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bites-kms · 3 years

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Torino, mi piace moltisimo!

Torino was a beautiful surprise.

I wasn't expecting much but pleasure out of this trip. I thought that I was just going to spend money to wonder around different streets. Boy, I was wrong! This Italian trip surprised me almost as much as Hong Kong and Myanmar did 5 years ago. Torino in particular.

Torino is the capital of Piemonte, the first Italian capital, part of the Industrial triangle with Genova and Milano, and the third most economically powerful city in Italy after Milano and Roma.

The city has rich culture and history, being known for its numerous art galleries, restaurants, churches, palaces, opera houses, piazzas, parks, gardens, theaters, libraries, museums and other venues.

Torino has been the birth city of amazing Italian worldwide icons such as Fiat, Martini, Lavazza, Eiffel 65 and Juventus FC, just to name a few.

And most importantly, Torino was the city that welcomed me with open arms after more than 15 years without stepping feet on Italian soil, or in other words, 15 years without going back home.

Ana and Mau were there to greet me. An Argentinean soon-to-be Italian and an Italian almost transformed into an Asian were my soul sisters that were the sole witness of my rebirth in this wonderful city.

The city was painted with autumn colors, and as the saying goes: C'è chi vede le foglio che muoiono, Io preferisco osservare i colori che nascono.

I took the train from Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale and then, another train to Torino. It is about one hour and a half to make it to Porta Nova where Manu, Ana's brother, was waiting. We walked down via Roma, checked out all the fancy stores that we were not gonna visit, until we arrived to Piazza Castello, where a massive square opened up in front of us.

The Royal Palace and the Palazzo Madama (the one destined for the Regina or Queen) are the buildings framing Piazza Castello. We turned left via a small street on the side of the Palace, by Galleria Sabauda to end up by Torino's Duomo, famous for hosting the Sacred Towel in which Christ was covered after being in the Cross, by Porta Pallatina, a beautiful open-space that hosts Roman ruins. We arrived to Piazza della Republica, where the largest open air market in Europe is being held every day, by the corner where the covered Mercado Centrale di Torino is, a foodie destination for tourists and locals alike. (Hope that with this short and bello raconto, I can make Manu proud - for upcoming personalized Torino tours, reach out to him here)

Right over there, by Corso Regina Margarita in full splendor is where Ana and Manu live. A beautiful, fully renovated townhouse with a divine inner patio. After a well deserved hug, we went to treat ourselves with dinner at a local venue. We went to the most local of them all, Da Cianci Piola Caffé.

A few steps from Piazza Castello - and from Ana's enviable location, this place has an unbeatable reputation for excellent food and good value. The short menu lists only a few dishes that change often and are always seasonal and delicious. Excellent carne cruda (a local version of steak tartare) and tomini (soft cheese often stored in oil, almost tasting like polenta) are served as appetizers. Order an antipasto misto if you want to taste different appetizers at once. And then we had some salsiccia gnocchi, going home with a bang with a delicious tiramisu.

Bienvenuta a Torino, carina!

The following morning, I decided to check out the famously Cafe Il Bicerin, a traditional torinese delicacy invented in this same coffee shop more than 200 years ago that combines coffee, chocolate and cream. According to their hostests, the best way to drink it is as it comes, without mixing it so you can experience the melt of the ingredients directly within your mouth. The bicerin was an evolution of the eighteenth-century bavareisa, a fashionable drink at the time that was served in large glasses and was made of coffee, chocolate, milk and syrup. At the beginning, the ritual of the bicerin saw the three ingredients served separately, but as early as the nineteenth century they were poured into a single glass and were available in three variations: “pur e fiur” (similar to today’s cappuccino), “pur e barba” (coffee and chocolate) and “’n poc ‘d tut” (“a little bit of everything”), with all three ingredients.

After wonderfully kicking off the day with this delicious treat, I decided to visit Torino's Duomo, where a mass was being held. I stayed and prayed. It's been a while since I haven't done it in a Church due to COVID. For the past month I prayed often, but this time was different. I was being thankful and acknowledging all the blessing that were deploying in front of me, thankful for being in Italy. Many frustrations and challenges are actually blessings in disguise. And this is exactly what was-is happening right now. The Shroud of Turin, or Sindone in Italian, is believed to be the fabric in which Jesus was wrapped after crucifixion for his burial and is stored in here.

