Simply Divina: A Tuscan Culinary Memoir

Becoming a Tuscan cook, one recipe at a time

Jan 05, 2024

∙ Paid

Welcome to the first chapter of my culinary memoir. As I am semi-retired, I want to downsize my cookbook collection and simplify my life. While going through my collection, each book brought back memories that helped me as a cook. I have always loved taking photos to help me remember people and places. In this weekly series, I will use these books and pictures as tools to tell my story. My newsletter is open to all, but for my paid subscribers, there are additional posts with recipes, stories, and a free copy of my e-book, "Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen."

Although I didn't go to a full-time culinary school, I learned a lot on my own. I took some specialty classes when I decided pastry was what I wanted to specialize in, and it was through one of those classes that I saw the light. My dream became to travel and learn on-site from locals and then pass on those lessons. I hope my recipes inspire you to become a little more Italian every day.

Why a memoir?

Perche’ no! Why not!

Over the past 40 years of living in Tuscany, I have been frequently asked how and why I ended up in Italy. It was never my intention to live in Italy full-time. I was always fond of traveling, and on one of my trips, I decided to combine my love for travel and cooking by going to France to study pastry. However, fate had other plans, and I found myself in the beautiful Tuscan countryside instead.

I want to take you with me as I share my story of how I became an Italian cooking teacher. I want to pay tribute to the memory of the fantastic people who welcomed me into their kitchens and their hearts.

Italy was not the destination; France was where I would live.

Why France?

My grandfather was born in France. I studied French through school for 12 years. When I found my passion for cooking, I became a pastry chef.

After my first trip to Europe just out of high school, I was so inspired. I left on a 5-week trip to Europe just after starting my first semester in college. That trip was made more valuable by my teachers' advice. They gave me homework for the trip. Places to see, things to do, and then coming back and doing a presentation in class. This increased the value of what I saw. Knowing what I was looking at. Going deeper. As much as a 19-year-old coming to Europe for the first time can.

The first trip in 1972 was hit and run—London, Paris, Amsterdam, and smaller towns, visiting friends along the way.

We had our share of mishaps as well. That’s what creates great memories and stories to tell. I was so excited by everything I saw that I dreamt of another trip as soon as I got home.

During college, I studied art, both art history and studio arts. I concentrated on ceramics and photography. In 1977, I decided to study ceramics at a Kibbutz in Israel and then tour Greece. What started as a four-month trip turned into ten months.

Finding my old passport from that trip helped. I arrived in Gatwick on September 5, 1977, and left on June 24, 1978, out of Heathrow. I bounced back and forth between the two countries. In Israel, it was a pre-peace treaty, and I always had to call my mom to let her know I was alive and had not been killed during the bombings. Staying in touch pre-internet or cell phones was hard. My mom sent me 100 monthly for my “hotels,” I worked to make the rest of the money. I did stay with relatives sometimes in Israel, but also on my own in places like Jerusalem, which I fell in love with.

Why Cooking?

As a kid, I had an easy bake oven to make cakes. I also made and sold mudpies, which my neighbor ate! When his mom found out, they took him to the doctor, and the doctor said he had a vitamin deficiency and to tell me to remove any small stones but that he could eat the mud.

I “catered” family dinner parties cooking from my Betty Crocker cookbook and decorated the table with Trolls in costumes I had made for the occasion, Easter, Fourth of July ( my mom’s birthday), Columbus Day ( my dad’s birthday). One of my most famous dishes was a sort of shepherd’s pie. Ground beef base and instant mashed potato “crust” on top, with some uncooked potato flakes as a garnish—a winner recipe.

How many of us started cooking with the Betty Crocker cookbook? I did bring my copy to Italy with me as well. When I want to do something fun, I cook “American” food for Italians.

Cooking is an international language. People love to talk about food. Asking about recipes, where to dine, or where to shop breaks the ice and builds friendships.

Learning about markets, regional recipes, seasonal cooking, and local ingredients is a complete cultural immersion.

