relaxing treatment.

The bar was our favourite spot to wind down in the late afternoon, there is an enticing buffet of cakes and other treats (I couldn’t say no to a slice of the traditional apple strudel), a selection of local wines and great cocktails that we enjoyed on the winding wooden terrace with it sweeping views, cosy blankets and outdoor fire pits — the whole place is teeming with that wonderful Alpine atmosphere. The restaurant offers a Tyrolean-Mediterranean menu with plenty of lighter dishes, a salad buffet and all of it with a preference for organic, local and seasonal — their olive oil and wine comes from their own production in Tuscany.

We left our kids home this time but I know that if they were here they would have absolutely loved it, and especially loved the kids club (as they did at the Tuscan resort in Bagno Vignoni), which even has an all day juice bar and snack bar for the children!

As in the other resorts, dressing gowns, flip flops and spare towels are provided in the rooms already. Bring your workout clothes so you can take advantage of the well-equipped gym and yoga classes on offer too.

The post A stay at Adler, the original spa resort in the Dolomites first appeared on Emiko Davies.

5-10 June 2022, join us for the Pecorino e Vino Culinary Retreat

We will be based in Pienza, in the the heart of the Val d’Orcia, pecorino cheese country and a UNESCO world heritage site, in a truly stunning, unique, beautifully restored Tuscan home, Villa Pienza, with a 360 degree view of the surrounding undulating Tuscan hills, on a highly curated trip to bring you our favourite food and wine experiences in Tuscany.

Our days together will consist of our most favourite things: a combination of day trips to beautiful local towns, hands-on cooking classes, visits to a cheese farm (the one that started this blog, actually), wine tastings and a visit to a family run flour mill. We will cook together and enjoy aperitivo every night together, but for those who prefer a bit of down time and lounging by the saltwater pool at the gorgeous villa we’ll be calling home, you can choose to do that too and just join in on the eating part! See below for all the details.

Highlights:

• Call a stunning, lovingly restored Tuscan villa home, complete with a pool and 360 degree views of the Val d’Orcia UNESCO World Heritage landscape
• Cheesemaking lesson with a master cheesemaker at his sustainable family farm
• 3 cooking classes with cookbook author Emiko Davies
• 2 winery visits with wine tastings and daily natural wine pairings with sommelier Marco Lami
• Visits to a local organic farm and ancient grain flour mill
• Visits with free time to the beautiful towns of Pienza and Montalcino
• Taste Tuscan traditions in the local trattorias
• Healthy breakfasts, lunch and Tuscan dinners cooked with organic produce

The itinerary:

Day 1: Late afternoon arrival at the villa and welcome aperitivo, followed by homemade wood-fired pizza dinner.

Day 2: After breakfast we visit an organic sheep farm for a tour of the farm to see cheesemaking from the stable to the table, after a cheesemaking lesson we will have lunch including a taste of delicious “Pecorino di Pienza” raw milk cheese. We will pop into a organic, ancient grain flour mill to see how their flour and pasta is made and taste their artisan beer in their medieval garden, and spend some free time in the gorgeous fifteenth century town of Pienza, a city designed for Pope Pius II as the “ideal Renaissance city,” and wonderful for browsing the cheese shops, quaint alleyways and stunning views with a gelato. Later, a relaxed cooking class and dinner back at the villa.

Day 3: After breakfast, we will have a cooking class with Emiko, preparing the area’s famous pici pasta and making fresh curd cheese together. The afternoon will be free for a dip in the pool or relaxing, or maybe a wander through the kitchen garden, and in the early evening Marco will guide us through a lesson in pairing cheese and wine before dinner.

Day 4: After breakfast, we head off for Montalcino, which sits up high overlooking the Val d’Orcia. The home of Tuscany’s most important wines, Marco will take us to two very special wineries to taste their Brunello. We’ll have time for a stroll through the town and aperitivo, of course. Dinner in a wonderful restaurant in the historical centre of Montalcino.

Day 5: After breakfast we will spend the morning immersed in a cooking class using stoneground local flour and making our own mascarpone. After an easy lunch, relax by the pool or read a book on one of the day beds or hammock on the hill and for our last evening, we will make a classic Tuscan bistecca cooked over coals and tiramisu with our handmade mascarpone.

Day 6: Breakfast and goodbyes!

Retreat cost per person: 2,500 euro in double occupancy, single supplement: 600 euro (2 available). BOOK HERE.

What is included in the price:

• 5 nights accommodation in a beautiful Tuscan villa
• Day trips and transport included in the itinerary above
• Two winery visits and tastings
• Cheese tasting, lunch and organic farm visit
• 5 healthy breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners, including meals out at local restaurants
• Delicious natural wine during meals
• Three cooking classes with cookbook author
• One professional cheesemaking classes
• Cheesemaking equipment to take home
• Wine tastings and pairings with a sommelier

Not included in the cost:

• Airfare and travel costs to and from the villa
• Travel insurance

We will be based in the Val d’Orcia, an untouched, beautiful valley lying roughly between Siena and Orvieto with the most picturesque, unique Tuscan landscape. Think cypress trees and undulating wheat fields and every film set in Tuscany that you can think of from The English Patient to Gladiator. The villa that we will call home for the retreat is set on a hill top with 360 degrees views of the valley. Villa Pienza is a beautiful, traditional Tuscan home with 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, air conditioning and wifi. There is an 18 ft (5.5 meter) long saltwater pool, several communal kitchens, a cosy lounge room, a pool table, outdoor and indoor dining spaces and a vegetable garden at our disposal.

All the rooms are double but two are available for single occupancy at an additional price of 600 euro (first come first served) — if traveling alone but you would like the double occupancy rate and don’t mind getting to know a roommate, we will be happy to pair you in a twin room with someone else wanting to do the same thing. Please quote the room name when booking if you have a preference:

PRINCESS ROOM – on the ground floor, this room is named for the romantic, handmade canopy over the double bed (cannot be made into twins). Ensuite with a huge double head shower. Also available as a single. {BOOKED}

SWAN ROOM – this large room upstairs has a super king size bed and a huge hydromassage jacuzzi along with an ensuite with shower. Special for a couple but this can also be made into twins. {BOOKED}

SKY ROOM – second bedroom upstairs with beautiful pale blue walls and double bed which can be made into twins, and an ensuite bathroom with double sinks and double shower heads. It shares a communal loungeroom with a pocket terrace with the swan room. {BOOKED}

OCHRE BEDROOM – a upstairs double room in a quiet part of the house, fitted out in neutrals, with an ensuite that has a hydromassage tub. Available as a single or double.

PIENZA ROOM – this quiet, elegant ground floor room can be a double or twin shared room and has an ensuite bathroom.

To book your place, head right here.

