July Newsletter
July is when the garden explodes and you can pack your pantry with jars of preserved gifts from summer. Right now I am cooking as little as possible and enjoying aperitivi!
We have had a long rainy season, but finally, the heat has arrived, and all is well. It is a little too hot now, but since I am “semi-retired,” I no longer have to work outside daily.
I went down to Florence to meet up with a young woman I took around Florence 25 years ago when she was a chef. It’s always lovely to catch up!
Just dealing with the crowds of tourists and walking on the hot cobblestones wore me out. Luckily, I know how to avoid the crowded streets, walk in the smaller back alleyways, and always be in the shade. This isn’t possible if you are new to Florence and with groups, but stay hydrated and take breaks.
People-watching in Italy is fabulous—it's part of the Dolce Vita. Don’t rush it. You don’t have to see it all. Part of the beauty of Italy is letting it soak in and not being overwhelmed by rushing it.
Small bites both of food and art!
How many Madonna’s can you see in a day before you hit your wall?
Someone commented on all the food rules Italians have and wondered why they care what Americans want and why Americans can’t get what they want.
It’s all about understanding and respecting a culture. We are guests here.I adore learning about culture through cooking and food rules. Understanding the “why” behind it all takes a while.
I am humbled by how little I knew about regional Italian food and the local recipes and rules before coming here.
One of the most scary things for people is how rare the steak is served. The Florentine T-bone steak is one of the dishes Florence is famous for, it’s called a FIORENTINA.
There is a reason it’s served so rare.
The meat isn’t heavily marbled, so it will be tough if cooked to medium.
Here is an article I wrote about cooking the steak like a Florentine.
When you enter a market, you will also notice that the meat isn’t bloody when cut. The animals are raised without vast amounts of hormones and antibiotics. In America, they give the cattle a special feed to increase the marbling in the meat, and then you must cook it to medium to melt the fat and tenderize what would otherwise be tough meat. Just trust me on this.
When you order the huge 2-pound Florentine steak, it is usually cut four fingers high and meant to be shared with a group. Restaurants also sell it by weight, so the price is often by the kilo. I have seen it range from 45 a kilo to 70 a kilo. They should show you the raw steak, and you should approve the weight.
Now some trattorias show a steak lunch for 35 euros. It is a much smaller steak.
Order a smaller Tagliata, entrecote cut,and it will be perfect. It is served sliced, tagliata means cut or sliced. They often serve it with arugula and shaved parmigiano cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and now sometimes even balsamic vinegar.
What’s new in Florence?
When I got off the train, I was shocked to find that the station smelled like an American mall—pickles.
When I walked into the atrium, I saw the sign for Five Guys!
For people looking to have one of the Antico Vinaio panini, without standing in line, there is a large one at the train station on the main floor, but a new one has also opened downstairs, and no one knows yet.
I used to go to the original wine bar, owned by Tomasso’s family, back in the 80s. He turned it into the fancy panino shop it is now. They are good panini, just too big for me. I can easily cut it in half. I usually get the Mortadella with Pistacchio and Stracchino cheese called Paradiso. Here is the menu in English.
I also don’t need to stand in line, as there are so many good panini shops. Italian panini used to be very simple, and most still are.
Normally there are no fancy sauces—simply meats and cheeses. Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon since Antico Viniao created this new Italian style.
If you have a car, try Giotto. For us it’s a destination.
My personal favorite is raw sausage and stracchino cheese—YES, RAW! I only eat it where I know it’s of the highest quality.
Bring a little Italy to your table by creating your own aperitivos
I am a Campari soda lover. I prefer Campari to Aperol. When I moved to Italy, I learned to love bitter. You can buy Campari soda in these small bottles ready to drink. They make lovely flower vases after. I adore the graphics embossed on the glass bottles.
There are so many different kinds of aperitivos and digestivos. Aperitivos to drink before a meal to OPEN your stomach. A digestivo is for after the meal to help you digest.
My friend Giacomo, first showed me SELECT from Venice, the original aperitivo, pre Campari and Aperol to make a Spritz. The drink began in the Veneto region of Italy, which at that time was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The world spritz is German for splash, and this name was given to the way Austrian soldiers prepared the Italian wine they were drinking.
I noticed this sign on a closed shop in Genova. It says this aperitivo is “chinato”. China pronounced KINA is quinine. I adore Barolo Chinato, which is a dessert liquore. They infuse the quinine bark in alcohol and other herbs and spices and then mix with a simple syrup and the wine. Raising the alcohol content. It’s lovely with chocolate. I googled the Genovese version and it’s made with white wine and 18 herbs and spices. Much like a Vermouth. Italians have lovely vermouths like Martini Rossi, used to make the Negroni cocktail. Equal parts of Campari, Gin and Martini Rossi. It’s strong.
If you prefer a lighter version as a Spritz, order a Negroni Sbagliato. They leave out the gin and add prosecco.
I found this at my grocery store, Happy Hour! If you wrote it, how would Italians say it. There was no “h” in the Italian alphabet.
If you are interested in alchemy, I make my aperitivi by infusion. My go-to store in Florence for supplies is Bizzarri. It is on Via Condotta, 32/R, just a block up from the Piazza Signoria
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Another tip:
Massimo Bottura’s Gucci Osteria has opened a small bar and restaurant in the piazza in front of the actual restaurant, Gucci Garden. The drinks are fabulous, and you can order what you like rather than the tasting menu at the restaurant.
Enjoy your summer. Remember I have a lot of recipes free online on my website.
Remember you can also follow me on Substack, and I often write in the notes section as well. These are smaller updates.
The drinks sound very refreshing. I like knowing some alternatives to the Aperol Spritz, which I don’t love. I do like your philosophy for traveling in summer: Take “small bites both of food and art!” Great post!
What do you think of Select? I thought I read it is more pure than Campari? If that’s possible?!
I love the phonetic spelling Italians use… just cracks me up!