J/K - in Florence!

(Disclaimer - though it is April Fool's Day, the following actually took place.  And yes, the two of them are now in Paris.)

I blink, and another week goes by!  This was a particularly busy week, with Husbear's aunt and uncle coming through town.  This occasioned a trip to the Cinque Terre, as well as the rental of a Smart ForFour and a whirlwind tour of a corner of Tuscan wine country.

Jodi and Keef (hee) arrived last weekend and threw themselves immediately into the Florentine happenings.  Which means that stupid pants were seen.

Along with amazing sidewalk chalk art on Via Calimala.

It just so happened that they were here for the Florentine New Year, about which we had completely forgotten until we were just about run over by a parade.

Historically, Florence celebrated March 25th as the New Year.  Dante believed it was the date of the creation of the world, and what Dante says goes around these parts.  And it was supposed to be the date of the Annunciation (Mary's being told she would bear Jesus) - being, as it is, 9 months before Christmas.  Happy Conception Day, Jesus!

All kidding aside, it was a very nice parade, with people in beautiful costumes.  I was jus' jellus.

We also got to see some pretty amazing Easter candy.  There was a giant chocolate egg in one of the stores near the Duomo selling for 250 euro!  These were more our speed.  Aren't they adorable?

Of course, the two of them visited the Uffizi and the Accademia, where they were the only people around David for several minutes.  Buying tickets in advance = good thing!

I accompanied them to the Science Museum, where we paid our respects to Galileo's finger.  Don't ask why, just admire the finger.

They were perhaps more interested in the Mercato Centrale, where, somehow, they ran into people they know from their 25,000 person hometown.  Crazy, no?  That's the kind of thing you always think will happen on vacation, but never really does. 

We also ran into a cow udder, but that was less... portentious?  You may remember that Husbear actually got to cook this early on in the school year.  At the time, he said it tasted sort of like cat food smells. 

Sadly, he passed it over this time in favor of...

BEEF BEEF BEEF.  The first time we saw a macelleria (that's butcher shop, in English) we knew we had to get Keef to one.  He's always been a meat freak.

And we did.  This is the macellaio, or butcher, gesturing at an enormous side of beef.  You'll see more of that giant steak in a minute.

We also went to take a look at the second floor, with its vegetable bounty.  It's looking completely different than when we arrived.  In August, porcini mushrooms jostled with tomatoes and figs.  Now, it's all asparagus, fresh fava beans, zucchini flowers, peas... Spring is here!

Of course, with a captive and salivating audience at home, Husbear totally outdid himself for several meals of deliciousness.  It's all about the eating at our house!

One night, he made duck breasts in a red currant sauce (my request) with fresh fava beans and a crazy tasty cauliflower puree.

As wonderful as this was (seriously, duck with tart sauce is heaven), he really went all out on steak night.

We started off with a combination that sounds more than a little crazy, but somehow works - gorgonzola with white chocolate, olives, and honey.  With thinly sliced bread.  This was much more delicious than it sounds the first time you hear it, and I would recommend everyone giving it a try.  Small servings, though - those are some strong flavors!

We then moved on to some clams Husbear picked up at the market.  He steamed them with seafood stock, white wine, garlic, and tomatoes, and came up with clams that made us want to lick the bowl.  That would have been enough, but then he topped them with what we're choosing to call duck cracklings.  I can't even tell you...

I'll just allow a picture to show you how we all felt about this dish.

This made Husbear especially happy, since these guys really know their seafood!

And then, the steak... don't worry, he did cook it.

These dainty little wild asparagus spears also made an appearance - I've never had wild asparagus, and it was yummy.

These two ingredients, along with an insanely good celeriac caramelized in duck fat and a half of a baked apple per person, made for a meal I don't think any of us will be forgetting anytime soon.  Where did I find this guy, again?  (A story for another time.  Short answer: College.)

As if this hadn't been a feast fit for, well, the oligarchy (at the very least), a tiramisu came out of nowhere too.  Husbear's finally perfected the recipe - he figured he has to come home from Italian culinary school able to prepare a good tiramisu!

We had some really good meals out, too, here in Florence.  (I make no apologies for the sheer volume of food pictures in this post... I am in Italy!)

Ristorante la Maremma is fast becoming one of our favorites with their always-solid food.  A Tuscan appetizer of sliced cured meats started us off Tuscannily.

This sformato di verdure, or veggie flan, was really nice - lots of pureed cauliflower.  Good tomato sauce, too!

Gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts always goes down a treat, as the Brits would say.  I have yet to find a pasta shape that makes me as happy as gnocchi - but really, when has a potato dumpling ever been unwelcome?

The best of the secondi was the cinghiale with polenta, stewed wild boar served with not nearly enough little fried polenta cakes.  It was Jodi and Keef's first wild boar experience, and though the meat was not nearly as gamey as they were expecting (hoping?) they still enjoyed the dish.