After my introspective time, I checked out both Palaces, the Royal one and the Madama one, without the rush nor the cold from the previous night and discovered a bit the Gardine Royal, located right behind them. Beautiful and colorful leaves mattress decorate the environment and sets you up in a cozy mood, making you fall in love with fall.

I crossed the street back to the city and some music started to play. It came from the Teatro Regio Torino, famously known by being the theater where Toscanini performed for the first time Puccini's La Boheme, located by the corner of Via Po. This street is a very iconic one for its bookstores and of course, I needed to get one book for the road. I got one in Italian so I could practice and polish my lingua a bit more, and decided to go with a second-hand one, from Austrian author Robert Schneider's Le voci del mondo.

I met my friend Maurizia for lunch at the Lux or Federico Vavassori Galleria, and had some delicious pasta and appetizers, with Prosecco to plan our upcoming roadtrip adventure. We later walked to the banks of the Po river, the longest river in Italy, passing by Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the biggest arcade piazza in Europe, and checked out the Cappucinni Hill. We recovered some strength Cafe Baratti & Milano, located at the historical Galleria Subalpina. She later drove me to the Museo Nazionale dell'automobile di Torino, with more than 200 cars, representing the history of this industry in Italy, Europe and around the world. It is usually overseen by the Cinema Museum, but if you have time, it is worth it: Bites & KMs highly recommends it.

I took bus number 8 and picked up Ana by her coffee shop at Parco del Valentino, the biggest park in Turin, and walked home by the Grande Madre di Dio Church where we had a delicious hot chocolate and an orgasmic hot zabaione at Chicchisani.

On our way home, we got a beautiful spot at Poormanger by Piazza Pallazo di Citta, Ana's want-to-go place after checking it out at Netflix's Guida Astrologica per Cuori Infranti. This place specializes in filled potatoes and its delicious.

According to their website, they wanted to bring jacket potatoes to Italy. They decided to reinvent a basic product, widely used all over the world, and combine it with the best Italian ingredients.

We had some eggplant parmiggiana, ordered a bottle of wine, some sparkling water and indulged in two types of potatoes: mascarpone, prosciutto with black olives, and blue cheese, mushrooms and sausage.

The following morning, Ana took me to her favorite coffee shop Costadoro Coffee Lab while we watched how the city started to put up the Christmas lights. It is very pretty, since once a year, the city of Torino hosts Luci d'artista when the city dresses up with lights installations making it even prettier than usual. Manu joined us to take us on a Torino Magico tour, where we discovered some important and energetic points around town.

Torino is known for its strategical location, not only historically nor geographically, between Italy, France and Switzerland, but for being the only city in the world that is part of both the white and the black triangle of Magic. The White Magic Triangle is formed between Prague, Torino and Lyon; whereas the Black Magic one is between San Francisco, London and Torino. Torino is located on the 45th parallel and is the vortex that connects both magical triangles. According to esotericism, the darkest place in Torino regarding black magic is Piazza Statuto, where people claim is where the doors of Hell are located. Not only this piazza was the place where thieves and law breakers were executed, but there is also the Traforo del Frejus monument, dedicated to all those who died while creating the Torino-France tunnel. Not only this monument was done with extra pieces of the so-called construction, but also has a statue of the fallen angel, or Lucifer, on top of it, being one of the few around the world dedicated to such character, hence, the perfect door ornament to welcome you to hell.

It is said that the chains and medusas faces surrounding the Royal Palace are sacred, leaving the black magic away from the building and its surroundings, and the most scared places of them all is Triton's Fountain, located at the Royal Gardens of the Piazza del Castello, close by the Duomo. This is, in opposition to Piazza Statuto, Heaven's doors. Another interesting spot is Grande Madre di Dio Church, where yesterday we had a coffee, since it is said that underneath it, there's the holy grail.

Of course, this un-official yet amazing tour was not over until we got a beautiful view of the city from Mount Cappucinni, where, according to the legend, this is another kind of energetic spot, where people where thrown down and killed. I mean... the city view over there is to die for!

