June2005 - Dream of Italy
Transcription
June2005 - Dream of Italy
INSIDE: Harold Acton’s Villa 6 View from Antica Torre’s roof terrace The Dream Interview: Faith Willinger 8 GROM Gelato 10 Saving Florence’s Treasures 11 Latini Brother Opens New Restaurant 12 SPECIAL REPORT: FLORENCE dream of ITALY Volume 4, Issue 4 www.dreamofitaly.com June 2005 These Small, Elegant FLORENCE HOTELS Feel Like Home ometimes, smaller is better. At least that’s the case with a handful of new Florence hotels — really more like private residences — that are giving the big boys a run for their money. These tiny gems can offer all the perks of the larger hotels, but with a more personal touch and all the trappings of luxury. (All rates include breakfast and taxes.) S JK PLACE How to sum up the JK Place experience? Well, this is now your well-traveled editor’s favorite hotel in all of Italy. And for me, picking hotels is akin to picking favorite children. But that’s just how fantastic my recent stay was… This 20-room boutique hotel on Piazza Santa Maria Novella just exudes understated elegance and sophistication without taking itself too seriously. When one of the staff members greats you at the door, you feel as if your butler is letting you into your own private townhouse. The décor definitely has a townhouse feel — high ceilings, wood floors, fireplaces. There’s no traditional reception desk but rather a table in the darkpaneled library. Again, making JK feel like a private home. The incredibly comfortable rooms, decorated in shades of white, gray and black, beg you to stay. From the plush bed to the plasma television to the set continued on page 4 The Pala: A Beautiful Object, A Florentine Eatery and A Woman Obsessed T his is the story of a shop window, the Italian language, an outstanding Florence eatery and a unique excursion to the outskirts of Florence. First, the window: last summer, I was running late to meet friends for lunch at Cantinetta dei Verrazzano, but as I hurried along Florence’s Lungarno Corsini, something caught my eye in the window of the art gallery Ducci and I came to a halt. What was that beautiful object, edged in gold leaf and bearing Italian words and an image of bread? It was 1:30 p.m., so of course Ducci was closed, but I was determined to return after lunch and learn what this thing could be. At the Cantinetta (the Florentine outpost of the Chianti winery Castello di Verrazzano; see Dream of Italy, September 2004), I found my friends in the small room with tables to the left. We ordered what were, and remain, the most inventive assortment of crostini and panini I’ve ever had. After we sampled nearly every item on the small but carefully chosen menu, we walked into the main room, which is an open space with a bakery, coffee and wine bar, pizza oven, and another small seating area. I looked up toward the ceiling, and nearly gasped: lining it, around the entire room, were dozens of the very same, as-yetunidentified object I saw in Ducci’s window. continued on page 2 “You cannot imagine any situation more agreeable than Florence.” —Mary Wortley Montagu The Pala continued from page 1 2 I considered this serendipitous, and I abandoned my afternoon itinerary and returned to Ducci, where I learned the object is known as a pala (plural is pale). It’s made of wood and is in the shape of a baker’s shovel, symbol of the Accademia della Crusca, founded in 1582 and Europe’s oldest language academy (older even than the better known Academie Française). I learned that each pala takes three artisans two months to make: one artisan carves the wood, another applies the gold leaf, and a third painst one of the 156 La Crusca designs (Ducci is the only place in Italy where the pale are sold, though there is no official partnership between Ducci and La Crusca as the Academy is notfor-profit). I bought one and the very day I hung it in my dining room, I leafed through Elizabeth David’s Italian Cooking for inspiration for dinner, and only then noticed that pale were used to illustrate each chapter. Serendipity again, I thought, and I became a woman obsessed. I returned to Florence in February after spending the intervening months researching La Crusca. The Academy was founded by a group of five, fun- Abbellito Adorno Guernito loving Florentine intellectuals who mocked the excessive seriousness of the Accademia Fiorentina, founded in 1541 and no longer in existence. Leonardo Salviati, a man of letters and a grammarian, joined in 1583, and the group’s aim became the preservation of the purity of the Italian language as exemplified by