We require a deposit of 50% upon booking; the remaining 50% should be paid by 1 May 2022. When booking, please specify if there is a room you prefer (I will do my best to update the website with those that have already been booked, but please select a second preference too incase your first is unavailable) and whether you would like single occupancy (paying a supplement fee) or double occupancy.

If coming with a friend or partner, please let us know so we can match up the bookings otherwise let us know if you are happy to share with any roommate.

Please let us know of any dietary requirements when you book.

The booking is non-refundable but if you need to cancel, we can accept someone to take your place.

Important: You must have your own travel insurance and a Green Pass to participate (indispensable in Italy now, even have a simple coffee at the bar).

A note on Green Passes:

At the time of writing, a Green Pass (proof of vaccination or recovery from covid-19) is necessary to eat at restaurants indoors or outdoors, enter shops and do many activities in Italy such as going to swimming pools, traveling long distance on trains and public transport etc. We also require that you have a Green Pass to attend the workshop — be assured that the hosts are vaccinated and boosted and those involved in the workshop will also have a Green Pass too.

Getting here:

Pienza is in the province of Siena. The closest international airports are Florence, Perugia and Rome. You could rent a car from the airport, Pienza is roughly 80km from Perugia (1 hour drive), 115km from Florence (1 hour and 45 minutes drive) and 190km from Rome (2 1/2 hour drive). The nearest train station if you’re coming from Perugia, Florence or Rome is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme and from there we can organise transfers from the station for arrival and departure (about 36km, a 45 minute drive) or there are several local busses. For train schedules check the Trenitalia website.

Tuscany in June:

Expect very warm weather! Tuscany in June is has long, sunlit days and warm evenings, (but possibly getting even chilly at times so a light layer might be handy). We will do our best to ensure everyone is comfortable with the heat – there will be breaks at the warmest time of the day (for a dip in the pool or a rest in your air-conditioned room), cool drinks and fresh meals suited to the warm weather. We encourage you to dress comfortably for the heat and wear comfortable shoes for day trips and farm visits – and don’t forget your swimmers!

Things to note:

The retreat will take place with a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 participants. The itinerary is a guide; we reserve the right to make changes as necessary, such as where we may need to change the order of activities or replace some of the activities with something equally wonderful.

If you have any questions, please email: workshops@emikodavies.com

The post Pecorino e Vino Culinary Retreat 2022 in Pienza, Tuscany first appeared on Emiko Davies.

To celebrate the release of my upcoming cookbook, Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice: Small Bites from the Lagoon City, I am offering a very special trip that I like to call The Lagoon Workshop! The idea here is to introduce you to a part of Venice that is so often overlooked by visitors to Venice but yet is the “internal organs” of the city, as activist Jane da Mosto says: the lagoon.

We will have three nights together and we will based in a beautiful property on the ancient, colourful island of Burano. Once a fishing village, the fisherman painted their rustic homes bright colours so they could see them from afar. Famous for lace and the delicious, buttery buranelli, or S-cookies, it is also a photographers paradise for the unique buildings and canals.

It will take place on May 26-29, 2022, a time when you can still say crowds haven’t rushed back to Venice just yet and we can enjoy the sunshine but also the delightful late spring produce.

The itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Venice, meeting for our first aperitivo of cicchetti and spritz in the charming neighbourhood of Cannaregio (see some favourite spots in this mini guide here) before taking the vaporetto to Burano and settling in. In the evening, we will walk over the wooden foot bridge to Mazzorbo island to visit the walled garden of Venissa, where they grow vegetables and have revived a rare and ancient Venetian grape, for a wine tasting (read more about this incredible project here at Wine Spectator) and dinner at their Michelin starred restaurant.

Day 2: For early risers, I suggest a walk around Burano early in the morning before anyone else arrives! It is a special time to be there and a wonderful opportunity to take photos and enjoy the stillness. We will take a converted fishing boat with fisherman Manuel Bagnolo to visit the southern side of the lagoon towards the salt marshes and the last of the moeche (crab) fishermen, before enjoying aperitivo and lunch on the boat anchored in the middle of the lagoon. After a three course lagoon seafood meal that has been fished by Manuel and his family, we will visit the abandoned islands in the north of the lagoon (anyone who wants to visit one or jump in for a brave swim can do so!), while Manuel tells us his stories. Dinner in a classic trattoria in Burano (to get you in the mood rewatch Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations episode in Venice).

Day 3: After breakfast, a visit to the Rialto markets and a look at all the wonderful late spring produce. We will have a walk with Venice historian Rosa Salzberg through the backstreets of the Rialto, where you can find some of the most ancient osterie, and of course plenty of stops for cicchetti along the way. We will have free time for shopping, coffee and pastries in a wonderful campo, or perhaps you’d like to pop into my favourite museum, and we will end the evening in a charming neighbourhood osteria for natural wine and a locally sourced meal before heading back on the vaporetto to our island bed.

Day 4: After breakfast we check out and glide back over the lagoon to Venice for your next adventures.

Included are:

• Accommodation at the beautiful Casa Burano in either a superior room or junior suite
• Breakfast every morning at Venissa
• Coffee, lunch, aperitivo, dinners, including a Michelin-star dinner at Venissa
• Wine tasting of the one of the most sought-after white wines in the world
• Cicchetti tour and photo walk with cookbook author Emiko Davies
• Walk with Venice historian Rosa Salzberg
• Ticket to Palazzo Grimani
• Vaporetto pass to get around the lagoon
• Boat ride around the lagoon with a three course meal and aperitivo cooked on the boat
• A signed copy of Cinnamon and Salt!

This Lagoon Workshop costs 2,000 euro per person in double occupancy (450 euro single supplement and a supplement of 180 euro total for an upgrade to a junior suite). There are only 8 rooms available in this workshop.

To book your spot with a deposit, head right here.

We require a deposit of 50% upon booking; the remaining 50% should be paid by 1 May 2022. When booking, please specify if there is a room you prefer (I will do my best to update the website with those that have already been booked, but please select a second preference too incase your first is unavailable) and whether you would like single occupancy (paying a supplement fee) or double occupancy.

If coming with a friend or partner, please let us know so we can match up the bookings otherwise let us know if you are happy to share with any roommate.

Please let us know of any dietary requirements when you book. Note that seafood is an integral part of this tour so please let us know if you can’t have it!

The booking is non-refundable but if you need to cancel, we can accept someone to take your place.

Important: You must have your own travel insurance and a Green Pass to participate (indispensable in Italy now, even have a simple coffee at the bar).

A note on Green Passes:

At the time of writing, a Green Pass (proof of vaccination or recovery from covid-19) is necessary to eat at restaurants indoors or outdoors, enter shops and do many activities in Italy such as going to swimming pools, traveling long distance on trains and public transport etc. We also require that you have a Green Pass to attend the workshop — be assured that the hosts are vaccinated and boosted and those involved in the workshop will also have a Green Pass too.

