Tuscan Traveler

Northwest of Parma, on the edge of the small town of Soragna, is the oldest of the new food museums, musei del cibo, organized in the last five years in north-central Italy. The Parmesan Cheese Museum, Museo del Parmigiano Reggiano, is worth a detour, especially if you pair it with a visit to a modern Parmesan cheese factory in Soragna.

Parmigiano Reggiano - The King of Cheeses

The famed quality of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the excellent and well-balanced result of many factors, from the particular lushness of pasturelands and milk, to the artisan techniques of production (unchanged for seven centuries), to natural ripening and maturing processes (a total absence of preservatives, additives, anti-fermenting agents or colorants), together with the rigorous quality controls imposed by the Consortium of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (begun in 1934).  The Consortium brought together the cheese producers working in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantova and Bologna, which constitutes the protected production zone.

The latest statistics (2002) counted 547 Consortium members, who relied on 270,000 cows belonging to 7,000 farmers for their milk. Annually about 409,425,000 gallons of milk are used to make 245,691,900 pounds of cheese, for a total of 2,937,535 wheels. Between 88-90% of these wheels are eaten in Italy. An average of 90,000 wheels are exported every year to the USA. Producing a pound of Parmesan takes about two gallons of milk and each wheel weighs an average of 66 pounds.

Museum of Parmesan Cheese - Soragna, Italy

Housed in the only surviving mid-19th century round casello of the cheese works once owned by the Prince Meli Lupi, the Parmesan Cheese Museum has three rooms. In the first, the various production phases of the cheese, which is only made between April 15 and November 15 when the animal feed (mixed grasses and clover) is at its best and the milk at its richest, are explained through the display of equipment and hundreds of utensils necessary for hand-making and distributing this “king of cheese.” An 18th-century copper cauldron, an old milk wagon that was pulled by hand, an early steam boiler to heat the milk in the cauldron uniformly, and an early 20th-century churn are included in the collection.

Copper Pots for making Parmesan Cheese

In the second display room, called Sala della Salamoia or Curing or Salting Room, are panels illustrating the history of Parmesan, which was mentioned by Columella, Varro, and Martial, and seems to go back to ancient Roman times, but the first surviving historical documents date to Parma’s Abbey of S. Martino dei Bocci in the late 1290s. At first the wheels were only 3.2 inches high in contrast with the 10 inches of today. They were covered with salt instead of immersed in salt water. Boccaccio’s Decameron (1348-49) boasts the cheese’s first literary reference: in the third story of the eighth day, the poet poked fun at the gullibility of Calandrino, one of his characters, by having him believe that in Bengodi, in Parmesan country, there was a mountain consisting entirely of grated cheese and that the people who lived there did nothing, but cook macaroni and ravioli, which they rolled down the slopes so that the pasta arrived at the bottom coated with fragrant cheese.

Floor Plan of the Museo del Parmigiano Reggiano

The third room, the Sala del Latte or Milk Room, is devoted to the ageing process – at least two years (vecchio or old), better yet three (stravecchio or very old), and preferably four  (stravecchione or the oldest) – and to the history of the Consorzio or the consortium, the producers’ co-operative.  An excellent English language film presents the history and process of making Parmesan cheese.

A tasting of Parmesan cheese is offered after your visit.

A quaint little private farm museum is situated in the modern part of the building and is open only if the proprietor is there.

The Museum of Parmigiano-Reggiano:

c/o Corte Castellazzi,
Via Volta, 5
Soragna (Parma)

Opening Hours:

From March 1 to 8 December
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10.00 – 13.00, 15.00 – 18:00
Monday to Friday, only by booking

From December to February
Closed.  Access to the museum is possible only by booking.

Fee, including tasting:

€ 5 single ticket,
€ 4 groups over 15 people and over 65’s,
€ 3 reduced ticket for obligatory schools (accompanying teachers free) and children between 6 – 12 years,
Free handicapped entrance with accompaniers, accompanying teachers, journalists and children under 6.

Guided Tours:

On booking you can also book a guided tour.  As well as the entrance ticket each tour costs € 20 for a maximum of 25 people

Booking for Groups:

Telephone:  +39.0524.596129

E-mail: prenotazioni.parmigiano@museidelcibo.it

Web Site:

www.museidelcibo.it

   Gateway to Galeffi

Behind the arched iron gate, just across the street from the Montevarchi train station, in a quiet courtyard, nestled below tall pines, is one of the trendiest restaurants in Tuscany. With an updated take on Tuscan cuisine, the kitchen at Ristorante Galeffi never fails to please.