After an exhausting morning, we had some pizza slides to go and rest for a bit. The cherry on top was coming: Museo del Cinema. What a beautiful and stimulating place. Even if you aren't into European Cinema nor Italian movies, this is must while being in Torino. The experience, done inside the most iconic building in the city, la Molle Antonelliana, is a treat for the eyes. Beautiful and immersive expositions, interactivity even in COVID times, history and contemporary pieces are up in the most subtle and delightful way.

We had our mandatory Aperol Spritz by Piazza Vitorrio Venetto and walked back home, checking out the city lights one last time. Ana later cooked some delicious pasta with some improvised ingredients: pancetta, garlic and pesto. The guys where also at home, so a home and family cooked meal, together with Ana, Manu, Juan, Alan, Lujan and Chayron.

Grazie Torino! Grazie Amiga! Mi Mancherai <3

#torino #turin #italy #italia #cibi #eat #food #friends #love

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jakecarson90 · 4 years

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⁣ Canon EOS 250D | 19mm | 1/800s | f/3.5 | ISO 200⁣ Taken on 29/02/2020.⁣ ⁣ Some 30km northeast of Alba, in Piedmont, the wine continues to flow in Asti, one of the most important towns in medieval times, whose province is capital of Italy’s sparkling-wine industry and the most famous producer of Asti Spumante.⁣ ⁣ Being a capital for wine, Asti has a host of vineyards that have adapted to tourism and offer wine tours and wine tasting. And, like Alba, Truffle is famous here too, growing locally in nearby forests. Many restaurants offer truffle in their dishes so be sure to try the local cuisine.⁣ ⁣ Personally speaking, the beauty of Asti is that it holds history, culture, cuisine and landscapes all in one. The Torre Troiana clock tower is a medieval monument that is well worth a visit. The underground cathedrals are also a treasure worth visiting—once used as underground tunnels for the Cathedral, now used as wine cellars due to the ideal temperature and conditions for storing wine.⁣ ⁣ And make sure you explore the historic centre in great depth as there are many towers of different shapes and sizes to see. This one I took on leap day is called the Torre Guttuari; it bears this name because the square in which it stands – Piazza delle Erbe (today Piazza Statuto) – used to have many palaces owned by the Ghibelline family of Guttuari, including this tower which probably dates back to around the 12th or 13th century and was lowered in the 16th century.⁣ ⁣ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:⁣ ⁣ Asti is easy to get to by train as it's one of the stops on the fast Torino Porta Nuova–Genova Brignole regional line.⁣ ______________________________________⁣ ⁣ #Asti #Ig_Asti #IgersAsti #IgersPiemonte #Piemonte #Ig_Piemonte #Piedmont #VisitPiemonte #Landmark #Torre #Tower #Italia #Italy #Architecture #NeverStopTravelling #ExploreMore #AdventureCulture #Underrated_Shots #ItaliaSegreta #ItalyThroughMyEyes #Travel_Europe #Travelgrammers #VisitItaly #Italy_PhotoLovers #Photos_Of_Italy #VolgoItalia #DoYouTravel #FindItLiveIt #WellTravelled #WeLiveToExplore (at Asti) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH42SpqlPeW/?igshid=1wawqm1g77zbo

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yachtingboat · 7 years

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Getting to Know Genoa with Marina Porto Antico

The gelato coloured coastline of Genoa, clustered across the Italian Riviera and honeyed by the sun, is one of the most characteristic regions of the Mediterranean. Rustic in its allure and austere in its character, just one of its secrets is knows just how to turn on the charm for superyacht owners. Porto Antico the bustling heart of it, is where superyacht owners begin their Mediterranean voyage, and return to with intrigue, time and time again.

Here to share all the word-of-mouth hotspots only a local would tell you, Marina Porto Antico discuss what makes this place a true treasure along your ocean voyage...

The region of Genova is stunning. Could you tell us why charter guests should prioritise this region, what makes it so magical? Guests often arrive in our city thinking that there is not so much to see, but once they visit Genova they usually extend their stay! We like to consider Genoa as the first gem itself. Here you can find art, culture, nature, sea and mountains, all displayed in a unique context to be visited and slowly discovered.