Spot the Husbear, win a Porsche!  (Fine print to follow.)

Maremma does a better job with their desserts than any other Tuscan restaurant we've visited.  Mama Bear still talks about the tiramisu with fruit that she ate there in November 2005.  (Not blogged.  40,000 pictures on this computer... please cut me some slack!)

Their panna cotta with frutti di bosco (wild berries) was nice and tart and creamy and happy.  Husbear thought they might have relied a bit too much on gelatin to keep the cooked cream together, but I didn't notice any problems of this sort.

Husbear, along with the rest of us, loved this zabaglione with a bruleed top.  We dug our spoons down through the crackly wine mousse and discovered a semifreddo down in the bottom of the cup - a frozen mousse.  The cold and hot and sharp was so much fun to eat.

We also showed them a good time at a tavola calda, or buffet-style restaurant, but since this was the lunch after the steak extravaganza it was perhaps a little overkill.  Fettucine with truffle sauce, rigatoni with meat ragu, pappa al pomodoro (Tuscan tomato/bread soup) and lasagna... tasty, but heavy!  I suppose this is to be expected in Tuscany.

We also went to il Pizzaiuolo, which has maybe the best Neapolitan-style pizza in town, for their brusque and slow service as well as their tasty pizzas.  My Italian failed me when I tried to ask if the large beer on their menu was a pitcher, and we were served a giant mug with four teeny glasses.

Ha.  Novelty beer.  (Sort of like the German liter, but I think this may have been bigger.  And more difficult to pour into small glasses.)

We also got their antipasta of burrata cheese with sides, which this time included panzerotti (fried bread pockets) and arancini, rice balls - probably the best we've tried outside of Sicily.

Their pizzas this time were better than when we went with Auntie.  Less soupy.  We got a salsiccia and friarelli, greens n' sausage pizza, that Husbear described as tasting like something straight out of the deep South.

We also ordered a pizza Napolitana, or Neapolitan pizza, with capers and anchovies... but I don't want to cause further scarring to poor Jodi and Keith by showing a photo of that anchovy-licious monstrosity, so how about a quick shot of their pizza Margherita instead?

Then they overcharged us for the beers and laughed when we tried to correct the bill.  Yes, it was only three euros.  No, we probably won't be back.  Ooooh, still mad!  Though they are packed almost every night and probably won't miss our business, what with their good pizza and all.

That's it for Jodi and Keef in Florence.  I do believe that their pictures are probably less food-heavy, but we all have our priorities, right?  Soon to come, some pretty shots of the Cinque Terre, as well as Montalcino and Montepulciano.

Since the last post went up, we've also had a couple of birthdays... a happy birthday to Mama Bear, who will be visiting us in, wow, only three weeks or so!

Also, happy 28th birthday, Husbear.  I love you always. 

girlie

Ristorante la Maremma, via Giuseppe Verdi 16/r, 055.244615 (right by Piazza Santa Croce)

il Pizzaiuolo, Via de' Macci 113 r, 055 241171.

Comments

[Cat]

YUM! I don't think there are too many food photos! :-)
Great post!

[Jeanne]

There is no such thing as too many photos in a post. And I would pay good money to have been there for the duck dinner... Duck, tart sauce, fava beans, cauliflower - what's not to like?! Your tales make me want to board the first plane to Italy!

[Mia]

Look at all that great food! i'm jealous ... and hungry! you have the life girlie.
Love reading your posts, as always.

[Girlie]

Thanks so much for the kind comments, guys! And I'm glad you agree with me about the number of food pictures... I'm always having to hold myself back.

I just can't believe we're leaving here in only six weeks or so. :-(

[Kelly]

I googled my way to this page...deciding whether to go to Tuscany or Portugal, and the fact that the mere pictures of food here made my mouth water...well, that does make a strong case for Tuscany.

Your trip looks like it was AWESOME.

[Girlie]

Thank you, Kelly! We were beyond thrilled to be able to spend ten months there. And it was always so terrific when people came to visit!

I have heard wonderful things about Portugal, but haven't been... it would certainly be different than Tuscany!

[Jennifer in Austin]

Thanks for listing names of ristorantes, pizzarias, along with addresses and phone numbers. I'm leaving for Florence, Cortona, Venice, and Rome in about a month, and with your help, I've added places to eat on my spreadsheet. I absolutely love all of your food pictures--I take lots when I travel and people make fun of me too. However, when we arrive home and I send them the photo album, it is the foodie pics they love and comment on! So I say, keep up the picture taking, because documenting the food brings back the memories of travel--and allows you to savor it all over again.

[Girlie]

Jennifer, sorry I didn't respond to your comment earlier! I'm thrilled that our blog was a useful source for you - and I agree, it seems to be our food pics that are most popular.

I hope you have a wonderful, memorable, and tasty trip!