Ristorante Galeffi is built on the site of the late 19th century chemical pharmaceutical factory of Ernesto Galeffi.  The family palazzo is to the left off the courtyard.

The irony of a fine dining experience in a building that once produced antacids and effervescents comes immediately to mind when the menus are brought to the table. The cover is one of the famed Galeffi ads from the 1930s. (The wallpaper in the bathroom is designed in the pattern of the tissue once used to wrap products sold in the Galeffi pharmacy.)

All references to the past end with these artifacts. The decor is spacious and modern with two dining levels pulled together by a massive black and white graphic wall. Simple floral accents and the original wood floor soften the iron and glass architecture. Tall windows bring in sunlight and allow views of the trees. In the summer there is seating outside.

The sophisticated menu is ever-changing, depending on the season and what is fresh at the market. One day the appetizers might include whipped salt cod on toasts with truffles or saffron creamed rice surrounding a tiny savory cake garlicky tomato-infused bread. The second course could be risotto with creamy taleggio cheese and truffles or a fettuccine with a sauce of tiny fish and cherry tomatoes. A favorite main dish is rabbit with artichokes and a side of crispy fried vegetables.  This vies with the filet of pork with a confection of layered apples and foie gras.

Filet of pork with layered apples and foie gras

Dessert is a specialty of Galeffi. Warm chocolate torte is in competition with lemony cheesecake and a moist apple cake.

Galeffi's Menu Cover

The wine list is a joy to read, but it’s an even greater pleasure to try a bottle or two from the small exclusive wineries from the nearby Chianti Classico and Brunello regions.  The somelier is knowledgeable and extremely good at food/wine paring.

Ristorante Galeffi is a short train ride from Florence (it’s less than a block from the Montevachi station).  It’s proximity to the luxury fashion outlet malls in Incisa and Montevarchi, make it the perfect place for lunch when driving from Gucci and Ferragamo at The Mall to the Prada outlet (SPACE).

Ask if the Antica Farmacia Galeffi, the pharmacy museum, at Via Roma 95, is open.  Its free.   

Ristorante Galeffi, Via Amm. Burzagli, 39 – Montevarchi. Open for lunch and dinner.
Reservations advised. +39 055.985.0384

Wallpaper

  

The Sun Doesn't Find the Street

Often Florence can bring on an epic case of claustrophobia. When the Renaissance bankers built their McMansions, they did not widen the medieval streets. Although not many buildings in the historic center are much over ninety feet high (note: come visit soon – the Prime Minister is inviting everyone to add a floor or two to their buildings as one of his recession fixes), Florence often feels much more constricted than New York.  This is especially true to one who grew up in New Mexico. Or even to a claustrophobic Florentine who visited the Land of Enchantment for the first time last year.

Wide open geography is not the only reason a visitor feels light and free in New Mexico as opposed to Florence.  There is also the comfort and conviviality of Southwestern hospitality.  In Florence, both the residents and the tourists must gird themselves every day with armor to deflect the petty incivilities of shopkeepers, waiters, government workers, bank tellers and even people walking or driving the narrow streets.

An Italian in New Mexico

Here is one Florentine native’s story:

Big Sky Over the Arroyo

Mi chiamo Francesca. Probably others have written stuff like this before. I need to do it, so I can avoid paying Dr. Palma some euro to listen to it. I hope I can.

I was in the U.S. in [December 2008] – New York, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Washington D.C.
This is about kindness. This is about smiling.
In Albuquerque (N.M.) I was having a nice morning in a café called The Flying Star, looking at magazines (for free) and looking at people, and having brunch. Oh what’s better than brunch in the US?
But this is not about food, it’s about kindness and service with a smile.
When you get coffee in the U.S. you usually are entitled to have a free ‘refill’. I went over to the counter to ask for my refill and the nice smiling guy, while pouring fresh coffee in my cup, said to me, “Is the coffee finished in the pitcher over at that stand?” He made me understand that I could have done it myself, but still it was a pleasure for him to do it, for free, and in spite of the line behind me. I apologized. He said “no problem”, he smiled again, I smiled. I went to my table and cried.

Fill 'er Up!

Why? Because I had a whole movie of the same scene, had it happened in Florence, my hometown.