the 14th century writers Bocaccio, Petrarca and Dante. The group also sought to raise the Tuscan dialect to the status of official language. Tuscan has been dominant since the 13th century and was endorsed as the official language of Italy after the country’s unification. (Dante especially is credited with standardizing the Italian language.) Salviati interpreted in a new sense the name of crusca (bran), as if to say that the Academy should separate good language from bad, separate the literary wheat from the linguistic chaff. The crusconi (bran flakes) decided that each member be given a nickname, a motto in the vernacular and a symbol linked The Details Ducci Lungarno Corsini, 24r (39) 055 214550 www.duccishop.com. Cantinetta dei Verrazzano Via dei Tavolini, 18/20r (39) 055 268590 Closed Sunday. Ducci displays between 12 and 16 pale at any given time. A small pala costs 375€, while a large one is 562€. Also see the store’s etchings and painted wood boxes. Villa di Castello Accademia della Crusca Via di Castello, 46 (39) 055 4542778 www.accademiadellacrusca.it Villa di Castello Ducci Open for visits Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus #28 from S. Maria Novella station takes about 20 minutes (schedules are in the last office on the left at the end of the platform).Ask the driver to announce the Castello stop. See the Dream of Italy Blog (dreamofitaly.blogspot.com) for more about Ducci and the Cantinetta dei Verrazzano (and a recipe); historical details on the gardens at Villa di Castello and recommendations for studying Italian in Italy and the U. S. Offerto Racchiuso Riparato to the cultivation of wheat (Salviati’s was L’Infarinato, the floured one). In 1612, La Crusca published the first dictionary of “pure” words, Vocabulario, later used as a model by other European states. The Academy’s headquarters are in the Villa di Castello, a Medici villa notable for its gardens and the fact that Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus originally hung here. The Villa’s gardens alone are worthy of a visit but anyone interested in an uncommon experience should make an appointment to see the Sala delle Pale, a beautiful room where all the pale are hung and the original dictionaries are kept. The villa is otherwise not open to the public. Today, La Crusca is active in organizing museum exhibitions, notably Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo (Week of the Italian Language in the World) in 2002; maintaining an archive and biblioteca virtuale; and publishing a semiannual newsletter, La Crusca Per Voi, dedicated to enthusiasts of Italian. Its members might be encouraged by recent statistics: over the last five years the number of people outside Italy studying Italian rose 40%. “A language,” according to UNESCO, “reflects a mentality, a world vision, and original concepts.” For me, a pala reflects the beauty of the Italian language, the enviable rhythm of everyday Italian life and the matchless respect Italians have for an exquisite object. N —Barrie Kerper Barrie Kerper is the author of The Collected Traveler series, two volumes of which feature Italian destinations. She is an Italy enthusiast and believes Florence never fails to amaze, on a first or 50th visit. “I saw Dante, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Pazzi, Politan, Michelangelo, and thousan Learn and Eat at Olio &Convivium its color; bites of apple between oils is a great cleanser; oils are poured into blue glasses so tasters can’t see the color; and anyone can learn to tell the difference between a supermarket oil and an artisanal oil. lio & Convivium opened last year as the gastronomic atelier of Convivium Firenze, a catering company whose philosophy is the preservation and enhancement of ancient Tuscan and Florentine culinary traditions. Fittingly, its coat of arms is that of the 14th century Guild of Oil Sellers and Grocers in Florence, a lion holding an olive tree branch in its claws. While it’s tempting to label Olio & Convivium a restaurant, in reality it is much more — equal parts gourmet shop, culinary learning center and eatery. O Florentine antiques dealer Riccardo Barthel did a phenomenal job giving Olio’s rooms a warm yet elegant feel using a compelling mix of antiques, wine bottles and food to decorate the space. Yes, the fresh produce and bottled delicacies are just as much part of the décor as part of the gourmet plates. tasting followed by dinner or lunch — is 90€ per person. (A bargain compared to other local cooking classes.) The classes hold up to 10 people and are held in a