Getting here:

Venice has its own international airport, Marco Polo Airport which is on the mainland and from there you can get a taxi to Venice’s Piazzale Roma Terminal (less than 20 minutes drive) or public transport (bus or taxi to Piazzale Roma or a water taxi!). If you’re coming from a major Italian city you can get to Venice by train — for schedules check the Trenitalia website.

Venice in late May:

Expect beautiful weather, cool evenings, sunny days but the weather can be unpredictable in late spring too so layers are always a good idea, especially for the vaporetto rides across the lagoon. If you’re game enough to go for a swim in the lagoon, bring swimmers too!

Things to note:

The retreat will take place with a minimum of 5 and maximum of 12 participants. The itinerary is a guide; we reserve the right to make changes as necessary, such as where we may need to change the order of activities or replace some of the activities with something equally wonderful.

BOOK NOW

Keen to know more? Email me at workshops@emikodavies.com

The post The Lagoon Workshop, a deep dive into the heart of Venice first appeared on Emiko Davies.

This is the simplest recipe, which is part of the beauty of it for me. All you need is a really good, organic, free range chicken and you’re halfway there.

Around Christmas and New Year’s in Italy, it’s not unusual to see cappone, or capon, a castrated rooster, on offer and this would be one of the classic ways to prepare cappone too. Castration of a rooster has been practised since ancient times, initially being a way to keep roosters together with chickens in their coop, and then kept as a tradition that guarantees very flavourful, succulent meat.

Capon broth has been a popular dish for the winter solstice since the Middle Ages, where it was appreciated for its nutritive and comforting properties and even used as medicine for anyone ill. Capons themselves were often present on noble tables at Christmas time, given a gifts from local farmers who had raised them (there is a famous exchange of capons in Alessandro Manzoni’s I Promessi Sposi, one of Italy’s most important novels). From central Italy such as Le Marche heading north through Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and finally in Piemonte, you can easily find brodo di cappone still on people’s tables for special occasions at the end of the year.

Typically, you might serve it as tortellini in brodo (the ultimate), or perhaps with passatelli (a dough made with breadcrumbs, eggs and Parmesan) but it is even delicious in tazza (in a mug, where it is sipped) and you can even of course use it as a base for minestre (soups) but when you have a very good chicken broth there is something about keeping it simple so you can enjoy the full flavour.

My butcher Andrea Falaschi suggests cooking cotechino in this brodo rather than plain water, cotechino (a large, boiled pork sausage, one of the most ancient of all Italian sausages and particularly connected to northern Italian regions of Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino) being another classic of new year where it is eaten on a bed of lentils, the flat round legumes resemble coins and so a symbol of prosperity for the new year.

Once you’ve made your broth and you have the leftover boiled chicken, pull apart the meat and separate it from the bones and skin and this of course can and should be enjoyed in other ways — at Christmas I served insalata di cappone, a salad of valeriana (lamb’s lettuce), poached capon, pomegranate seeds and sultanas revived in water with a vinaigrette (a version of which will appear in Cinnamon and Salt, my new Venetian cookbook) and for boxing day we made chicken sandwiches (I chop the meat and add finely sliced spring onion and celery, chopped walnuts, a squeeze of lemon juice and mayonnaise to bring it all together).

And with any other leftovers you can of course make the ultimate chicken noodle soup with the broth, adding some vegetables, herbs and pasta to your liking — as Laurie Colwin wrote, “The best soup I have ever eaten was made from a friend’s leftover Christmas pheasant, the remains of the potatoes Anna, peas, cabbage and stock.”

Brodo di pollo (Chicken broth)

Use cappone if you like, it is significantly larger than your average chicken so you should make sure to use a large pot that fits it nicely so that it will be completely covered with water. Try not to chop it into pieces if you can help it. Some recipes for brodo di cappone include juniper berries, peppercorns or other spices, but I abide by the simpler the better rule — when you have a very good chicken that is really all you need and extra additions just hide the true flavour. You can also find a really great beef broth recipe from my favourite old Italian cookbook by Artusi here.

Makes about 3-4 litres of broth.

• 1/2 chicken
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to taste

Place the chicken in a pot large enough to hold it. Peel the onion and if small, keep it whole, otherwise halve it and add to the pot. Wash the carrot and celery stick and cut in half and place in the pot, along with the bay leaves. Cover with cold water (depending on the capacity of your pot and size of your chicken, about 3-4 litres).

Turn the heat to low-medium and keep an eye on it as it gets hotter — you really do not want this broth to boil but only barely simmer for about two or even three hours, covered. Skim the surface as any impurities come out. After two hours, add salt if you like and taste (I like to do this at the end or make it optional so that you have more flexibility for using this broth for different preparations. You can add salt in the step when you are preparing a dish instead, for example). The chicken should be falling apart and the broth should taste and smell wonderful. You can continue cooking the broth further, covered, if you like you can now uncover to reduce it for further flavour, depending on how you would like to use it. For this tortellini in brodo, 2 hours of the gentlest simmering was enough.

The post Brodo di pollo, chicken broth for winter solstice first appeared on Emiko Davies.

I tasted this dish of cabbage parcels with potato and mushroom recently at a wonderful trattoria, Osteria di Golpaja at the wonderful Villa Pietriolo, a sustainable, organic estate with its own farm animals, olive trees and vineyards, tucked in the hills between Vinci and San Miniato. Everything they use in this beautiful osteria is grown or reared on the property, from the Cinta Senese to the vegetables, and naturally, the seasons dictate the menu. It was a damp, muddy late autumn day and this warming dish — which was served as a main and came after the chestnut pasta with wild boar ragu and polenta with mushrooms — was just the thing.

The first thing that hits you is the sweetness of the roast cabbage – when I haven’t had it in a while I forget how sweet it is! Then you get creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and pops of small, chiodini (honey fungus) mushrooms. If this isn’t comfort food I don’t know what is. It is a joy to eat.

I knew I wanted to try to recreate it at home, and while I love this as a vegetarian main dish, I thought about adding just a little bit of speck – a smoky, dry-cured slab of pork thigh, an IGT status product from Sud Tyrol, which was a little wave hello to the friends we ate this with, who live in Trento and had brought it to us as a souvenir (edible souvenirs are the best). Bacon would be close to it, if you can’t get speck, or you could use any ham you like. If you want to keep it vegetarian, however, you could easily leave out the speck completely. I thought as I was putting this into the oven that roast chestnuts in place of the speck, crumbled a little, would be absolutely delicious here.

There are three parts to this recipe that could all be prepared separately the day before (or simply, if you happened to have left over mashed potato), then putting them together is a cinch: blanching and drying the cabbage leaves, making the mashed potatoes and cooking the mushrooms.

