Peppa might not know that cicerchie (translated as “chicklings” or “pulses”) were cultivated in Mesoptamia as early as 8000 BC or that this legume is now recognized officially by the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture as a “a product of Italy’s traditional agriculture,” but she certainly knows how to cook them: no one makes a…
The tall medieval watchtowers on Lucignano’s main piazza are testament to its bellicose history: ferocious battles raged when nearby Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Florence vied for dominance of this hill town perched above the fertile Valdichiana valley stretched out below. The urban street plan, too, is typical of a fortified town: the Sienese built the…
There’s no more memorable “Umbrian experience” than lunch with our farm friends, Chiarina and Marino. Just about everything on the table comes from their labors on the land: from the wine to the olive oil to the vegetables to the meats to even the wheat Chiarina uses to make the pasta and bread in our…
Long contested in ferocious battles by Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Florence for domination of the fertile Valdichiana below, the sleepy labyrinthine backstreets of the fortified medieval hilltop village of Lucignano belie its violent past. But they hide secrets worth discovery, not surprisingly: any Italian medieval hilltown, no matter how small (population of Lucignano, just over…
Almost always, any Italian “foodie” experience is also a “people” experience. The two are quite simply, inseparable. Take that “quick stop” at the Caffe’ Mi Piace in Florence, for example. It turned into a most-of-the-day visit. On a recent rainy November day, Australian friend, Jenny (a Florentine residente as often as possible) and I stopped…