Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Cantuccini, often called biscotti, are Italian biscuits that are known the world over and are one of the most popular Italian treats internationally. In fact, you'll often find them served in cafés all over the world when you order a coffee. They are often considered a creation of the city of Prato though there are suggestions that they may have been invented elsewhere. However, the word “cantuccini”, as used in Tuscany specifically, tends to indicate a particular kind of bicotti, a variation on the traditional recipe which tends to be longer, less dry, have larger rusks and consist of bread dough enriched with olive oil and anise seeds.

Whatever variation or recipe is followed, however, these little treats are the perfect thing to accompany your coffee after a meal or to bag up as gifts for loved ones. Why not try out our recipe and then compare them to the real thing in Italy once you've found a luxury villa in Prato?

Panpepato is a typical cake served around Christmas which has ancient origins and comes from Siena. Panpepato cake is more rustic than the more familiar Panforte, with lots of spices, giving it a strong flavour. It is probably also the oldest variation of these types of cakes and is thought to have been created at the Monastery of Corpus Domini during the 15th century. Its original name is said to have been “pan del pape” (bread of the pope) or “pan pepato” (peppered bread).

Chocolate as a layer over the whole cake was introduced in the late 19th century which differentiates it from the Christmas cakes of Emilia and Romagna and helps keep it moist through the entire holiday season.

Find a luxury villa in Siena and try out a Tuscan Christmas or bring a little bit of Tuscany to your table at home while you plan a holiday for the new year!

Castagnaccio – which can also be known as baldino, ghirighio and pattona – is a plain cake which is made from chestnut flour and is found in Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Corsica. However, it is widely considered a Tuscan dish with its origins being disputed and debated but often attributed to the town of Lucca. The Commentario delle più notabili et mostruose cose d'Italia e di altri luoghi by Ortensio Landi from 1553 gives credit to a "Pilade from Lucca" as the inventor ("fu il primo che facesse castagnazzi e di questo ne riportò loda”) and as this is a rather early written record, it is one of the best sources we have to go on.

It is a typically autumnal dessert made with chestnut flour, raisins, pine nuts, walnuts and rosemary. There is no yeast nor baking powder, nor sugar. Like a lot of Tuscan desserts, it also isn't that sweet, sitting somewhere between bread and cake. As a result, it is not as indulgent or as bad for you as most cakes and can be enjoyed without any sense of guilt. Better yet, it's quite easy to make once you source the flour (online or in an Italian delicatessen is probably easiest). Just find a luxury villa in Lucca and taste it there while on holidays. Or, if you can't possibly wait that long, why not try it at home first and get excited for an autumnal getaway in beautiful Tuscany.

Panzanella, also called Panmolle, is the quintessential summer salad but is tasty all year long. In fact, it is delicious, easy to make, very healthy, very economical, and lasts for days – everything you could ask for in a dish! It dates back to at least the 14th century, when it was mentioned by the famous writer, Boccaccio, in his work. Another mention of it dates to the 16th century when the Italian painter and poet, Bronzino, also discussed it in his writing. He listed the ingredients as onions, cucumbers with oil and vinegar and toast. Until the 20th century, this was accurate. In the 1900s, tomatoes were introduced due to greater accessibility and became a cornerstone of the Tuscan diet and this dish.

Panzanella is a cold bread salad and its name has rather uncertain origins but it probably derives from “pan” - short for pane, or bread – and “zanella” - an old Italian name for a bowl. Boccaccio's early mention of the dish (as a native of Certaldo) and the fact that Certaldo onions are traditionally used in the recipe for panzanella suggest that this may have been the place of origin of the dish. However, it is now popular all over Tuscany. Find a luxury villa in Tuscany and try this out or prepare it at home first and get excite for your next Tuscan getaway!

Bread is very important in the Florentine and Tuscan diet and is featured in a lot of different kinds of meals and dishes including sandwiches, antipasti, soups and salads. Florentine bread, called pane sciocco, means bread “without salt” and is also a synonym for “stupid” bread. It is immediately recognisable for its uniquely thick crust and its absence of salt. This distinctive absence of salt harkens back to the Middle Ages and there are two stories attributed to its origins. In one a feud between Florence and Pisa cut off the supply of salt to the city of the Medici and in another story, it is claimed that salt once became so heavily taxed that it could no longer be afforded by common folk, who omitted it from their bread. The name “stupid” bread, brings to mind how unusual and silly the recipe must have seemed at first but now it is a point of pride for Tuscans and, to them, other breads seem too salty. Whatever the reasons or origins, you will see this bread everywhere in Florence today. Until you've found the perfect luxury villa in Florence and headed off on your holidays, try this recipe!