Archive for 'Recipes'

If you have found a villa in Siena with internet and are planning on spending time there over the holiday season, there is one local sweet treat that you need to try: Cavallucci.

The origin of these pastries dates back to ancient times, when monasteries and ancient spices stores were where culinary experiments took place using the ingredients they had at their disposal. One such experiment in Siena resulted in cavallucci. Meaning “little horses”, these are biscuits made from flour, honey and sugar, in the shape of half an apricot. Their exact origins and how they were named is uncertain but there are some theories. One is that they were eaten at stagecoach inns by people travelling long distances and others say they were consumed by postmen travelling at length on horseback or by servants working in the stables of the aristocracy.     Read More

Torta coi bischeri is a typical Pisan dessert. “Torta” means cake and the word “bischero” literally means the small key which is used to adjust the strings of a violin. However, the word has developed dozens of other meanings in Tuscany. In the case of the Torta coi Bischeri, the word refers to the rolls of dough which are arranged during preparation to surround the cake, and which look exactly like the aforementioned violin key.

This “cake”, is actually closer to a tart and is made of chocolate decorated with currants, pine nuts and candied fruit. As well as the traditional recipe, there is also a green version which sees the rice mixed with beets. Although it is widely sold throughout Pisa, this cake actually originates from Pontasserchio.

In this village, the cake is especially popular during the month of April due to a festival where all residents must bake a spring dessert. As it is a popular gift amongst family and friends during Easter, it is an obvious choice. However, as so many of the cakes are made, each with the family's own recipe, the festival turns into a competition.

The best place to try the cake is in its birthplace or in the surrounding but if you’re too far away, you can try to make it at home with local ingredients. Follow our recipe for now and find a holiday rental in Pisa so you can try the real deal later – or, maybe, even compete in the festival yourself!     Read More

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.     Read More

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?     Read More