I indicate more leaves than you might need because some may break as you are handling them or they may be smaller than you thought – small leaves can be overlapped to create one larger parcel. This recipe will make about 8 parcels, which could feed 8 people if part of a bigger meal.  We shared one of these at the restaurant as we were greedy and wanted to try a bit of everything — salumi, pasta, polenta and all the desserts! But if on their own I could easily eat two of these for a simple lunch.

Involtini di cavolo con patate e funghi
Cabbage parcels with potato and mushrooms

• 8-12 fresh savoy cabbage leaves
• 500 grams (3 medium sized) floury potatoes
• 100 grams butter
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
• 40 grams (a handful) of grated Parmesan cheese
• 150 grams chiodini (honey fungus) or other mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 60 ml (¼ cup) white wine
• 1 thick slice of speck, cut into matchsticks (optional)
• a few sprigs of parsley
• 100 grams of Asiago cheese, diced

Rinse the cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of water to boil and place the leaves in the simmering water and blanch for about 1 minute. Drain them and place in a single layer on a tea towel to drain further.

Peel and chop the potatoes roughly and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until a fork slides easily into them. Drain then place them back in the warm pot, add half of the butter and the milk, along with the Parmesan and a good pinch of salt and mash until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Cut the bases off the chiodini to separate them (they grow in clusters). If there are any large mushrooms, you can chop them in half or in smaller pieces. Pour olive oil into a wide pan and add the garlic clove. Carefully heat the oil over low-medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle and infuse the oil – make sure not to brown it too much. Remove, then add the mushrooms, followed by the white wine and cook them until they are tender, about 10 minutes. At the last minute or two, add the speck and toss everything together.

Remove from the heat, add the parsley, then mix the mushrooms into mashed potatoes (if using cold mashed potatoes prepared earlier, this is easier to do if you warm them first). Finally, stir in the diced cheese and taste – it probably won’t need much seasoning but adjust if it does. Try to resist not simply eating the filling from the pan, although it is very, very good eaten this way, I promise it will be even better with the cabbage parcel wrapped around it!

Heat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). With a little of the butter, grease the bottom of a baking tray.

Now get back to the cabbage leaves. It is quite helpful for rolling (not to mention fun) to give the thicker stems towards the base of the leaf a bit of a bash with a rolling pin. Using two tablespoons, place heaping spoonfuls of filling (if you have cups, they would be ½ cup portions) into the middle of each cabbage leaf. Roll up the bashed stem end first, then the top down and finally the sides. Place the little package, seams down in the prepared baking tray. Continue with the rest. If you have small or broken leaves, simply use one of the extra leaves to overlap and wrap as if it were one leaf.

Divide the rest of the butter into little pieces and place these on the top of each parcel (the original, in the top photo, also had a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top; do as you wish), then bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and melted cheese that has escaped its enclosure is sizzling. Eat immediately.

The post Involtini di cavolo con patate e funghi first appeared on Emiko Davies.

San Miniato’s annual White Truffle Festival has been a highlight for me ever since calling Italy home and falling in love with a boy from San Miniato 15 years ago — here is another article about the White Truffle Festival from the early days of the blog from back in 2010. And I have to say, quite happily, that it doesn’t change much. My favourite stalls are always in the same place, I know where to go back to for that great truffle pecorino, or that tasty fried snack or the best roast chestnuts. Year in, year out, you can bet they will be there, in the same spot and there is something very comforting about that.

So together with my San Miniato Dining Guide, this guide below to my favourite things at the White Truffle Festival (13-14, 20-21, 27-28 November 2021) should have you all sorted for a trip to experience this celebration of this incredibly rare and unique foraged ingredient. I am including, too, my top tips for choosing a white truffle, should you choose to go down that (delicious) road!

How to Navigate the White Truffle Festival:

Every main street and piazza is filled with food stalls, so you really can’t go wrong with a wander! But make sure to make it up the stairs to Piazza Duomo (you can also get there via Piazza della Repubblica where there is a lot to see too) which is where you will find the truffle tent and local winemakers tent. Then, you’ll find the main stalls in Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza del Popolo, which house regional delights from all over Italy — this is a treat for locals as it’s near impossible to get delicious Sicilian cannoli without actually going to Sicily, or spicy Calabrian nduja! There are taralli and olives from Puglia and cheeses from Sardinia, and more. In the loggiato of the church of San Domenico there are more stalls serving street food — a steaming lampredotto panino or a hearty bowl of ribollita, perhaps? Or maybe you’ll be curious to try the truffle beer? Along the Via IV Novembre you’ll find a good gelateria offering white truffle gelato and there are some little shops selling Christmas trinkets.

Just follow your nose!

Things to try at the White Truffle Festival:

• Ciaccioni — deep fried to order, these are fried flat breads about the size of a piadina. You can have it plain, but I’d suggest getting one of the filled ones. Prosciutto, truffled lardo, nutella, and more — pick one and you won’t regret it. Find these at the Misericordia (where you can also get white truffles and truffle products) on the way up to Piazza della Repubblica.
• Roasted chestnuts — in the corner of Piazza della Repubblica, just as you pass under the arch you’ll see the drum of roasting chestnuts in the corner. It’s the season!
• Truffle Sausages — If you’re only going to plan to buy one thing at the festival, make it a string of the truffle sausages at Falaschi butcher shop. They only make them for this moment and they are so good you should just eat them raw as so: slice down the casing and peel it off, then flatten the sausage meat onto a slice of hot, just grilled crostino. If you have it, grate some extra white truffle over it.
• Castagnaccio — I mentioned chestnuts but this is another Tuscan specialty made from chestnut flour, water and olive oil. Naturally sweet from the chestnuts, this batter is topped with pine nuts, sometimes walnuts and raisins, often too with rosemary. I am a huge fan of the one they make at Bar Cantini near Piazza al Popolo. It’s packed full of nuts and raisins, way more than the usual one. Very special.
• Cecina — A thin pancake like snack but made with a batter of just chickpea flour, water and olive oil, baked in a wood fired oven. Pizza del Popolo do an excellent one and for the festival they’re serving it with housemade butter with truffle, such a treat.
• Brigidini — paper thin, aniseed flavoured wafers, a tradition from the nearby town of Lamporecchio, that are often baked right there in the candy van with the huge sign that says “Addormentasocere” (candied almonds, also worth trying, that apparently make your mother in law fall asleep). You should smell the wafts of these wafers competing with the wafts of truffles.
• Torta di San Miniato — light as a cloud brioche doused in vin santo, this cake made by Maurizio Pasticcere is so delicate and soft it just disappears in your mouth as soon as you take a bite. Buy an extra.

How to choose a white truffle

In case you would like to go home with a real, fresh white truffle (tuber magnatum pico), there is a special tent set up of the San Miniato tartufai in Piazza Duomo (next to the local winemakers tent) and it is here you should come, breathe in deeply, and take a slow walk around the different stalls. A word of advice, if you are serious about buying a truffle, come first thing in the morning (they open 10am on Saturdays, 9am Sundays). Not only will you get the best pick, but it will be quieter — the afternoon crush of curious onlookers can make this quite a crowded spot.

