Tuscany – Pork tenderloin with balsamic vinegar and baked radicch

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Pork tenderloin with balsamic vinegar and baked radicch

Ingredients (serves 4)

. A fillet of pork of about 600/800 g
. A marinade consisting of: 1 peeled lemon cut into slòices, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery and 1 onion chopped together, a piece of cinnamon, a spring of thyme, 6/7 grains of coriander , a glasso f wine, half a cupo f cognac, half a cupo f ordinary balsamic vinegar, and a tablespoon of white vi negar
. 2 large balls of red radicchio
. extra virgin olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, half a teaspoon of corn flour (cornstarch)

Method
Dip the fillet in the marinade, and leave in a cool place for 24 hours turining it occasionally. Then remove in from the marinade and wrap in paper towels to dry for a few hours.

Remove the lemon, then place the marinade on the heat, reducing by half. Pour through a strainer pressing well to extract all the flavour from the vegetables. Add salt and pepper.
In a good size non stick pan, heat 30 g of butter with one tablespoons for 8 to 10 minutes, and add salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Dissolve half a teaspoons of corn flour mix in three tablespoons of cold water, and when it is dissolved pour in the hot marinade, stiri t and leave it to thicken. Meanwhile, heat the grill, remove the outer leale from radicchio balls, wash, dry well and cut into quarters, lay them in a newly oiled non-stick pan, add salt and coock under the grill until they are well roasted.
Cut the tenderloin into slices one inch thick and place on a flat dish spread with the hot sauce. Serve with the roasted radicchio dressed with a little oil, and the remaing sauce.

Tuscany – Christmas in Barga

Befanotti Cookies
Befanotti Cookies

I’ve always loved the Christmas Holidays both here and in the U.S. I have to admit, however, that in Italy there’s a much more festive feeling for a longer period and so many more traditions.

There are two i’d like to mention. One is the live Nativity representation in Barga on December 23 and one, more falily oriented, is making the coockies called befanotti, wich the Befana gives to children who’ve been “good” during the year. If they haven’t, they get charcoal.

The Nativity representation in Barga take place every year on December 23 starting after 9 p.m. It takes place trhough Barga’s lovely historic center and ends at the cathedral at about midnight when the bells ring out announcing the birth of baby Jesus. Everyone follows the two people representing Joseph and mary as they walk from hostelry to hosterly aking if there is room in the inn for them. Jospeh and mary are enacted by a young couple from the town. They are, of course dressed in period costumes and i have to say how well made the are. People follow them and the donkey and as they walk through the town, they can watch various crafts being dine by carpenters, shoemakers and weavers, al dressed in period costumes. Of course there are  people roasting chestnuts over an open fire, making sausages and also the pancakes called necci and frittelle which are made from chestnut flour.
Nothing isa charged for. You are only asked to make a small offering to cover the expenses of organizing suach am important event.

Making befanotti i san important family tradition, especially for those living in the villages in the mountains. These are a kind of butter cookie made in various shake such as the Befana, animals, stars and trees. The Befana then distributes them through the village on the eve of the Epiphany.

Merry Christmas!

Tuscany Recipes: Cannellini bean and porcini mushroom soup flavoured with nepitella

Beans soup with mushroom
Beans soup with mushroom

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

.“Dried cannellini” beans 200 gr.
. Fresh porcini mushrooms if is possible from Garfagnana 200 gr.
. 2 small potatoes
. 4 garlic cloves
. A bunch of fresh nipitella (herb similar to majoram and mint, very popular in Tuscany)
. 4 cups of meath broth
. Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil,, parsley soak the beans in salted water for 24 hours.
Change the water and boil the beans with two garlic cloves and two peeled potatoes, until they are tender. (For best result with this recipe: cook at minimum heat after boiling starts, and add the salt at the end of coking. I twill take more than one hour).
Save half of the beans and whisk the others together with the garlic, the potatoes and the broth.
Carefully clean the mushrooms, cut them in pieces or thick slices.
In a large pan, fry two chopped garlic cloves in oil until light gold, add the nipitella leale and the mushrooms, cook for ten minutes.
Pour the saved beans and the mushrooms into the whiskey beans and potatoes, boil for two or three minutes and serve, hot, with freshly minced parsley, black pepper from the grinder and an excellent extra virgin olive oil.

Tuscany – 5th annual Thanksgiving dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Again i want to remind everyone that there isa a free lending library in Lucca!
Yes i know you can’t believe it but it’s true, and it’s been there since 2005. I’d like to invite everyone who is interested to use the “melograno Lending Library” part of the local circoscrizione library situated in San leonardo in Treponzio which ha san extensive section dedicated to books in English started in february 2005.
The books at the library are all donations and there are almost 1400, mostly fiction and biographies as well as dvd’s and VHS in english and many italian books. It works as a regular library does. Borrowing books is free and they can be kept for up to a month. Many of us expats are using its services but we would like to see an increase. Feel free to bring in any books you would like to donate.
See bottom of article for opening hours and address! Activities are occasionally organized at the library in english, thanksgiving dinners, wine tasting etc.
Again for the fith year we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving thursday November 26th  with all the traditional trimings at the restaurant L a Cantina di Alfredo in Colognora di Compito.

Tuscany recipe: “Pollo del vignaiolo”

tuscany-recipes

Ingredients:
1 chicken weighing about 1 kg;
one bottle of Montecarlo Bianco wine;
one 400 g (approx.) bunch of Trebbiano Toscano grapes;
a little podere cinnamon;
3 glasses of brandy, salt, pepper, a little white flour, some bay leale.
Marinade the grapes in the brandy and cinnamon.
Place the grapes inside the chicken and close the opening. Add salt and pepper and brown the chicken in a saucepan with the bay leale.
When it is well browned, add a glass of wine and continue to cook for about 40 minutes in the oven.
Baste woth glasses of wine to keep it moist.
Carve, place on a serving dish and surround it with the grapes and sauce made by adding the flour and glass of wine to the coking juices.