Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Tuscany is well-known for her delicious food throughout Italy and beyond. Most of us are familiar with Tuscan dishes, whether we realise them to be from that region or not, and it is a hearty, rich cuisine full of simple ingredients that anyone can enjoy. Less familiar, however, might be the many delicious desserts of the region which must be tried once you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are spending any time in the area.

To help you out, we've compiled a list of some of these amazing desserts.

If you're considering a holiday in Tuscany, you have probably already started imagining all the delicious treats, food and drink that you are going to consume once you get there. Tuscany is a region of Italy, in particular, that is known for its cuisine and while the savoury dishes of Tuscany may be more familiar to most, it is a cuisine that also happens to be just rife with delicious typical desserts and sweets, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. If you've got a sweet tooth, it's the ideal part of Italy to visit. Just pick out the perfect luxury villa in Tuscany for you and yours and your particular needs and then grab a pen and paper because there are some sweets that you're going to need to track down when you arrive.

Once you've found the ideal holiday rental in Livorno and are busy exploring the city and its beaches, make sure to stop and sample some of the local cuisine. Livorno is known for multiple local specialties including cacciucco, a rich fish stew made of tomato and five different kinds of fish and served with a thick slice of bread rubbed in garlic. The dish has become somewhat of a symbol of the town which is understandable, considering it is a port town of seaside resorts and lots of fishing activity. Other Livornese fish dishes include Triglie alla Livornese (Livornese red mullet) and Spaghetti al Nero (pasta with cuttle fish ink).

However, as important as fishing and seafood is to the town, you must also make time to try Torta di Ceci, a chickpea flour “pancake” which is a typical dish of Livorno. It makes for the perfect street food and is tasty, nutritious, cheap and easy to eat as a snack on the move, or as part of a meal. It is made from chick pea flour which is made into a thin batter and cooked in huge round tins in a very hot oven, preferably wood-fired. The resulting pancakes are then sold by waiting and is traditionally eaten in bread as a “Cinque e Cinque” (meaning “five and five”) which refers to the original value of the bread and the torta: five liras for the bread and five for the torta.

There are some important historic Tortai (places where they serve the torte) in Livorno, such as Cecco in the Borgo district, and Gagari by the covered food market. Try one while wandering the city and then finish it off with a Livornese “Ponce”. This is a potent hot drink made from coffee and rum according to a secret formula. The most famous bar in Livorno for Ponce is Civili in Via del Vigna, but it is available everywhere.

If you can't wait until your trip to try out a Torta di Ceci, try out this recipe and daydream about your perfect getaway in Tuscany.

Tuscany is a region of Italy which is known, in particular, for its delicious and rustic cuisine that comes from peasant origins to make something simple and wholesome but still tasty. While the savoury dishes of Tuscany may be more familiar to most, it is a cuisine that also happens to be just rife with typical desserts and sweets, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. There is an especially strong tradition of pastries, cookies and cakes in the cities of Prato and Siena. In the town of Carmignano, in Prato, there is also a locally-produced cookie which deserves a mention.

The Amaretti di Carmignano, or Amaretti di Fochi (referring to the bakery in the town's main square where they can be bought), as they are often called, are delicious biscuits which are a must for anyone with a sweet tooth and adventurous palate visiting the area. Though the art of pastry-making has medieval origins, the original recipe of this particular biscuit dates to the late 19th century, and was invented by Giovanni Bellini from the town of Carmignano. Bellini was known as “I'Fochi” (meaning fiery) for his passionate personality and tendency towards tempers and this gave the name to his bakery and then to the biscuit.

There are many similar biscuits from Italy and France but this one, in particular, is rather distinctive thanks to the particular flavour that Bellini managed to create. It immediately distinguishes this biscuit from other amaretti and macaroons. They are only slightly larger than a walnut, are amber in colour and have a characteristic rounded, lumpy, imperfect shape. They are softer than other similar biscuits and smell strongly of almonds.

A shop remains open on the same site as his bakery and the Bellini Cookie Factory is the go-to spot for these wonderful sweets, the recipe for which has been handed down from generation of the family to the next. Be sure to stop by once you've found a luxury villa in Prato and try the cookies for yourself. If you can't wait until then, why not try out the recipe yourself as you plan your next trip to Tuscany?

Florence is the ultimate Renaissance city, the city where the Renaissance was born and where it still lives everywhere you turn in the city to this very day. From art, to architecture, to historical monuments, it is hard to forget the period that made the city truly great. If you're visiting Florence, you also probably have some Renaissance must-sees pencilled into your itinerary such as the artworks of the Uffizi, sculptures of the Piazza della Signoria and churches like the Duomo. However, in addition to these classic sights, you might want to consider something a little more off the beaten track that helps make your experience of the Renaissance fuller, that helps bring it to life and take it out of dusty history books. If so, you should consider the Renaissance Court Banquet experience. Just find a villa with internet in Florence and take a break from contemporary life to live it up like a Medici prince for an evening!