Same scene in Florence: “Come? La vole che gli riempia la tazza, oh la un lo vede che c’é una caraffa la’ sul tavolo per riempirsela da soli ? Se la vole il caffe’ la se lo versi! E la ringrazi iddio che la un lo paga! Fosse per me…”  

(Tuscan Traveler’s rough translation:  “What? You want me to refill your cup, don’t you see that a carafe is on the counter for you to do your own refilling? And you thank god that you are not paying for it! Were it for me …”)

Flying Star Cafe

Sometimes a little hospitality is all you need.

The Flying Star is certainly a special haven, not only for Francesca in December, but more recently for me.  Last month, I spent a year-long week watching my younger sister die. Each day, I would walk the half-mile along the arroyo, breathing in the crystal clear air, looking up at the distant mountains, making my way to the Flying Star Café for a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade, creamy mac and cheese, and/or a slice of cake with strawberries on top.

People Watching at the Flying Star

For an hour I could hide from the horrible reality in the company of friendly helpful strangers, who had no intent to turn tables, offered both healthy and comfort food (as well as Breakfast All Day), and even had snacks for four-legged friends. The magazine racks and the good people watching are extra pluses for those who needed distraction. I certainly did.

Treats for Everyone at the Flying Star

Tuscan Traveler is looking for a Flying Star in Florence.

When an American dunks a biscotto wedge into his coffee – something an Italian never does (biscotti are dipped into Vin Santo or nothing) – he is honoring the memory of one of the first biscotti makers, and certainly the most famous, Antonio Mattei. Biscotti di Prato, sold worldwide in Mattei’s distinctive blue bag with gold lettering, turns 150 years old this year.

Distinctive Blue Bag of Mattei Biscotti

In 1858, pastry chef Antonio Mattei opened a biscottificio in Prato (near Florence) at 22 Via Ricasoli. The storefront and vast simple kitchen continue operating in the same location today, producing and selling the typical twice-cooked cookies made of flour, fresh eggs, sugar, almonds and pine nuts. The result of his unique recipe gained immediate popularity over a century ago. In 1861, he was winning prizes at the Esposizione Italiana in Florence and in 1867 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

The interior of the store with its marble bench tops and wooden shelves holding rows of neat blue packets of biscotti (also know as cantucci) can’t have changed much. The smell of baking wafts out the doors as customers come and go.

The 19th century Italian cookbook author Pellegrino Artusi had this to say about the original Mattei: ”Antonio Mattei, that good man from Prato … I say good, because he was a master of his trade and honest and hard working as well. Alas, my dear friend, who always reminded me of Cisti, Master Giovanni Boccaccio’s baker, died in 1885, leaving a void in my heart. Letters and science aren’t always necessary to win public esteem; even a very humble art, accompanied by a kind heart and practiced with skill and decorum, can make us worthy of the respect and love of our fellow men.”

Artusi also lauded Mattei in verse, quoting:

Under rough manners and coarse features
Beautiful hearts and pure senses are often hidden,
We fear men who are overly courteous,
For they are like marble slabs: shiny, smooth, and hard. (Filippo Panati, 1824).”

Kind-hearted Antonio Mattei once hosted a party of nuns from the city of Mantova who were on their way to Rome. To thank him they gave him their recipe for Torta Mantovana. It proved to be a terrific success.

Mattei Biscottificio in Prato

As Artusi noted, Antonio Mattei died in 1885. Ernesto Pandolfini took over in 1908 and ran the Fabbricante di Cantucci until 1961. Ernesto introduced Brutti Buoni, chewy almond macaroons, and the Filone Candito, a bread made with brioche dough that contains candied cherries and is covered with a thin layer of marzipan. In 1961, Paolo Pandolfini and his cousin Renzo Guarducci stepped in. The Pandolfinis are still making Biscotti di Prato, Brutti Buoni, and Torta Mantovana today, in addition to Antonio’s Biscotti della Salute, sweet bread crisps that are lighter and meant for breakfast.

The Torta Mantovana, Brutti Buoni,and the Filone do not travel well, and to sample them you must visit the shop in Prato. Brutti Buoni, shortened from Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly, but Tasty), is a lump of a cookie sitting on a communion wafer. It is best eaten fresh-baked when its crispy exterior guards a soft, chewy center of crushed almond barely-cooked dough. Within three days it becomes a rock.

Brutti Buoni

Blue is an uncommon color for food packaging, and this may be why Antonio decided upon it when he began selling his biscotti. It’s distinctive and can be recognized at a distance whether in a shop in Florence or an Italian deli in New York. The Biscottificio Mattei ships its Biscotti di Prato all over the world.