special demonstration kitchen. If there are only two or three students in the class, they are invited to learn hands on right in the restaurant’s kitchen. “It is like you are cooking with a little family,” one chef notes, explaining that students can learn to cook the specials of the day or choose their own menu. Olio serves excellent, moderately priced meals; but with just 10 tables, reservations are highly recommended. Daily specials appear on the large black chalkboard. One recent lunch menu included warm goat cheese In addition to cooking classes, Olio salad, vegetable crespelle with pumpoffers olive oil tastings at its extensive kin sauce and carmelized pears with olive oil bar in the back vanilla ice cream. Olio’s room. Apparently, Olio is famous selection of Tuscan the only place in Italy olive oils (served with where you can taste and bread at the beginning of Olio & Convivium buy so many oils — the meal) and wines are an Via Santo Spirito, 4 typically there are 60 at essential part of any meal. (39) 055 2658198 any given time, all from www.conviviumfirenze.it Tuscany, many of which If you’d like to do more cannot be found outside than just eat the fine food Open Monday, 10 a.m. to of Italy. Like wine, Tuscan here, Olio is now offering 3:00 p.m.;Tuesday to oils are all about the terra cooking classes. One of the Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (land), and tasting them refreshing features of their and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. side-by-side reveals their instruction program is the Closed Sunday. Reservations vast differences. Tasters price; a lesson — includrequired for cooking classes learn that you can’t tell if ing the preparation of four and olive oil tastings. an oil is strong or light by courses, olive oil and wine The Details Olio’s oils are generally not for cooking — they’re better for salads, sauces, pasta, dips, etc. — and among the most popular are Podere Forte and Villa Magra dei Franci. The oils that are also available in the U. S. are generally cheaper at Olio, and also are available in bottles of different sizes. And before you leave, stock up on some provisions for a picnic or gifts to take home — Olio’s front room is jammed with Tuscan culinary delights. —B.K. and K.M. dream of ITALY Kathleen A. McCabe Publisher and Editor-In-Chief Copy Editor: Stephen J. McCabe Editorial Assistant: Ashley Blanchfield Cailin Birch Design: Leaird Designs www.leaird-designs.com Dream of Italy, the subscription newsletter covering Italian travel and culture, is published 10 times a year. Delivery by mail is $79 per year in the United States and $95 abroad. An Internet subscription (downloadable PDF) costs $69 per year. Subscriptions include online access to back issues and regular e-mail updates. Three ways to subscribe: 1. Send a check to Dream of Italy, P.O. Box 5496, Washington, DC, 20016 2. Call 1-877-OF-ITALY (toll free) or 202-237-0657 3. Subscribe online at www.dreamofitaly.com (Visa and Mastercard accepted) Editorial feedback is welcome. E-mail: [email protected] Advertising opportunities are available. E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2005 Dream of Italy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. Every effort is made to provide information that is accurate and reliable; however, Dream of Italy cannot be responsible for errors that may occur. ISSN 1550-1353 www.dreamofitaly.com nds of others gazing at me out of Florence’s palaces.” —Alphonse de LaMartine 3 Hotel Residences in Florence continued from page 1 of Louis Vuitton travel guides on the desk. And here’s one of the best features — especially for all of you frequent travelers who are tired of being nickel-and-dimed at luxury hotels — the soft drinks and bottled water in the mini-bar are free! That philosophy extends downstairs as well, to the elegant dining room with skylight, where, in addition to breakfast, complimentary snacks and drinks are served all day. In the sitting room, guests may use a laptop hooked up to the Internet free of charge. 4 It would be very easy for the staff here to be stuffy and snobby. Luckily, they are refreshingly the opposite, down-toearth and eager to fulfill any wish. “Is there anything they won’t give us?” asked my almost giddy traveling companion. Our favorite staff member was Nicholas — he was helpful, warm and funny! When it was time to leave, he presented us each with a fragrant candle in a plush fabric bag with the monogram “J.K.,” wishing us wonderful memories of our stay and the hope of seeing us again. He surely will! For anyone with the initials J.K., this is absolutely the place to stay — everything is monogrammed, from the packet of tissues to the slippers! Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 7 (39) 055 2645181 www.jkplace.com Rates: A J.K Classic Room is 285€ per night during low season and 315€ per night during high season. A junior suite ranges from 470 to 610€ per night, depending on the season. “Is there anything t asked my alm PALAZZO NICCOLINI AL DUOMO There’s nothing like having friends who live in Florence, especially when they’re just 90 feet from the Duomo. That’s what it feels like to stay at the two-year old Palazzo Niccolini, a former family home turned intimate historical hotelresidence. “This is something different from a hotel. The guests are like guests in a private house,” says owner, Filippo Niccolini di Camugaliano. “In the evening, I find them all in here,” he adds pointing to the antiques-filled drawing room. (Interestingly, in the 15th century, the great sculptor Donatello had his workshop here in the palazzo.) Filippo has lived here since he was 10 years old (his grandfather married into the last of the Florentine banking family, the Naldinis, who originally built the palace in the 14th century) and now he, his wife, Ginerva, and their children, lives in an apartment downstairs, while the upstairs is dedicated to guests. It took the family a year and a half to restore and decorate the four rooms and three suites. Their attention to detail shows in the brilliantly restored frescoes, the beautiful fabrics and the double-paned windows (providing peace and quiet). The most stunning place to stay is the deluxe suite at the very top of the building (in a loft-like space) with windows directly facing the top of the Duomo. You feel like you can practically reach out and touch it! This suite is often requested by honeymooners. 1 € = $1.24 at press time You wouldn’t expect such a small establishment to have room service, but surprisingly, Niccolini does — offering appetizers, salads, entrees and pizza on request between 12:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Maura, the manager and a true professional, can also arrange for spa services in guest rooms. Guests are given their own key to the entrance and can come and go as they wish. There is someone at the front desk until 8 p.m. P.S. — If you’re a dog lover, be sure to ask to see the owners’ beautiful hunting dog, Paoldo. Via dei Servi, 2 (39) 055 282412 www.niccolinidomepalace.com Rates: A double room costs 280€ per night. The deluxe suite is 400€ per night. Special Offer: If you book within seven days of arrival (considering they have availability), the rate for a double room is only 200€ per night, the deluxe suite, just 320€ a night. ANTICA TORRE DI VIA TORNABUONI Remember this name — Jacapo d’Albasio — because you will undoubtedly be hearing more about this young and ambitious Florentine hotelier in the years to come. He’s entering his third year as owner of Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni, a 12-room hotel occupying two floors of a 13th century “For Italy was offering her the most priceless of all posses hey won’t give us?” m ost giddy traveling companion. palazzo, just a few feet from the Arno River and a few blocks from the Ponte Vecchio. What Antica Torre might lack in size, it makes up for in views, some of the most breathtaking in the city. While most of the guest rooms have spectacular vistas of their own (three rooms have private terraces), the roof terrace has a 270-degree panorama of the river, the Duomo and the hills above Florence. Guests can have breakfast on the roof, evening drinks from the honesty bar (you just record what you have served yourself) or D’Albasio can arrange for cooking lessons there, too. He even holds private dinners and events in this spectacular location, including a recent one for Bulgari. The hotel’s Web site offers excellent information on the 11 rooms and one junior suite, including floor plans and photos of the views from each room. Definitely consult the site before booking. In the next year, D’Albasio plans to add 12 more suites, all with views of the Arno. He would like to recruit various fashion designers to decorate the rooms and sell their designs. Via de’ Tournabuoni, 1 (39) 055 2658161 www.tornabuoni1.com Rates: D’Albasio says that if you contact the hotel directly, you can book a room or suite for between 200 and 300€ per night, depending on the season. HOTEL TORRE DI BELLOSGUARDO Bellosguardo (beautiful view) may be an understatement, as the view of Florence from