The cost

Prepare to pay anywhere from 4,000 euro a kilo to 7,000 euro a kilo at the moment. Yes, that’s really expensive! The lower price is generally for smaller, knobbly and broken bits, while the higher price is for perfectly round and larger pieces. To give you an idea of how precious white truffles are as opposed to black truffles, a new season black truffle goes for around 300-600 euro a kilo.

Why they’re so expensive

White truffles are so rare, they are only found in a handful of places in Italy, such as Alba in Piedmont, San Miniato and San Giovanni d’Asso in Tuscany and Le Marche. They grow about 20-40cm below the ground and humans can’t find them without a trained dog. Oh and they cannot be farmed, as black truffles can. And, it has been a terribly dry year, much too dry and too warm for white truffles, which need humidity (they are 80% water) and the cold to ripen. So they are scarce this year. In past “normal” years, the price of white truffles has hovered between 2,000 and 3,000. Re-reading that 2010 article, wow, what a great price truffles were that season, 1,200 a kilo! No wonder we ate tagliolini al tartufo so often that autumn! 2020 was a good year too, plus, restaurants were closed and so the price of truffles went down (a silver lining to being in our second lockdown in truffle season in our new home).

How much do you need

You don’t need a huge truffle to make a lovely meal, just 3-5 grams shaved over a dish for each person is enough. So if there are just 2 of you, that small, hazelnut-sized nugget might set you back 25-40 euro this year. It’s quite normal to pay between 35-50 euro for a plate of tagliolini al tartufo bianco this year in any restaurant or trattoria so buying and making your own is a good saving, actually!

How to use a White Truffle

As soon as you take it home, keep it in a glass jar in the fridge. Ideally, use it as soon as you can, the shelf life is very short — 5 days, maybe 7, but why wait? Clean it only right before you need to it. A gentle brush with a damp nail brush is good. Wipe with some kitchen paper and it’s ready to use. Whatever you do, do not cook it! You will just waste it. White truffle is best grated finely, perhaps over a warm dish of fried eggs, or buttery pasta. Keep it simple and delicate. Fat is the best companion for truffle so these two dishes are the best way to enjoy tartufo bianco.

You can pick up fresh tagliolini at the alimentari opposite Falaschi butcher shop, Così è se Vi Piace, or at many of the stalls in the festival. Grab some truffle butter while you’re at it, it helps to layer the truffle flavours, add a bit of parmesan cheese (but not too much), or simply fry a couple of eggs in butter, leave the yolks runny and dinner is ready!

Other things to see and do

• Tartufonie — At 4:30pm on Sundays there is a free classical music performance in a different church each weekend. On November 21 it will be in San Domenico (Piazza del Popolo), Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by the soloists of the Tuscan Chamber Orchestra and on November 28 it will be a choir in the Duomo of San Miniato. You need a Green Pass to attend.
• Quinto Martini — A stunning retrospective exhibition of 73 of the great Tuscan sculptor’s (1908-1990) work is on display (above) until November 28 at Palazzo Grifoni, 9am-12pm and 3pm-7pm. You need a green pass and it’s free!
• Rocca di Federico II — That tall tower that you can spot from miles away? That’s the Rocca or the watch tower. Built in the 1200s for Federico II, the king of Sicily, then destroyed in 1944, it was faithfully rebuilt in 1958. You can climb up it and get a spectacular view. The sunset from here is particularly special. Open 10am-3pm during the festival.
• Truffle hunt — See my workshops page or contact me for more information. We go on an exhilarating hunt for white truffles and we cook with them!

For where to eat and sleep in San Miniato see my Dining Guide to San Miniato too.

Visiting the White Truffle Festival

In 2021 the festival will be held on three weekends, 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28 of November, starting at 10am on Saturdays until 11pm and 9am on Sundays until 11pm.

The main thing to know about the festival is that driving in and out of San Miniato is extremely restricted. Streets are closed as food stalls and tents take up every single piazza (and car park) in town and it becomes pedestrian only for the entire weekend while the whole town emanates the perfume of these precious tubers.

So how to get in if you aren’t already (cleverly organised) in town? There is a shuttle bus service that goes between two big parking lots in San Miniato Basso: either from the Palazzetto Fontevivo  (both Saturday and Sunday) or the Pam supermarket (just Sunday). So if you are driving, park your car here and catch the shuttle bus (4 euro return ticket, children 14 and under are free). If you are coming by train from Florence or Pisa, get off at the San Miniato train station and you could walk to the Pam supermarket (15 minutes) for the shuttlebus, catch the 320 bus which leaves from the station every 30 minutes and takes you to Piazza Dante Alighieri in 15 minutes (note it is not available on Sundays). You can buy a bus ticket (1,80 euro) at the bar below the bus stop (or from an Italian phone number you can send a text message to 4880105 with the word “PISA” from your phone for a ticket). Or call a local taxi driver to bring you as far as it can go to San Miniato (Piazza Dante Aligheri), such as Claudio Bertini (335 527 5938).

The post San Miniato’s White Truffle Festival 2021 first appeared on Emiko Davies.

We have now called San Miniato, my husband’s hometown, our family home for the good part of this year and I admit that one of the reasons we found this Tuscan hilltop village so charming is the excellent quality of restaurants and food shops in this small historical centre. Other than being a fixture on the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim route, with picturesque views of the surrounding countryside from every angle you look, San Miniato is famous for being one of the rare places in the world that harbours prized white truffles — in season (October to December) you can taste them in every single place that sells food, from even the simplest bar, and the town celebrates this with their annual festival, Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco and this year will be its 50th (you can see an old post from 2010 on it here — I haven’t missed one since moving to Tuscany in 2005! — see below for more on how to visit during the White Truffle Festival).

The fact that people are drawn here to try precious white truffles, which shouldn’t be cooked, but are best grated over warm, steaming plates of simple dishes such as buttery tagliolini (see below) or fried eggs, means that over the years, a growing number of quality restaurants has made San Miniato a food destination mainly for those from surrounding local towns. The restaurant selection is so good it’s not only for truffles that you will want to travel here for. It’s a place I’m very proud to share with you here in this dining guide and if you’d like me to show you around on a food tour or a truffle hunt, get in touch.

Situated between Florence and Pisa, and on the train line, and equidistant to Pistoia, Lucca, Siena or San Gimignano, means that San Miniato is very conveniently placed amongst the most important Tuscan cities. It’s also only 30 minutes from Pisa airport and the sea.