By mooring at Marina Porto Antico, you can reach the old Maritime Republic, where the web of streets give you an instant access to the heart of Genova. The beautiful and romantic bay of Boccadasse, once a fishermen village is also in close proximity, as well as the panoramic spot of Castelletto, a photographer’s dream aching to be captured.

How can superyacht owners utilise Porto Antico to explore other regions of Italy? Marina Porto Antico is centrally located with easy access to the airport, main train station and historic points of interest. Using our harbour as base, you can sail along the coast and reach unique and enchanting places which are the envy of the world, such as Portofino, the Baia del Silenzio, Cinque Terre, Portovenere and the Golfo dei Poeti. The territory of Camogli also lends to an interesting itinerary; one of the most popular leads from Porto Pidocchio to San Rocco Church. In Portofino, our tip is Castello Brown Brown Castle, presenting an unforgettable view of the village!

How does Marina Porto Antico offer a variety of berthing facilities and provisions to accommodate superyachts? Genoa is one of Italy's largest commercial ports and the harbour is safe, well-protected and without current. Specifically, Marina Porto Antico offers the an array of amenities to meet the needs of both crew and owners; from deep water berths for vessels up to 75 meters (larger vessels can be accommodated with advance notice), friendly, multilingual staff, 24 hour gated security, as well as walking distance to numerous shops, services and restaurants.

The onsite entertainment in Marina Porto Antico makes it more than just a marina. Could you share with us some of the other attractions and features of the village? There are plenty of things to do here and in the surrounding area: marvel the works designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano – the Bigo and the Biosphere, soak up the sights of San Lorenzo Cathedral. A must-see? Via Garibaldi, a pedestrian street with two of the most wonderful Palaces, Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco, used to host Kings, Princes and visits of state.

Don’t miss the numerous trattorias and restaurants spread across the old town, where you can enjoy the best and most famous dishes of the Ligurian culinary tradition; Pasta with pesto, codfish, focaccia, farinata and stuffed vegetables!

Lastly, for those looking to plan their Mediterranean charter for 2018, tell us what must be on the bucket list? To visit the Lanterna (the symbol of the city), to eat the typical “fugassa” and the famous “Focaccia al formaggio”, to visit the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), to taste the “panera semifreddo” ice cream… Oh and did we mention shopping at luxury hotspot Via Roma?

Brimming with a wealth of architecture, artistic grandeur and a dynamic culinary scene, the austere aesthetic that makes up the Ligurian coast, steals our hearts alone. Porto Antico, the yachting heart of it, proves this gem of Italy deserves a winning spot on your charter itinerary.

Getting to Know Genoa with Marina Porto Antico

#Superyachts.com

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letterjetsetter-blog · 8 years

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I is for Italy

I know that choosing Italy to represent ‘I’ in this project seems like a bit of a cop-out. However, I live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I don’t explore it as much as I should, so I am using this project as an impetus.

Italy is picturesque and full of places famous for their history. Without even breaking a sweat, I can come up with a pretty impressive list of places that are within a few hours of where I live: Bologna, Modena, Venice, Florence, Parma, Genova, Cinqueterra, Italian Lakes, Milan… and those are just the most well known.

I love visiting these places that are so important culturally and historically. But even more than that, I really enjoy the less touristy side of Italy. For this reason, I am obsessed with sagras. A sagra is a local festival held in small towns. Each sagra focuses on a different food, usually one that is local to the region. Near my home town, this means that we have sagras for rice, gorgonzola, pumpkins, red onions, frogs and asparagus.

During the few days of the sagra, several long tables, seating 40 or so people, fill the main piazza. At the till, the customer selects from the limited menu comprised of dishes that focus on the featured ingredient; these meals are prepared in enormous pots and bowls by local cooks.

Sagras are not flashy food festivals, but just an entire small town working together to raise some money for local projects, as well as creating a sense of community or occasion. This is the main reason I love sagras – there is nothing pretentious about them.

Sagra 1 – Asparagus, Cilvegna

It is a gorgeous sunny day in May. On the menu today, asparagus risotto and pizza with grilled asparagus.