Visit the official web site of Mattei Biscotti of Prato.

Does anyone else experience this seasonal change – a summer yen for gelato, but a winter chocolate craving? In Florence there is a small shop to visit all year long – Vestri Cioccolata (e Gelato). Leonardo Vestri has solved that problem of bridging the seasons with Affogato (Gelato “Drowned” in Hot Chocolate).

Vestri Chocolate-Covered Nuts

In the mid-1960s, Leonardo’s father Daniele, followed his own father into the artisanal chocolate world in the southern Tuscan town of Arezzo. Recently, Daniele went to the source to assure that he had the finest cocoa. He purchased a “finca”, a cocoa plantation in Puntacana, Dominican Republic. The dried beans are shipped to Arezzo for the final phases of toasting, refining and tempering.

Vestri is gaining a worldwide following for specialty chocolates – dark chocolate with hot peppers, Grand Duke Cosimo de’Medici’s favorite chocolate, dark Caraibico with roasted chocolate nibs, dark, white and milk chocolate-covered hazelnuts and almonds, and chocolate-covered candied orange slices and peel. Stefania, Daniele’s wife, designs the eye-catching decorative chocolates, as well as the smart boxes, trendy logo and luscious web site.

Leonardo’s passion is gelato.  In 2002, he took off for Florence where he opened a Vestri family chocolate shop, but then installed a small gelato bar where sixteen special flavors are offered each day. Leonardo starts his morning at seven making each flavor from scratch, using fresh milk, cream, eggs, fruit, Vestri chocolate, liquors and spices. Fruit flavors are only offered when the fruit is in season – for October through December, Leonardo offers fresh fig, persimmon and chestnut gelato. His traditional Tuscan Buontalenti gelato includes fresh milk, mascarpone, sugar, egg, liquor (”secret”), a hint of fresh lemon peel, and a couple of secret spices. This gelato, named after Bernardo Buontalenti, a sixteenth-century Florentine architect, who may have been one of the world’s original ice-cream makers, is a local specialty.

Leonardo Vestri scoops his premium gelato

Now that Florence has a gelato shop on every corner and more opening every week (thank you, Mr. Berlusconi, for relaxing the retailing laws), it is even more important to know what goes into making the gelato you buy (especially since even the smallest cone goes for $2.40). Just because the sign at the front door says “produzione propria”, “gelato artigianale” or (for the tourists) “home made”, that does not mean that the gelato served is made with anything but powder, water and artificial colors and flavor, or even that it is made on the premises – one central gelateria boasts the sign and then proudly tells its clients that the gelato is made in Novoli, a suburb of Florence.

Aficionados of Vestri’s gelato rave about the pistachio (”Wow!“), chocolate with pistachio (”a knockout!“), dark chocolate (”sublime!“) and “a total winner!“), the dark chocolate with hot chili (”gelato that bites back!“), and the white chocolate with wild strawberries (”ridiculously creamy!” and “pure and delicious!“) Vestri, as could be expected, specializes in chocolate gelato – classico or with an extra hint of flavor – cinnamon, chili, pistachio, mint, orange, lavender, sage, basil, Earl Grey tea, and coffee.

Affogato - Gelato

All year long Leonardo is offering liquid chocolate in plastic shot glasses (small or large).  In the summer it is served cold.  In the winter it is heaven – hot, thick and rich. The cioccolata calda comes in two strengths – San Dominigo Cru (65%) and Venezuela Cru (75%). You can drink it straight or with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bitter orange or hot chili mixed in. But when the gelato and hot chocolate craving hit at the same time, the Affogato is the way to go.  First Leonardo pours in the hot chocolate (at your desired strength) and then scoops in the gelato of your choice. The most decadent choice must be 75% Venezuela Cru with Stracciatella (chocolate chip) gelato – first there is the hot chocolate hit followed by a spoon of creamy vanilla with chocolate bits. And at the end a bite or two of dark hot chocolate with Vestri artisanal dark chocolate chips makes you love that the seasons change.