In the historical centre:

Sergio Falaschi: A fourth generation Slow Food butcher shop that has a casual restaurant out the back with the best view in town and wonderful charcuterie plates (above), traditional Tuscan primi and meaty mains. Here you will want to try all the things that they make, which are traditional salumi and sausages, with free range pork, no preservatives or additives: their sausages (in season the truffle sausages are the best!), Cinta Senese (a local Tuscan ancient pork breed) prosciutto, spuma di gota (a whipped cream made from pork jowl or guanciale), finocchiona (a larger, fresher Tuscan salame that is perfumed with fennel seeds) and mallegato, a spiced blood sausage that is served warm, the town’s only Slow Food presidium. If you’re feeling like a feast, choose a bistecca from the counter to be grilled for the table. Opening times vary seasonally so check the butcher shop (generally speaking it’s open for dinner in summer and for lunch in cold weather, closed Wednesdays).

Maggese: For something very special, Maggese (see photos below), headed by chef Fabrizio Marino (who spent 8 years at Joia in Milan, the first vegetarian restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star) is a fine dining vegetarian restaurant in the heart of town. You can do a chef’s degustation (I would highly recommend this, also the wine pairing) or you can just choose any individual dishes without doing the tasting menu. It’s an incredible eating and drinking experience for anyone, vegan, vegetarian, omnivores alike. For those who love counter dining there is a small counter for two here, which gives you a great view on the kitchen. Open for dinner only.

La Piccola Osteria del Tartufo: As the name suggests, this is a tiny place in the town’s main piazza which has a very simple, small menu, rather meat heavy (high quality, however, as the meat comes from Lo Scalco Butcher shop in San Miniato Basso, lower San Miniato) and local wines. I would come here for their stracciatella and hazelnut risotto, a classic dish of tagliolini with truffles (above) or their burgers. Literally everything on the menu comes with truffles on it (black or white in season). Open lunch and dinner.

Pizza del Popolo: A small, pizza by the slice place but not your regular pizza. This is vegetarian, 48 hour fermented, organic and biodynamic ancient grain sourdough bread and pizza. They also do excellent panzerotti (fried to order!) and Sanminiatese style organic chickpea flour cecina and arancini with melty gorgonzola centres and cookies made with buckwheat flour, hazelnut or the Tuscan chestnut specialty, castagnaccio. They have local beer on tap or can fix you a spritz. You can eat in on one of the tables in the outdoor/covered terrace or takeaway. Closed Mondays.

Birra e Acciughe: I can’t tell you how many times this tiny place has saved me but sometimes you just need a warm baguette the length of your arm filled with creamy butter and anchovies (for me) or a hot dog (for the girls) to stave off a melt down! There is a surprising selection of over 60 artisan beer and ciders and did I mention the panini are warm? It’s too small for seats but most customers use the benches nearby or simply stand (see top photo). Closed Mondays.

Pizzeria Demetra: Not the traditional pizza, but a sourdough pizza made with a mixture of wheat, rice and soy flours, left to rise for 120 hours and gourmet, seasonal toppings. The twice cooked technique here means a very crunchy crust. For those who want something other than pizza, they also have big salads, cheese and charcuterie plates, focacce and artisan beers. In the summer only dinner but in cold weather open for lunch and dinner.

Maurizio il Pasticcere: The place for a classic Italian breakfast — cappuccino and cornetto!  Everything is made on site. Their sweet and savoury pastries and pizzette are particularly soft, fluffy and cloud like! I particularly love the sfoglie (puff pastry pockets filled with custard, apple or rice) and their miniature almond biscotti. In summer they have a good selection of housemade gelato and at Christmas they do pandoro, panettone and delicious panforte. Closed Monday afternoons.

Ethan’s Bar: This cupboard-sized bar is the place to come for aperitivo or an after dinner drink. Owner and mixologist Alessio Cintelli makes wonderful cocktails using well-researched liqueurs and ingredients

Out of town:

Papaveri e Papere: Just a 5 minutes drive downhill from the town centre is this wonderful restaurant serving modern, well executed Tuscan cuisine. Chef Paolo Fiaschi creates beautiful dishes based on Tuscan specialties and traditional ingredients, including a good selection of seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes, such as soft poached egg with pumpkin flan and white truffles (below), fresh tagliolini with guinea fowl ragu, bitter greens and taggiasche olives. Save space for dessert, they are just as beautiful to look at as they are to eat. Double check the opening times as they change seasonally — in the summer they are closed Sunday evenings, in cold weather Wednesdays they close.

Taverna dell’Ozio: A 10 mins drive from the town centre of San Miniato you can reach this wonderful but small rustic tavern (red and white checkered tablecloths and all) in the countryside neighbourhood of Corazzano. I will say right away it is always very hard to get a reservation here, especially during truffle and mushroom season (their specialties) as it is small (even smaller since the pandemic restrictions means less people inside) and is one of the few places in the area where you can try truly traditional, Slow Food dishes like game, snails and all the truffle and foraged mushroom dishes of your dreams. You may get lucky when they announce space available on their facebook page! Closed Mondays.

Collebrunacchi: A favourite restaurant recommended by my butcher (Falaschi), this wonderful trattoria is about a 15 minute drive through the countryside and is best for a traditional, big Tuscan meal with the works: antipasti of mixed crostini and pickles (below), tortellini in brodo, ribollita or pappardelle with hare sauce and wood fired grilled meats, including game (their specialty) and old school desserts like zuppa inglese. The prices are about 15 years old and the whole experience is, simply put, one of the reasons why I love living in Tuscany. They also have a B&B. Closed Mondays.

Cosimo Maria Masini: While not a restaurant, I highly recommend visiting this winery which is less than a 15 minute drive away. You can do a wine tasting (and olive oil tasting) here or simply visit the shop to take some bottles home. Francesco, the wine maker, does a wonderful explanation of how and why his winemaking is natural, organic and biodynamic. They also have a holiday house with a pool on site.

Markets

Every Tuesday morning you’ll find the weekly mobile market in Piazza Dante Alighieri, while the third Sunday of the month is the Slow Food Market with local farmers and their produce (goat cheese, honey, sourdough bread, wine, salumi, fresh produce). The first Sunday of the month the historical centre hosts a pretty good flea market that lasts all day until 7pm where you can find all kinds of treasures, including textiles, cameras, furniture, paintings, toys, green glass from Empoli and ceramics.

Visiting the White Truffle Festival

In 2021 the festival will be held on three weekends, 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28 of November, starting at 10am on Saturdays until 11pm and 9am on Sundays until 11pm.

The main thing to know about the festival is that driving in and out of San Miniato is extremely restricted. Streets are closed as food stalls and tents take up every single piazza (and car park) in town and it becomes pedestrian only for the entire weekend while the whole town emanates the perfume of these precious tubers.