Asparagus risotto

Risotto has a bad reputation for being tricky to cook. It is actually an incredibly versatile dish that is hard to mess up, if you follow a few basic rules.

1. The liquid you add to the rice should be hot.

2. Add liquid about a half cup at a time.

3. Stir. You should not stir constantly and vigorously, but you need to stir pretty often.

4. Serve it immediately when it gets to the texture you like.

I don’t use an actual recipe, so I have just included instructions my way. Unlike traditional rice cooking, you add water as you go so the liquid measurement is not as critical. As with any meal, the better the ingredients, the better the final result.

1 shallot, finely chopped

butter

2 handfuls Arborio rice

2 glasses of dry white wine (one for me, one for the rice)

4 or so cups of good broth

7 or so stalks of asparagus, cut into pieces the size of a finger joint.

Grated parmesan

In the medium saucepan, heat up the broth. Keep it on a medium heat as you cook.

In the large saucepan, put the butter, rice and diced shallot in and cook until the rice and onion are transparent. Add wine first and stir until the rice has absorbed it, then put in broth a half cupful at a time, stirring until it is almost absorbed before adding another half cup. About 15 minutes into the rice cooking process, I throw the asparagus bits into the broth to cook there for 5 or so minutes. (Don’t add raw veggies to the rice in a risotto as they cool the rice down too much. Cook them first and add them in towards the end.)

On the last addition of broth, be sure you scoop up any asparagus bits and add them in.

Serve immediately.

Sagra 2 – Riso, Bagna Cauda and Bollito, Mede

Guest starring: Ally

We arrive very early, to the dulcet tones of Adriana and the Flash Melody still in rehearsals, several hours before they will officially kick off. Adriana embodies the best of sagra entertainment – her unnaturally tinged ginger mullet coupled with her painted on face make-up give her the air of a Ukrainian wedding singer.

The rice on offer is a risotto (no surprises there). Ally takes the asparagus risotto, which comes with fresh peas and chives. (To make this risotto, fresh peas can be added to the broth - as in the previous recipe - a few minutes after the asparagus. Finish with a few chopped chives.)

We both steer clear of the bollito which is a beef stew incorporating parts of the animal that have names – tongue, hoof, etc. (Usually, most people are just comfortable with ‘meat’ rather than being able to identify specific body parts. That’s never really a good sign…)

I go for the bagna cauda, which is hot anchovy dip. Even though I am a vegetarian, I do make the very odd exception for fish; bagna cauda is a dish we used to have quite often when I was a child so I took the plunge. When I was in elementary school, two of my favourite dishes were bagna cauda and steamed spinach with red wine vinegar. I am sure these would have seemed like pretty eccentric choices to the rest of my hotdog-loving, burger-eating classmates.

There are different types of bagna cauda, some involving milk or cream. Sometimes the sauce is turned into a sort of dressing and drizzled over a raw vegetable salad, rather than served as a dipping sauce. Either way, this is a rich, oily, tasty dip that will umami your head off. Really, it is fantastic, but a little can go a long way. This recipe makes way too much for even two people to share… better 6-12. It comes from Epicurious. If you want a creamy bagna cauda, Anotnio Carluccio has a good one.

Bagna cauda, served with assorted vegetables: carrot, radish, radicchio, endive, raw fennel, bell pepper, cooked cauliflower/potato, cucumber… even with bread.

¾ cup olive oil

6 tablespoons

12 large anchovy fillets

6 large garlic cloves

Blend oil, butter, anchovies and garlic in processor until smooth. Transfer oil mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring, occasionally. (Sauce will separate.) Season with salt and pepper. Serve in small ramekins for individual servings or in a central chafing dish for a shared dipping experience.

As sort of an antidote to the umamirama that was the bagna cauda, we indulged in dessert. The dessert was a Torta di latte, also known as a Torta paesana. It is basically a fancy Italian take on a bread and butter pudding.

The version we had was ok, but was a bit insipid. It also contained cooked raisins. Though they are traditional in this dish, I detest cooked raisins as they get bloated and remind me of the bodies that turn up in cop shows that have been in rivers or lakes for a few weeks. Ick.