More Gelato Reading

Difference between ice cream and gelato by David Lebovitz

Best discussion about selecting the right gelateria by The Food Section

Best histories of Italian gelato by Dream of Italy and Divina Cucina

Great review of gelaterias thoughout Italy by A Life Worth Eating

In a class by itself – Ms. Adventures in Italy’s Tour del Gelato

Vestri Cioccolato e Gelato

Borgo degli Albizi, 11r, Florence

Via Romana, 161 B/C, Arezzo

Vestri Web Site

In Chianti Classico, on a warm October day, we savored succulent burgers under the Tuscan sun. Mac Dario has been open for four months in Panzano and it’s clear that Dario Cecchini has another hit on his platter. 

Dario greeting guests at Mac Dario

Until our order for Veloce e Toscano (Fast and Tuscan) arrived just minutes after we sat down, the only thought I had was: “Does Dario ever sleep?”

Kim in the Macellaria Cecchini

After the 2006 opening of Solociccia (”It is not a restaurant. It is the home of a butcher.” See Instructions for Use) and the 2007 debut of the Officina della Bistecca (”The Officina is not recommended to those of little appetite.” See the small print.), it’s easy to wonder why Dario wanted to dive into the world of fast Slow Food. Remember, he’s also spent the last 33 years building the Macelleria Cecchini into one of the best-known butcher shops in the world. (See links below for more about Dario, Solociccia and the Macelleria Cecchini.)

The answer was very clear by the time we finished the most fabulous burgers and perfect roast potatoes served in Italy. Dario is surrounded by incredible people, each of whom add their best to a dining experience – any of the varied dining experiences – from that at home, savoring the fennel pollen-coated pork chop Dario sells in the butcher shop, to Maria Teresa welcoming you in to eat “only meat” (not exactly) at Solociccia to Simonetta’s torta all’olio di oliva, served at all three venues, to Riccardo’s half pound Medaglione (a burger of the best beef) to the grill masters, Carlo and Angelo, to Dante…

Modern day Dante manages Mac Dario

Dante was a find. Legend (probably not all true) has it he wandered into sunny Tuscany from the cold north (Udine). He meets a butcher known for reciting reams of poetry from another Dante (Alighieri) and the rest is history. Dante now coordinates the fast-paced Mac Dario and the leisurely Officina della Bistecca.

But back to the food. Mac Dario offers two fixed menus – Veloce e Toscano and Accoglienza (loosely translated: Welcome).

Fast and Tuscan costs 10 euro and fills you up with the Medaglione, a huge rounded patty of pure ground beef, lightly dusted with fine breadcrumbs. It is flanked by slivered sweet red onions, fresh tomato slices and crispy yellow potatoes. For those who want the bun experience, a basket of crusty buns, wood oven-baked Tuscan bread and focaccia is offered.

The meat is not seasoned. On the table is Dante’s own Chianti Catsup (fresh tomato salsa with a red pepper kick) and Profumo del Chianti (herbed salt), Kim’s sweet and spicy mustard and Judy’s hot and sweet pepper jelly (Mostarda Mediterranea). Just tasting the condiments reminds us of the collaboration that goes into the experience at Mac Dario. (Kim, alone, is credited with tasting dozens of versions of Veloce e Toscano before Dario settled on the final styling.)

Veloce e Toscano

The crispy potatoes with soft yellow centers are pure comfort food. Harvested near Prato, the spuds are peeled, chopped, parboiled, and finally, roasted in the oven with sage and extra virgin olive oil. A sprinkling of salt finishes them off.

Riccardo cooks up the burgers

For newbies to the Macelleria, the second menu at Mac Dario may be the best way to go.  The Welcome meal costs 20 euro and offers a bit of everything from the butcher shop, including Sushi del Chianti (beef tartare with parsely, garlic, ground red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper), Tonno del Chianti (pork boiled in white wine, then marinated in olive oil with sage and bay leaves), Arista in Porchetta (slow, fire-roasted pork loin), Cosimino in Salsa Ardente (fine-ground veal meatloaf garnished with Judy’s pepper jelly), raw carrot and celery sticks and Tuscan bread.

Extras include red or white wine, fruit juice, coffee and Simonetta’s scrumptious torta (rich with bit a lemon and a crunchy sugar dusting), and digestivi dell’Esercito Italiano (liqueurs made for the Italian Army). You may bring your own bottle of wine – there is no corkage fee.

Famed for the clean trendy design of Solociccia, Dario repeated the feat at Mac Dario with the long black slate rock picnic tables, flanked by surprisingly comfortable red iron geometric chairs, under large umbrellas, located outside the Officina della Bistecca, upstairs from the butcher shop. The view is pure Tuscan – the valley of Greve and the ridge to Lamole.