So how to get in if you aren’t already (cleverly organised) in town? There is a shuttle bus service that goes between two big parking lots in San Miniato Basso: either from the Palazzetto Fontevivo  (both Saturday and Sunday) or the Pam supermarket (just Sunday). So if you are driving, park your car here and catch the shuttle bus (4 euro return ticket, children 14 and under are free). If you are coming by train from Florence or Pisa, get off at the San Miniato train station and you could walk to the Pam supermarket (15 minutes) for the shuttlebus, catch the 320 bus which leaves from the station every 30 minutes and takes you to Piazza Dante Alighieri in 15 minutes (note it is not available on Sundays). You can buy a bus ticket (1,80 euro) at the bar below the bus stop (or from an Italian phone number you can send a text message to 4880105 with the word “PISA” from your phone for a ticket). Or call a local taxi driver to bring you as far as it can go to San Miniato (Piazza Dante Aligheri), such as Claudio Bertini (335 527 5938).

Where to Sleep:

Here are some places to stay right in the heart of the historical centre.

Hotel San Miniato, a restored 13th century monastery
Le Finestre del Seminario, recently restored, simple but spacious rooms in the 17th century Seminary building of San Miniato (above)
LUI apartment on Airbnb
LEI apartment on Airbnb
Orange apartment on Airbnb
Ser Ridolfo Loft

The post San Miniato Dining and White Truffle Guide first appeared on Emiko Davies.

I know, I know, the ingredients might be challenge — chicken combs and testicles aren’t the easiest to obtain or to handle for some — this isn’t for the faint of heart. But I will say that this is a wonderful, divine and very special dish with an incredible Florentine history, and I think in today’s context is still extremely relevant as a sustainable and respectful choice for omnivores who care about eating for the planet.

I wrote a lot more about that for my newsletter, which you can see here, but I think it is still the same argument I have been making for the ten years I’ve had this blog — that eating offal is important as a conscientious onminvore, and now more than ever.

And aside from that argument, the other reason you should try this is because it is simply divine. Catherine de’ Medici was so fond of it she almost made herself sick from eating too much of it, the story goes. And in fact the first thing I noticed about this dish that the Florentine Queen of France was so enamoured of, is how incredibly luxurious it tastes — creamy, delicate, melt in the mouth. You could easily imagine it eaten with truffles (as chicken combs were often prepared with in French cooking). This is no peasant dish. This is something special. In Florence today, you’ll be hard pressed to find many restaurants and trattorie serving this historical dish, but one place that is famous for it is Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence’s only three Michelin star restaurant. So that should give you a hint, too, at what kind of dish we are talking about here.

Below you’ll find the traditional recipe for Cibrèo and a recipe that turns into a stuffing for cappelletti pasta, a dish that was so good my husband Marco was moved to tears!

Cibrèo

This refined, classic Florentine dish could be served as antipasto or a main, here the proportions for four would make it a main dish. This recipe is adapted from Paolo Petroni’s Il Libro della Vera Cucina Italiana.

For 4 people

• 1 cockscomb and wattle (the fleshy hanging part under the beak)
• 1 ½ tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-6 leaves of sage
• 1 small onion, finely sliced or chopped
• 60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
• 120 grams chicken livers, halved
• flour for dusting
• 70 grams chicken hearts, halved lengthways
• 70 grams chicken testicles
• grating of fresh nutmeg
• 250 ml of stock
• 2 egg yolks
• juice of ½ lemon

Blanch the crest and wattle in boiling water for a minute or two then remove, and when cool enough to handle, scrape off the fine, papery skin, then chop into bite sized pieces.

In a pan, melt the butter with olive oil over low heat and add the sage and onion, cooking until the onion is translucent and softened but not coloured, about 5-7 minutes, then turn up the heat to low-medium, add the crest and wattle, followed by the white wine and cook for 15 minutes.

Dust the livers in flour to cover, then add them together with the hearts and testicles, to the pan. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, adding stock to the pan as you need to keep braising the chicken.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks and lemon juice. Add a splash of stock too, then pour it over the pan and stir gently for a minute to allow the yolk to thicken then serve immediately with more freshly ground black pepper and plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Cappelletti di cibrèo

If you want to get fancy or propose this dish in another way and turn it into pasta, an idea inspired by a wonderful meal of ravioli di finanziera (a similar dish of offal and chicken crests) at Ristorante Consorzio in Torino, we made cappelletti (you could also do simpler ravioli following the method here but I think you’ll agree the cappelletti are adorable). I like to use a dough really rich in egg yolks for making filled pasta, hence the number of yolks required here. If you’re wondering what to do with all the egg whites, I love Edna Lewis’ egg white pound cake.

• 400 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for dusting
  
• 2 eggs, plus 5 yolks (set aside 1 egg white for later)
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) or so of stock (or water) for reheating the sauce if necessary
  
• 50 grams cold butter
• Freshly ground pepper

Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Place the eggs, 4 of the yolks (save one for the filling) and water in the well. With a fork, begin to whisk the eggs, incorporating the flour little by little until you can no longer whisk with the fork. Use floured hands to combine the rest of the flour until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Wrap in plastic wrap or pop under a bowl on the bench and let it rest at least 30 minutes.

Strain the Cibrèo (warmed if necessary) to separate the sauce from the rest of the ingredients. Set aside the sauce and blend the rest of the ingredients in a food processor with about 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese so that it is stiffer, quite like the consistency of ricotta.

Cut the dough into four pieces and dust with flour. Roll out one portion of the dough (I like doing one portion at a time) using a pasta machine or rolling pin, keeping the rest of the dough covered. The dough should be thin enough so that you can see your hand through it. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter (about 7cm/2 3/4 in in diameter) and roll the scraps back up into a ball (you can roll this back out later) and keep these on a wooden board dusted with flour while you finish cutting out the rounds for this portion of dough.

With two teaspoons, scoop a teaspoon of filling onto the centre of each round. Have a little bowl of water handy (or use the extra egg white) and dip your finger into this and then wet the edge of the pasta all the way around. Now fold the round into a half moon, squeezing out gently any air from inside, then fold the two ends of the half moon to meet each other in the middle — and there you have your first cappelletto!

Continue with the rest of the rounds, setting aside the finished cappelletti on a wooden board dusted with flour (alternatively you can place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper). Then continue with rolling out the next portion of dough and so on.

You can store this pasta in the fridge for a few hours until you are ready to cook, or you can cook them right away.

To cook the cappelletti, gently tumble them into a pot of simmering, salted water. They will take only about 2 minutes to cook. In the meantime, heat up the sauce very gently with a splash of water or stock and once warm, add cold butter and turn off heat, swirling until it melts. Drain and plate the cappelletti, then distribute the sauce over the top of each dish and finish with plenty of freshly ground pepper. Marco loved pairing this with a glass of dessert wine (Vin Santo), which is unusual but works incredibly well.

The post Cibrèo, a forgotten Florentine dish first appeared on Emiko Davies.