So, needless to say, my version does not include any raisins. The more traditional version of this cake also mixes chocolate powder directly into the dough mixture so the whole cake is chocolate. I prefer to have the chocolate in bits, but if you want to mix the powder in, knock yourself out. Also, pine nuts are usually added to this cake, but I prefer not to. This base is super customisable, so feel free to experiment. I could see this being made with Pan d’oro or pannettone, adding in bits of fruit, biscuits and even a dash of amaretto or Gran Marnier.

Torta di Latte

300 g bread cubes (White bread, baguettes or sweet bread are best for this)

120 g amaretti (gingersnaps could also be used)

1 litre milk

2 medium eggs

120 g granulated sugar

zest of one orange

35 grams dark chocolate crushed or chopped into small pieces

1. Heat up milk, without letting it boil.

2. Put bread cubes into a bowl, with orange zest.

3. Pour warm milk over the bread, stirring it to coat all the bread and then cover it with plastic wrap until the milk has softened all bread.

4. While this is going on, break up chocolate bar. Crush biscuits to a fine powder.

5. Mix the powder into the bread mixture. By this point, the bread mixture should be soft enough that when you mix it, it breaks down to a gloop.

6. Mix the eggs in a small bowl. Add to the mixture.

7. Add in sugar.

Bake in a 24cm round pan at 180 C for 50-60 minutes.

Sagra 3 – Gnocchi, Garlasco

This sagra was a little bit disappointing as it was dripping down with rain and there were no long benches to eat at. There were two types of gnocchi available: with ragu or pesto. I chose the pesto.

I do not usually make gnocchi as it is a little finicky. The best homemade gnocchi I ever had were when Rafa and Gavin made it at my house, which was fantastic. However, I don’t really feel that the hours of cooking and shaping the pasta are worth it in the final product. Here in Italy at least, you can get really good fresh gnocchi pretty easily and then use the 5 hours you save to read a book, take a bike ride or watch a couple of films.

Still, it is an interesting project to make gnocchi and there is a real sense of satisfaction when you are done.

Pesto, on the other hand, can be made very easily and is always worth it. Fresh homemade pesto doesn’t keep all that well, so it is best to finish whatever quantity you’ve made in one sitting.

Pesto recipe

2 generous handfuls of fresh basil

half a cup of olive oil

1 ½ - 2 handfuls of grated parmesan (USE GOOD PARMESAN!)

2 cloves garlic

1 dessert spoon of pine nuts

a few pinches salt

Grind this up with a mortar and pestle. Add more basil/cheese/pine nuts/oil/salt to taste. Let it sit for an hour or so to give the lovely flavours time to mix together.

Sagra 4

Cherry festival Sant’ Olcese

The first and second of June were a holiday and so to take advantage of the long weekend (and hit as many sagras as possible), I drove to down to Tuscany to visit Nicky and Tom, stopping along the way.

Sant’Olcese is a small village tucked in the mountains above Genoa. Cars were parked along the twisty mountain road for a few kilometres leading up to the town. The road opened up to the town square where a few hundred runners of all ages were preparing for the cherry run, a 5 km race down and then up the mountain road. A few of the runners looked as though they were taking the event seriously, while the rest were clusters of friends and families who spent the few moments before the starter’s orders snapping selfies.

The purchase of the food was a slick operation – orders were entered on the computer and we were then issued a printed receipt; this hit a snag when a electricity was fused by the electric crepe pan, toaster oven and fondue set the woman at the gluten-free booth had plugged in on the same extension as the computer and printer.

The hall was decorated with cardboard cherries that hung from the ceiling. The local children had been drafted into do the serving and were collecting chits from everyone. The couple across the table were locals in their 70s and extremely friendly. They kept encouraging the young servers and complimenting them on how efficient and organised they were. This was even after one of the younger boys, an obvious first timer, forgot to bring the woman’s meal. “He’s doing a good job for a little boy... Bravo, ragazzo!”

I had cherry ravioli which were that lovely mix of sweet and savoury that make ravioli di zucca so fantastic. However, unlike ravioli di zucca (which are served with butter and sage), these ravioli had the tiniest bit of ginger in the butter. They were sublime.