Dining outside at Mac Dario

Dario, Kim, Simonetta, Maria Teresa, Riccardo, Carlo, Angelo and Dante are only a few of those you may have the pleasure to meet in Panzano while tasting a bit of Tuscany. A couple of dozen more of those who are helping Dario sleep at night, but are unnamed here, will make your visit one to remember.

Want to know more?  See the following links:

Solociccia Web Site

DivinaCucina on Solociccia

Boots in the Oven on Solociccia

LA Times on Solociccia

Dario’s Blog

Bill Bufford in The New Yorker on Dario

Maine Today on Dario

LA Times on Dario’s visit to Los Angeles

Bene Magazine on Dario

Lardo is trendy. Mario Batali is putting it on his pizzas at Otto in New York City and Le Cirque 2000 slices it melting-thin and drapes it over warm country bread. Trattorias and restaurants throughout Italy serve it. Italian butchers and delis sell it by the gram and by the kilo.

Lardo with a side of Fig Preserves

Most claim to serve Lardo di Colonnata. But statistics show that 6.5 million kilograms of purported “Lardo di Colonnata” are consumed in Italy per year and Colonnata only produces 160,000 kilos (352,739 pounds) of the savory fat, so about 7 times out of ten it’s not from the mountain village near Carrara (see Dove Vai? – Colonnata, Village of Anarchists, Lardo and Marble).

Lardo is pork fatback and is 100% fat. So lardo will never melt on your tongue? But olive oil is also 100% fat. And according to the U.S. Agriculture Department, lard (lardo) is lower in saturated fat, and higher in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats than butter. The department’s nutrient database also reports that it is lower in cholesterol. Dr. Frank B. Hu, an associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said research shows that lard and butter ”aren’t public enemy No. 1 anymore.” It is instead the hydrogenated fats – margarine, for instance, the so-called “healthy” fat of the 1970’s – that have turned out to be the “bad” fats.

Methods passed generation to generation

For over one thousand years lardo has been made in the same way in Colonnata.  The process starts in the fall when pigs of at least nine months of age and weighing over 350 pounds are butchered.  Rectangular strips of fatback, each at least one and quarter inch thick, are cut. The maturation takes place in marble tubs (le conche di marmo) placed in caves or cool cellars. To give the lard its unique flavor the tubs are rubbed with garlic and the lard is immersed in brine. Sea salt mixed with spices and herbs (always rosemary, peppercorns, and garlic, but sometimes including anise seed, thyme, oregano, sage, nutmeg, and cloves) is rubbed all over each slab in a thick layer. The strips are fit, puzzle-like, layer upon layer in the marble casks, repeating the process over and over. Once the tub is full, it is covered with a wooden lid or a marble cover. The curing time runs from a minimum of six months to one year. A festival in Colonnata marks the traditional date of maturation each August.

Lardo of Colonnata is white with a pink streak. Thanks to the particular maturation procedure, the Lard of Colonnata is a natural product, free from preservatives and coloring. The best way to eat this lard is on toasted bread or on polenta, laying a paper-thin slice of room temperature lardo on the still warm bread (see photo) or polenta. For a savory-sweet treat, dot sliced lardo with fig preserves or mostarda di frutta (an Italian condiment made with candied fruit and powdered mustard). Let the lardo melt on your tongue followed by the sweet taste with the mustard kick. Despite the amount of salt used in curing the fatback, lardo is surprisingly mild.

To preserve lardo after slicing, leave it with its salt- and herb-encrusted coating (do not cut off the rind after slicing and save the end slice) and wrap it in a damp cloth. Store it in a cellar or at the bottom of the fridge in the vegetable drawer.

One of the twelve remaining producers

Despite its century-long history, the most eventful times for lardo have been recent. In April 1996, the powers-that-be realized that the lardariums had never been inspected or authorized by the Board of Health. European Union food inspectors got involved. Countless conche di marmo were sealed and several hundred pounds of lard were confiscated from Colonnata’s dirt-floored cellars and caves. The resulting analysis revealed that all samples tested were found beyond reproach and it was proven once and for all that the use of marble containers posed no health threat. Despite the laboratory findings, however, producers were ordered to meet existing health practices, including using preservatives and disposable plastic tubs, tiling the cellars, forbidding use of the caves for aging – essentially bankrupting the lardariums. The EU’s action caused a grass-roots movement that led to Lardo di Colonnata becoming one of the first traditional Italian foods, made using many of the ancient methods, to be protected under the Arca del Gusto di Slow Food, supported by the Slow Food Italia organization, Provincia di Massa Carrara and the Regione Toscana. Twelve of the fourteen producers were able to remain in business.