FOOD WAS ALREADY MY LOVE LANGUAGE

Life changing trip

During my first trip in 1977-78, I stayed with my cousin, whom I called my Aunt. When I met and stayed with some cousins in Israel, I learned so much from her; she had attended cooking school in Paris when her husband was working there. She became an expert. The skills she learned were useful when she returned to Israel and went back to work as a nurse.

Once a week, she would make a batch of puff pastry, pie crust, and cookie dough. She would bake off seven main courses as well and freeze everything. She was so organized. When she went to work in the morning, she would leave the main course to defrost(pre-microwave). Arriving home, she could relax and work on one of her knitting projects. A friend would ring the doorbell and stop by for a chat. She would pull out the dough from the freezer, cut a small piece to defrost and boil a pot of water. She would roll out the dough and make a savory and sweet snack. Bake them and then infuse the tea. It was all ready at the same time. THAT IS AN ART. She would repeat this every time a friend dropped by. I was amazed at her ease in the kitchen.

Timing is everything in the kitchen.

When I returned from this 10-month trip, I came down with some unknown illness and was bedridden for months. Then, finally, one day, a miracle, I started to get better. No hospital stay, no meds. I needed a job, that wasn’t too strenuous but i wanted to move to San Francisco and leave the suburbs, after living in Europe, my hometown was to small.

1979 I was lucky to hear about a job in a 5 star hotel, they were looking for a cashier. I could do that sitting down! I got the job as a room service “cashier.” You answered the phone, wrote the orders, billed the room, and handled the paperwork. It was located down in the central kitchen of the hotel. A job that opened my eyes to the heart of a restaurant.

I worked in the Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco. I found an apartment on Potrero Hill, a short bus ride and cable car ride to work. I was in heaven.

Being a 5-star hotel, the staff cafeteria had delicious meals for us. I could walk around the kitchen and see all the stations. The hotel had several venues, the Caffe Potpourri for breakfast and lunch and a fine dining restaurant, Fournous Ovens. They also offered catering, so the kitchen was always busy.

I knew I wanted to work in a kitchen, but it was all French and male then. Women were mostly doing salads and breakfast items. I saw I didn’t want to be a line cook; there was too much yelling and stress. High-pressure jobs. What caught my eye as the perfect spot for me was in the back corner of the room. The pastry department had its kitchen. Everything was cooked and prepped beforehand. From breakfast muffins and croissants to desserts for the restaurants and the catered events. No one was yelling in the pastry kitchen. I started taking cooking classes.

1982 Another vacation with a girlfriend to France and Greece with a stop-off in Venice.

While working at the hotel, I met many famous people. Roger Verge’ the chef from France renowned for creating Novelle Cuisine, was one of the guests. I was waitressing while also taking my pastry classes. No one wanted to wait on him as he only spoke French, so I volunteered. I told him about my plans to travel and study. He invited me to his school at the Moulin du Mougin. I was in heaven! More on that later.

1984, I bought a one-way ticket to Paris. The plan was to spend a month in France, look for a place to apprentice in pastry, and then a month in Italy taking Italian language classes. On this trip, several friends from the hotel joined me. We stayed in Paris, Lyon, Nice, Montecarlo, and then off to Milano.

I headed down to Florence with a couple of my friends, where the story begins.

I will send the printed copies to those who join at the Founders level.

I am also including a recipe for using lentils as a spread for crostini since we all made lentils here for the holidays.

The series will continue with a weekly post on setting up a pantry, recipes, and my mentors and their recipes.

Yearly Paid subscribers have access to all the past archives.

TASTE

Here is one of my video lessons: I chose to share this as everyone in Italy made lentils for New Year’s. They are a good luck food. Lentils are so quick to cook and wonderful as is or in soups. Italians make excellent pasta/soup as well.

You can make This more “creative” version with leftover lentils. Andrea’s Aunt Vivetta made a similar recipe using leftover mushrooms.