Tuscan treats
I got home yesterday from a week in Tuscany with my family. I have a few mouth-watering photos to share with you.
After a long night train ride, there is nothing like waking up in Florence and drinking that first cappuccino...remembering what this drink really tastes like. As with mozzarella, pasta, pizza and so many other Italian foods, it's impossible to get the real thing outside of Italy.
When we arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted for breakfast--a cappuccino and
divine doughnut-like treats...fried dough brushed with orange liquor and dusted with sugar (that's my guess, anyway...I don't really know how they're made).
I was too busy enjoying the company of my family and the tastes of the food to take any other photos, except for one of the bountiful Italian goodness I brought home with me...wines, a chocolate and peperoncino liquor, two kinds of pici (one of my favorite pastas, a specialty of Siena), orzo, farro and olives with oranges.
mmmmm....Italy :) My favorite dishes this time were beautiful examples of the simplicity of Tuscan cooking--fettucini with Porcini mushrooms, olive oil and just a hint of cream; pici with a sauce of tomatoes, cream, sausage and various wild mushrooms; crostini with truffles; and olives and large chunks of parmesano reggiano served with big glasses of Chianti. In the market at Florence we found zucchini blossoms (out of season), so my brother showed me how to stuff them with fresh buffalo mozzarella and thinly sliced anchovies, lightly batter them and fry them in olive oil. So good.
After a long night train ride, there is nothing like waking up in Florence and drinking that first cappuccino...remembering what this drink really tastes like. As with mozzarella, pasta, pizza and so many other Italian foods, it's impossible to get the real thing outside of Italy.
When we arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted for breakfast--a cappuccino and
divine doughnut-like treats...fried dough brushed with orange liquor and dusted with sugar (that's my guess, anyway...I don't really know how they're made).
I was too busy enjoying the company of my family and the tastes of the food to take any other photos, except for one of the bountiful Italian goodness I brought home with me...wines, a chocolate and peperoncino liquor, two kinds of pici (one of my favorite pastas, a specialty of Siena), orzo, farro and olives with oranges.
mmmmm....Italy :) My favorite dishes this time were beautiful examples of the simplicity of Tuscan cooking--fettucini with Porcini mushrooms, olive oil and just a hint of cream; pici with a sauce of tomatoes, cream, sausage and various wild mushrooms; crostini with truffles; and olives and large chunks of parmesano reggiano served with big glasses of Chianti. In the market at Florence we found zucchini blossoms (out of season), so my brother showed me how to stuff them with fresh buffalo mozzarella and thinly sliced anchovies, lightly batter them and fry them in olive oil. So good.