Yesterday was my first market experience…and it was absolutely fabulous. The culture, the activity, the sounds, the smells, the colors: all of it was a feast for the senses and food for the soul. I was a kid in a candy store. Eyes wide and stomach grumbling, I took my first steps surrounded by piles of dried mushrooms, hand-made pastas, hanging meats and poultry, the most amazingly smelly cheeses you have ever imagined, and the season’s best fresh produce. I was hesitant at first but soon, I was one of the crowd, pushing for my spot in line to get meat from the macellaio (butcher) and ordering sausage, eggs, and cheese in Italian. My most successful endeavor was at the panetteria (bread shop). I made friends with the vendor and was able to tell her in perfect Italian that I needed a good, hearty bread that contained no nuts or raw seeds due to someone with allergies in my apartment. I then took on the cheeses. I decided on smoked mozzarella, and a huge chunk of grainy, mild, parmigiano reggiano. I would have gone for a more aged variety but I was able to save nine euros and thought it could be very versatile in the kitchen. Fruit was next. You really do not understand a grape nor do you understand a true plum (una susina) until you have had one from the hills of Tuscany. It is a burst of freshness unlike any other: sweet, tart, slightly sour, but simply perfect.
Needless to say I was excited to start cooking!
Little did I know that our small stove in the apartment would prove to be the greatest challenge I would face yet. The burners have only two settings: high and low, but the low setting is still too hot so I had to keep on removing the pot in order to properly cook le salsiccie (sausage). But I have since gotten the hang of it. For our first family dinner, I cooked le salsiccie in a lovely homemade marinara salsa with fresh basil and beautiful cippole (onions) from the market. For antipasti I rolled the mozzarella and some dried figs in paper-thin slices of wonderfully salty prosciutta di parma, plated them on a bed of fresh tomatoes and finished it off with a drizzle of robust, Tuscan olive oil, fresh black pepper and sale marino (sea salt). Of course, the sweet, unsalted, pane di Toscana (tuscan bread) was right there ready to be dipped into all of that wonderful salsa (sauce). Our first family meal was complemented by wine from Di Vino (what else?) and through the food, conversation, wine, and laughter, we all came to find that we are going to love this city. Thus, it was only natural for me to wake up the next morning and make a Frittata. What can I say? It’s how I was raised.
Today (Sunday), we received some much needed rain so it was a pretty low-key day of catching up on the blog, hanging out, sleeping in, and cleaning the apartment. Tomorrow classes start. I can't wait. Enjoy the pictures! There are some random ones but I just cannot resist opportunities to capture the beauty of Florence! Ciao!
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Zucchine con i fiori |
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fresh produce |
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homemade baked goods at a market in Piazza Signoria |
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il pane |
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i pepperoni |
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Parmigiano Reggiano |
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My own salsa conLinguini and Salsiccie |
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Frittata with bazil, rosemary, peppers, onions, and smoked
mozzarella |
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I fiori |
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Florence outside my window on a rainy day |
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