Whether you’ve just returned from a holiday in Florence, or are dreaming about making a trip to the Tuscan ‘capital’, you’re sure to want to know more about the cuisine of this great Renaissance city. Now a new book, Florence by Lori de Mori (pub Bonnier Books, RRP £20.00), takes you on a journey around the city.
Peasant Dishes
Illustrated with mouth watering photographs by Jason Lowe, Florence is a book that combines travel with food. The first part of the book looks at the city’s culinary history – and its humble origins in the dishes of the local peasants. Forget expensive ingredients – simple foods such as bread, olive oil, wine, tomatoes and beans form the basis for Florentine cuisine. Lori de Mori explains the passion that people from Florence have for locally produced, seasonal produce – and for favourite local dishes such as grilled or roasted meats.
Tuscan Bread and Olive Oil
She goes on to describe certain ingredients in detail. Salumi, cured pork, for instance – which varies from finocchiona, an aged salami flavoured with wine and fennel, to salsiccia di cinta senese – sausages made from Cinta senese pigs native to the countryside around Siena. Then there are sections on olive oil – she advises you to look for artisan oils labelled with the year of harvest, as well as coffee, wine, cheese and ice cream. In the section on bread, Lori de Mori declares that Florentines are ‘not nearly as particular about pasta as they are about bread’. Tuscan bread has a thick crust and is unsalted. When it gets stale it hardens but lasts well – hence its use in traditional Tuscan dishes such as panzanella, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro. Poor people can't afford to waste anything - and make the most of what's available.
Recipes from Florence
The remainder of the book is taken up with recipes, a good number of which come from restaurants in Florence. So you can try making your own version of antipasti like crostini spread with chicken liver pate, or white beans cooked slowly with olive oil and sage. There are recipes for classic dishes such as ricotta ravioli with tomatoes, chickpea soup with faro (spelt), bistecca all Fiorentina (the thick grilled steak), or rabbit cooked with olives and pine nuts.
There are fewer recipes for desserts, since Florentines don’t have a particularly sweet tooth and are often happy with some fruit after their meal. However you could try the one for raspberry tart (crostata di lamponi) or a rich fig and walnut torte. Sip with a glass of vin santo.
It’s not the most practical cook book –it’s large and has glossy pages that you won’t want to spoil with sticky fingers. However, it’s both informative and lovely to look at – and would make a great gift for anyone who loves Florence.
Read more about Eating Out in Florence.
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