Torre di Bellosguardo is astonishing, taking in every single Florentine monument, and is without doubt the very best panorama of the city anywhere (Piazzale Michelangelo isn’t even a contender). Originally designed by Guido Cavalcanti — a celebrated poet of a noble family and a friend of Dante — Bellosguardo provides a peaceful respite from the city below, with stunning gardens, a pool and an avenue of cypresses to greet visitors. The staff although wonderfully helpful, understands that most guests seek privacy here. Each of the bedrooms (one single, eight doubles, seven suites) is a little world unto itself — more like a living area than just a bedroom — and each is uniquely appointed with traditional Italian furnishings uncommon decorative details. The room beneath the tower is the most requested, and the room inside the tower is the most magnificent, on two levels with a sitting room and views all around. A fantastic, subterranean sports center, complete with sauna, pool, gym and Jacuzzi, is a recent addition. Breakfast is served on the veranda or in the dining room and often includes seasonal fruit from the orchard. There is no restaurant (though one is being considered) but this is hardly an inconvenience as Florence is a 10-minute cab ride away (or a 20-minute walk down the footpath). The hotel is up the hill from Porta Romana. As staff member Enrico Bonaiuti says, “You can feel the history here.” Indeed, Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, “…From Tuscan Bellosguardo, where Galileo stood at nights to take / The vision of the stars, we have found it hard, / Gazing upon the earth and heavens, to make / A choice of beauty.” 5 Via Roti Michelozzi, 2 (39) 055 2298145 www.torrebellosguardo.com Rates: A single room is 160€ per night, including taxes. A double costs 290€ a night and a suite ranges from 340 to 390€, per night. There is an additional 20€ charge for breakfast. All reviews except Torre di Bellosguardo (by Barrie Kerper) were written by Kathy McCabe. The Real Room with a View If you’re a fan of the 1986 film Room with a View, based on the E.M. Forster classic, you might want to book a room at Florence’s Hotel degli Orafi – room 414, to be specific.That’s where director James Ivory shot the film’s beautiful final scene where newlyweds Lucy (Helena Bonham Carter) and George (Julian Sands) kiss.The room’s large terrace has stunning views of the city. Called camera con vista in Italian, the room costs 480€ per night. For more information, call (39) 055 26622 or visit www.hoteldegliorafi.com sions – her own soul.” —E.M. Forster, A Room with a View Villa La Pietra’s Window on W ith so much to see and do in the heart of Florence, it’s hard to even consider venturing to the hills surrounding the city, but visitors who do will be richly rewarded. It is in the hills after all, that most of Florence’s legendary AngloAmerican community lived, which included Bernard Berenson, Frederick Stibbert, Lina Duff Gordon and Sir Harold Acton. 6 This community was quite large during the first decade of the 20th century, when everyone possessed spectacular villas with their attendant gardens. The expats purchased the villas from members of the Florentine aristocracy, who were forced to sell them due to political and social upheavals resulting from the unification of Italy under the Savoys and the eventual move of the Italian capital from Florence to Rome. All of this took place between 1861 and 1870. Further Reading Many of Harold Acton’s dozens of books are out of print but readily available at used bookstores and online at www.abebooks.com. A wonderful piece about Acton appears in Kerper’s book, The Collected Traveler: Central Italy, entitled ‘Florentine Master,’ one of the last interviews published before his death. For those readers particularly interested in the hills above Florence, read A Traveller’s Companion to Florence (Interlink, 2002), The Pazzi Conspiracy: The Plot Against the Medici (Norton, 1979), The Last Medici (Thames & Hudson, 1980) and The Villas of Tuscany (Thames & Hudson, 1987). The expatriate community thrived only at this particular moment in Florence’s history, and the opportunity to buy these villas so inexpensively has not come again. Two world wars, post-war restrictions and recessions and an increase in the value of the land significantly reduced the Anglo-American community. Sir Harold Acton ended up as the last survivor of the community after Berenson’s death in 1959. Acton was born in 1904 at Villa La Pietra, the villa his parents acquired the year before. At various points