Lardo & Vino Rosso

The Presidio has also moved against the “fake” lardo moving stealthily into the Italian market from inside and outside the country. So now back to the question of wether the lardo you buy is from Colonnata. If you are paying a premium for the product, ask to see the IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) brand on the rind. Also, be aware that other regions of Italy produce great lardo. In 1996, Valle d’Aosta received DOP (Denominazinione di Origine Protetta) for Lardo di Arnad, once made in oak casks, and now aged in steel containers.  It is sometimes stored thereafter in glass jars, covered with white wine. From Cavour, a small town in the Piemonte 
region, a famous butcher, Silvio Brarda, produces a special rosemary-infused lardo, Lardo al rosmarino di Cavour.  The “poor brother” (fratello povero) of lardo, is produced near Florence.  Lardo Val di Greve, made from special mature Cinta Senese pigs, is known for its reasonable price and delicate flavor.

Antipasti at Locanda Apuana

The trattorias, cafés and bars of Colonnata serve lardo in a multitude of ways for snacks or full meals.  One of the best places for lunch or dinner after touring the village and buying lardo to take home (eat before arriving in the U.S., lardo is forbidden by the Customs Service) is Trattoria Locanda Apuana, Via Comunale, 1, (closed Sunday dinner and Monday) just down the main road from the central square.

Trattoria Locanda Apuana in Colonnata

For over half a century in Florence, the name Latini has been associated with classic Tuscan food and wine.  Today, the two Latini brothers carry on the proud tradition, but each in his own unique way.

Latini Family History

The First Latini Wine Shop

Narciso Latini took over his Uncle Angelo’s fiaschetteria (wine bar) in Via della Vigna Nuova almost sixty years ago, a few years after World War II ended.  He sold wine made in the Chianti region around Val d’Elsa.  He offered prosciutto, salame, finocchiona, and hardboiled eggs to go with his customers’ glasses of vino rosso.

Soon Narciso’s wife, Maria, started preparing ribollita (vegetable bread soup) and pappa al pomodoro (tomato bread soup) to be sold alongside the sliced meats, cheeses and sandwiches.  

In 1965, Narciso and Maria, now joined by their two sons, Torello and Giovanni, moved the fiaschetteria to a larger space in what had been the stables of the 15th century palazzo of the noble Rucellai family.  The Latini family created an informal and jovial trattoria where Maria expanded the menu to include all of the typical Tuscan dishes, including pasta al ragu, ossobuco, and grilled or roasted meats.  In the caves and tunnels carved out of the soft tufa stone below Il Latini, Narciso created a cantina to store wine.

Eighteen months after the opening of the new trattoria, on November 4, 1966, the great flood of the Arno River inundated Il Latini and filled the cantina.  The water crested above six feet in that part of Florence.  By sheer grit the family worked together to be the first place open to serve hot meals to Florentines, who were clearing the streets and their homes of tons of oily mud.  Giovanni says that Il Latini was able to open after three days because of two main reasons.  First, the extended family hurried in from the countryside near San Gimignano with water, wine, bread, vegetables, cured meats, olive oil and wood; and then stayed to dig out the trattoria.  Second, the stove and oven were wood-burning and once cleaned, they were ready for use.

Trattoria Il Latini

Narciso seated famous politicians, artists and writers with local blue-collar workers. Guests often walk out of the place with a free bottle of Latini-labeled wine in hand.  Ecstatic German Prime Minister, Helmut Kohl left with an entire prosciutto under his arm.  In 1982, Narciso established The Friends of Latini prize that rewards the work of poets “who have contributed to the greatness of contemporary literature.”  The winner is given a whole prosciutto.

At the beginning of the new millennium, big changes came to the tight-knit Latini family.  Narciso, now a widower, turned ninety and took a less active role in the trattoria.  Giovanni, his American wife Carol and their two daughters Chiara and Caterina, decided to try something new.  In 2004, they took over the space of the defunct Osteria No. Uno, on Via del Moro, a block away from Il Latini.  There L’Osteria di Giovanni was born with Giovanni greeting the guests, Caterina overseeing the kitchen, Chiara creating the innovative wine list and Carol inspiring the desserts.