We used to live on Via dei Neri, the street that runs from the back of the Uffizi Gallery towards Piazza Santa Croce. It was more than 10 years ago now, when it was still a residential neighbourhood of central Florence. Despite being in the shadow of Palazzo Vecchio and two steps to all the monuments, people lived here — you could tell from the little shops like the fruttivendolo for fresh fruit and vegetables, the bakery and even the little dry cleaner. They were shops for locals. There is still a butcher shop there, but I doubt anyone who shops there now is a local. We’ve all been driven out by airbnbs and those little shops are no more — they’re all paninoteche, sandwich shops.

When we lived on that street there was a wonderful place we used to pop into to grab a sandwich on occasion. It was across the road from our apartment, after all. We were on a first name basis. You could waltz in there anytime and order a fantastic slab of schiacciata filled with whatever you like (finocchiona and stracchino was my favourite). There was a help yourself bucket of wines and proper glasses. We would perch on a stool and have a perfect lunch, often in there elbow to elbow with the guys who check tickets at the Uffizi gallery entrance, who were regulars. It was just a good local spot, doing what Florence does really, really well: quick, often standing, hole in the wall panini.

Then something really strange happened. Suddenly our neighbourhood panino place was named number 1 restaurant in Florence. It’s not a restaurant, of course, it’s a hole in the wall with three stools. And they do good panini but hardly exceptionally different from a handful of other places within 2 or 3 blocks away. Suddenly the line to get a panino is 45 minutes long. And even friends visiting from Venice are trying to get in line to try this panino they’ve heard “is a must”. This has now been going on for years now — I am surprised to find that it is still the case even now, during a pandemic, and well, yes, the neighbourhood is ruined. Every shop on this street sells panini now, gone are the little shops that once served residents. Rubbish is left everywhere, police patrol the street to stop people sitting in the doors of shops to eat and a “panino tax” has been proposed by frustrated businesses who have to clean up after them.

The truth is, no Florentine would ever dream of standing in line for 45 minutes for a panino. It goes against the very idea of why you eat a panino for lunch: it is quick. You don’t need to sit down, you stand, you eat, you drink, you go!

Also, no Florentine would ever stand in line for that long when around the corner there is another perfectly great panino waiting for you. This is what the tourists do not know. So what I’m trying to say is, don’t stand in line for a panino that is longer than a handful of people. This isn’t meant to be a negative post about a certain place that I used to love so much, I personally don’t think it’s their fault. It’s more what happens when you let tourists go crazy, when sites like Tripadvisor (that residents don’t use) get out of hand and what happens when that particular mix of things and an algorithm decide things that local residents don’t.

The point here (and what history can tell you too) is that there are plenty of other better choices because good panini is what Florence does so well.

The ritual is this: a small, round, crusty bun, sliced in half, with some of the fluffy, soft white bread pulled out to make room for the filling, which is never too much. One or two, maximum three, things go inside a Florentine panino. Creamy, unsalted butter and anchovies. Thin slices of prosciutto with a single layer of thickly sliced pecorino cheese. Truffled pecorino cheese and spicy, bouncy, fresh arugula. Creamy stracchino cheese, fennel-studded finocchiona and spicy grilled eggplant.

The bread may also be schiacciata (crunchy, wood-fired, olive oil-lathered focaccia) instead, or not too-thick slices of unsalted Tuscan bread. But the idea is something you can hold in two hands and finish in a handful of bites.

A glass of wine – a small, almost miniature serving of chianti or vermentino in a rounded glass, just enough for a few gulps – is the usual accompaniment, and most hole-in-the-wall paninoteche have a little shelf built into the wall that serves as a handy spot to place your glass so you can eat your panino with two hands while you stand on the street.

A panino al lampredotto, a bun filled with juicy boiled offal and salsa verde make up Florence’s favourite and most typical snack and these are served by lampredottai, lampredotto (abomasum tripe) sellers who boil the tripe in deep pots directly on the vans where the panini are sold and eaten.

Florence has a centuries-long tradition of little places that serve wine and food. Even as far back as the Middle Ages, wine-selling was considered an “arte”, and the vinattieri formed one of Florence’s important guilds, setting up cellars and mescite, where you could buy wine or drink it right there. And you can still see along the back streets behind hefty palazzi the little “buchette di vino”, or wine doors, many dating to the seventeenth century, where wine was sold to the public.

The tradition of Florence’s many paninoteche dates back to the nineteenth century, where, along with glasses of wine, freshly baked bread from the forno (bakery) and prosciutto, finocchiona and salame from the salumaio came together in the simplest of ways for a quick lunch, an impromptu snack or merenda.

Places like I Due Fratellini, which is literally large enough to hold the two brothers, Michele and Armando and a wall of wine bottles, are doing what that paninoteca been doing since 1875. Another Florentine institution, the beautiful bar Procacci, which is famous for its fancy finger sandwiches filled with truffle paste, have been serving Florentines truffle-laced panini and pouring wine since 1885.

My personal favourite choices for a panino that are less than a 5 minute walk away from *that* long line at Antico Vinaio include ‘Ino right behind the Uffizi gallery in Via Georgeofili (here, you can also sit down and have a full glass of wine!). In the same area, Il Cernacchino (which inspired this panino with beef stew recipe in Florentine) also does great panini, I do love their porchetta sandwiches too. And just down the road on via dei Cerchi, another two favourites are I Buongustai (Via dei Cerchi 15r) — I adore their spinach and melted brie panini, they were my regular when I worked in a jewlery shop on this street! If they were too busy, I’d go next door to I Maledetti Toscani (Via dei Cerchi 19r). And right around the corner of course is I Due Fratellini (Via dei Cimatori 38r).

I never miss a panino (usually the fennel, orange and anchovy one) at Semel (Piazza Ghiberti 44) or a lampredotto panino at my favourite Tripperia Pollini, the tripe van parked near the church of Sant’Ambrogio, when I’m in the area of the market. And if I’m oltrarno side, I head straight to S.Forno (Via S.Monaca, 3r) and ask for a panino with mortadella, possibly sandwiched in a rosemary scented, raisin-studded pandiramerino.

If I’m not far from the train station, I sneak into Casa del Vino (Via del Ariento 16r). Their sausage and stracchino panino is something I dream of regularly. And whenever I can, if I’m in the area of Campo di Marte, the outskirts, not far from the train station or the football stadium, I go straight to place that I’m quite positive is the actual best panino in the city — Caffe Dogali (Viale Malta 5r).

Further reading: These photos come from my book Florentine (some are outtakes that never made it in!) and you’ll find a number of recipes n there inspired by these places, Procacci, Tripperia Pollini and I Buongustai for example. And I have a Florentine food guide available here.

The post The 11 best panini in Florence that aren’t *that* panino first appeared on Emiko Davies.