The cherry crostata was also very nice, though it is hard in my opinion to elevate the simple jam tart to anything extraordinary. There was also a cheese board that featured sour cherry preserves, an excellent contrast of the salty cheese with the sweet tang of the fruit.

I am passing on a link for the cherry crostata. With the crostata, there is no shame in using store bought readymade pastry.

Sagra 5

Cherry festival Lari

Eating sun-warmed cherries in the Tuscan sun is not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Lari is small town in the Tuscan hills, with a surprisingly large castle perched in the centre. The base of the castle walls form one side of the central piazza – it was there the various market stalls were set up. There were cherry fritters, cherry sangria, cherry jams and jellies on offer, as well as stand after stand of fresh cherries.

After purchasing a bag of fresh cherries, I wandered up to the castle and sat in the sun and looked out over the terracotta roof tiles.

Italy is pretty scenic.

Back in the central square, I had a taste of local cherry liquor and tried a ridiculously rich dessert – thick dark melted chocolate topped with cherry compote. It was extremely messy but incredibly tasty – a sort of concentrated black forest gateau.

Chocolate and cherry compote (Recipe from Bon appétit)

4 1/2 cups pitted fresh (or frozen, thawed) Bing cherries (about 20 ounces)

1 cup brandy or orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large heavy saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cherries are softened and start to release juices, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cherries to a medium heatproof bowl.

2. Simmer juices until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15–20 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over cherries. Serve warm.

Sagra 6

Best sagra ever. San Miniato is a small town in the middle of nowhere. And the sagra was actually held in a small village 12 km outside the small town in the middle of nowehere. It is one of those places where the streets have no name... my navigator just shrugged and said “Boh?!” rather than actually giving directions.

However, it was the most sagrissima of all sagras. Not only was there a huge all-weather tent, the entire town had turned out to staff the sagra. The menu was fantastic and varied, and the food was amazing. Though I would have loved to try the zucchini blossom lasagne, I ordered penne al fiore di zucchini and fried zucchini blossoms which are just about my favourite thing in the world. The penne was all vegetarian, but the zucchini blossoms were stuffed with ricotta and various meat flavourings: one had an anchovy, one a piece of sausage and the last had a piece of pancetta. They were delivered freshly made and were absolutely delectable. Though I am a vegetarian, I made an exception for these and it was totally worth it.

Penne al fiore di zucchini

Boil water for pasta.

While the water is heating up, finely chop 3 stalks of celery, 2 shallots and a carrot. Brown lightly in a few big glugs of oil.

By now, the water should be boiling – put penne in water and cook until al dente.

Add half a cup of stock to the vegetables and let it reduce. Put in a good squeeze of lemon.

Thinly chop baby zucchini and flowers and tear up several basil leaves.

Add these to the pan, coat, and remove from heat. I sometimes add in grated zucchini as well at that point, depending on how many zucchini I have in the garden.

Mix pasta and sauce together. Season to taste. Add a bit of lemon zest, if desired. It is very good just like this, but you can also put on parmesan or even mix in ricotta at this point to make it a creamier sauce.

Fried zucchini blossoms

Whisk together equal parts white flour and sparkling water and season with salt.

For stuffing, mix ricotta, chopped zucchini blossoms, lemon zest and basil.

Coat in batter and fry until golden.

Sagra 7

The line is absurdly long and sun beats down. Tempers are fraying at the Breme sagra as the cashiers work with a slowness that seems antagonistic. I have purchased a pint of beer to have with my meal, but end up drinking it all whilst waiting in line. The aggressive sun, the hunger and the pint of beer leave me feeling sticky and woozy – by the time I get to cashier to place my order, I no longer am able to judge what a reasonable amount of food is. I order two red onion salads and a piece of frittata, uncertain as to whether that will be enough. Let me just be clear that between these three dishes, I am already eating at least 3 red onions. I decide against ordering the onion soup.

The red onions of Breme are not the acrid red onions that I am used to in Greek salads and guacamole. These are intensely sweet, though not so sweet that they work in puddings, despite the fact that red onion ice cream is available... and horrific. There is also carmellised red onion pizza available, but I had decided to try as many dishes as possible and though the pizza would no doubt be fantastic, it would be a bridge too far.