Narciso split his time between both the old trattoria and the new osteria until his death in January 2008 at the age of 96.

Il Latini

A characteristic decor, with lots of prosciutti and various types of salame hanging from the ceiling, full wine racks with straw-covered fiaschi and heavy dark wood furniture, greets visitors as they enter the trattoria. For dinner, customers arrive at 7:30pm to get in the crowd massed at the door, for even with a reservations there is a wait as Torello Latini and his waiters skillfully fit parties together at the communal tables. Getting thrown together with strangers and sharing a common meal is part of the fun here.  The place is huge so everybody gets seated.  Forget gastronomic pretensions and don’t think this is a spot for a quiet, romantic dinner.  This is the Italian dining experience most foreigners envision and many want to experience.

Traditional Tuscan Decor

One of the winning factors of the Latini philosophy has been to always use the finest, freshest ingredients and respect the traditions of simple but wholesome Tuscan cooking. It is extremely difficult to get a menu. Torello seems to prefer to serve a filling, traditional set meal with a bottomless carafe of wine. This usually kicks off with ribollita and pappa al pomodoro (Nonna Maria’s specialties) or penne strascicate.  If everyone agrees on the arrosto misto, a table-filling platter is delivered heaped high with assorted roast meats. If you have a favorite traditional Tuscan main dish or a favorite bottle of Italian or French wine, yell it out early and they will serve it to you.  Usually a table will finish off with a round of cantucci con vin santo for everyone.  The bill is inevitably 50 euro per head.

Before leaving, be sure to ask to see the cantina, recently redesigned, but still located deep under Il Latini in the caves and tunnels running under the Palazzo Rucellai.

Il Latini 

Via dei Palchetti, 6
(39) 055.210.916 
Web Site 
Open for lunch and dinner.  Closed Monday.

L’Osteria di Giovanni

Giovanni and his family have created something completely different from the old family trattoria.  Modern art on the walls, widely spaced tables dressed in fine linen, a sophisticated wine list, and Tuscan cuisine with an up-dated concept make this a restaurant to savor and enjoy. 

Giovanni is a welcoming host, who serves as many native Florentines as he does visitors from abroad. A plate of tiny mouth-watering warm fried bread coccoli (cuddles) and cold flutes of Prosecco are placed on the table immediately for munching and sipping while perusing the menu where every dish has a helpful description in English or Italian.

L'Osteria di Govanni

The Latini clan makes their own wine, which is served as the house wine for both restaurants. Chiara, the sommelier at the Osteria, sought out the small artisan wineries as well as famous makers to fill her wine cellar with almost 600 labels to guarantee a vintage for any palate. The reasonably-priced wine list is detailed and is a joy to read.

Tradition with a Modern Interpretation

Caterina attended L’Ecole des Arts Culinaires and the French Culinary Institute of New York. Like her grandmother, she insists on the freshest ingredients, but she adds a refined modern interpretation and presentation to the traditional recipes. Popular dishes include salmon cured with pink peppercorns, served with sour cream and melon, tortelli stuffed with pear and pecorino with leek and paprika sauce, pici with sausage and kale, and lamb slow-cooked with artichokes.

Although there are a couple of traditional desserts on the ever-changing seasonal menu, Giovanni’s wife Carol has delighted everyone by introducing a warm citrus cake and a light pineapple carpaccio with red peppercorns.

Dinner will average 40 to 50 euro per person, depending on the choice of wine.

L’Osteria di Giovanni 

Via del Moro, 22 
(39) 055 284897 
Web Site 
Open for lunch and dinner.  Closed Tuesday.
Reservations recommended.

bir & fud, a trendy beer and pizza joint on a narrow busy pedestrian street in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, will put a smile on your face every time you think of the name or the food. 

With an ever-changing menu of artisanal beers on tap and over 100 different bottled brews, this is the premier beer destination for all of Italy, not just Rome.  bir & fud not only prizes the yeast in its beer, but also that in its special pizza and focaccia dough, the revered lievito madre.  Order the fresh-daily buffalo mozzarella as an antipasto or better yet, have a pizza margherita con bufala.

The bir & fud blog is written in Italian, but is easy to navigate to find the ’fud’ menu and the ‘bir’ list.  There is a nearby botegga where the bottled beer and other items are for sale.

bir & fud

Via Benedetta, 23 Rome  (Trastevere)  Map
Open every day 12:00pm to midnight
Reservations are necessary for dinner (call before 6pm). Tel. 06.5894016.