Red onions are not usually used as a the basis of a salad or a side dish as they are a bit harsh in quantity, but these mild onions are really suited to eat in larger quantities. The salads come in two types: those based on cooked onions and those composed primarily of raw onions.

Both are dressed with simple vinaigrette.

Raw onion salad

Roughly chop sweet red onions. Add in white beans and good tuna. Serve with vinaigrette, the sort you would use on non-mayo coleslaw. A little bit of sweetness doesn’t hurt this.

Cooked onion salad

Roughly chop sweet red onions. Poach in a light white wine until softened, but al dente. Drain onions and conserve some of the liquid. Toss in capers, olives and good tuna. Use the liquid in place of the vinegar in vinaigrette.

Sagra 8

Pumpkin – Dorno

Markets stalls are pushed together, filled with regional produce. Jars of jam, locally made sausage, cheeses from a small nearby dairy, chocolates from the next town over and flavoured liquors all beautiful displayed on the kiosks that line the streets. In the centre of the town, there is a huge tent, the sort used for outdoor weddings. This is where the bistrot menú is served, a fancier affair than the fare available at the plastic tables outside. Here, two types of pumpkin risotto are on offer, along with pumpkin lasagna. To accompany, frosty pints of pumpkin beer are available with tubs of pumpkin tiramisú to follow.

On one of the evenings, pumpkin pizza is available, with roasted pumpkin, caramelised red onions and goat’s cheese.

This is my third year at the sagra. It is my favourite sagra as it is in the town adjoining mine as well as being focused on one of my preferred foods. I am here with Katy and Valeria, and even though it is late October, the sun is shining as we drink our beer and eat our superb food from plastic plates. The quality of the food belies the makeshift camp kitchen from which it emerges. The pumpkin tiramisú is especially surprising as it is an unusual idea, but really succeeds in its execution. Sometimes at sagras, the food can be almost gimmick-y as the star ingredient is shoehorned into each course (cherry risotto, red onion ice cream) but the tiramisú is genuinely tasty.

In case the meal didn’t leave us sick of the sight of pumpkin, there are plenty of pumpkin based products on show at the stalls. I pick up fresh pasta – pumpkin ravioli. These are to be boiled very briefly until they float to the top of water and then served with a few sage leaves that have been cooked in butter until they are crispy and the butter is slightly browned.

Below this post, there is a link for a pumpkin tiramisu recipe from Food and Wine. Use amaretti biscuits instead of ladyfingers to recreate the Dorno recipe.

Sagra 9

Mushroom – Cilivegna

A return to the first town… Cilivegna is less quaint in the cold grey autumn air, and a sprinkling of rain makes me grateful that the sagra takes place entirely indoors, in huge arched tents. The featured item is chiodini mushrooms – a step up from button mushrooms, but not the stars of the mushroom family by any means. There are mushrooms preserved in oil to start, mushroom and sausage risottos, mushroom and sausage served with polenta for main, mushroom and sausage served on their own… basically, it as much a sausage fest as a mushroom sagra. Mercifully, the organisers haven’t tried to force mushrooms into the dessert course. I am sure even Heston Blumenthal couldn’t make mushroom and sausage into an acceptable sweet.

The only two vegetarian options are mushrooms preserved in oil for starters and mushrooms on polenta for main. I am seated at a long table with a plasticificated red and white checked table cloth and bread in a wicker basket. To complete the set dressing for a 1980’s mob movie, there is a crooner singing slow emotional ballads – perfect music for playing behind a montage of gangland killings. The mushrooms in oil are fantastic. There is just the smallest hit of chili and a boatload of garlic and the oil is perfect for mopping up with the slightly spongy bread. By the time the main meal arrives, I have eaten enough and so finishing the polenta and mushroom mountain on the plate becomes an exercise in endurance. I try to eat through the pain, but the mushroom topping in this instance is not worth it. It is good, but it would be a lot better with some sausage…

And so the sagra saga is complete. It was a wonderful way to see the country, have some great food and spend time with friends. Travelling around one of the most beautiful countries in the world and eating fantastic food with wonderful people... more please.

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