during his life, he was a poet, novelist, historian, professor, Royal Air Force officer and philanthropist. Acton is best known to lovers of Italy for his many books, over 30 in all, including Memoirs of an Aesthete, The Last Medici and Three Remarkable Ambassadors. Evelyn Waugh used Acton as the inspiration for the character of Anthony Blanche, the homosexual undergrad, in his 1945 novel, Brideshead Revisited. In 1985, Acton was made an honorary citizen of Florence. Upon his death in 1994, Acton bequeathed Villa La Pietra to New York University, and though some very lucky students (approxi- mately 300 per semester, from NYU and elsewhere) study there throughout the year, the villa and its magnificent gardens are open to visitors as well. The name of La Pietra derives from the stone pillar indicating one Roman mile from Florence’s city gate of San Gallo, and is the first important milestone one encounters while heading uphill along Via Bolognese. La Pietra was owned by the prominent Florentine families of Macinghi, Sassetti and Capponi. Though the Actons recreated the Renaissance garden and formed an art collection (to become one of the finest in private hands in Florence), it was their son, Harold, who left an indelible mark on La Pietra and on Florence itself. Sir Harold (he was made a Commander of the British Empire and knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1974) was a brilliant conversationalist and, with Bernard Berenson, involuntarily became one of the two “sights” that cultivated visitors to Florence hoped to see. The La Pietra guest book includes the names of Churchill, Charles and Diana, Lady Bird Johnson, Adlai Stevenson, Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton. The villa, dating from the 14th century, has a typical Renaissance floor plan that is built around a once-open courtyard where the main axis extends through the house into the gardens. In fact, as Acton once wrote, “in Italian, ‘villa’ signifies not house alone, but house and pleasure grounds combined: the garden is an architectural extension of the house.” The grounds encompass 57 acres in all. La Pietra’s art collection consists of more than 3,500 objects ranging from “Florence is like a tromp l’oeil painting. Just when you think you’ve mastered its meaning, Florence, Past and Present the Etruscan period to the 20th century. Especially noteworthy are a fabulous collection of ceramic pharmacy jars, a library of 10,000 volumes with many first editions, and the Holy Family painting by Vasari, the most valuable piece in the collection. A recurring motif among the objects is the Medici coat of arms. The curatorial staff has adopted a policy that emphasizes preservation over restoration, and it has presented a nice balance between the house as a former home and now as a museum. By contrast, Berenson’s former home, nearby Villa I Tatti, is an active research center for Italian Renaissance studies and not a museum. Its art collection is more renowned (though the garden is not as impressive as at La Pietra) and the villa is only open to scholars, Harvard alumni and others with ties to Harvard. La Pietra’s celebrated garden is a Renaissance revival garden. It’s more like a series of terraces, which were intended to be thought of as rooms, and my favorite part is the Teatrino, a theater with a grass stage where students still perform commedia dell’arte, keeping a part of the La Pietra legacy alive. There are over 180 statues in the garden, as well as good views of Florence. Though the garden is mostly green, it’s very fragrant, with roses, iris, wisteria and herbs. The villa’s visit coordinator Cristina Fantacci thinks May is the best month to visit, but I think absolutely anytime is great. The kitchen garden, pomario, surrounded by walls of stone and shell mosaic, is also wonderful with its lemon and orange trees and vegetable garden, at its peak in summer. The estate also features olive groves and fruit trees, and its long avenue of cypress trees, from the main gate to the main entrance, is perhaps La Pietra’s most memorable feature. (Note that the gate doesn’t accommodate the width of tour buses, one reason why La Pietra remains something of a secret.) New York University president L. Jay Oliva has said of La Pietra that it’s “a living museum” of early 20th century Florentine villa culture, a repository of memories, and an inspiration for generations to come.” I, too, believe La Pietra is inspiring. It’s a special place, and offers a unique experience: a glimpse into the life of a man who’s been referred to as a “citizen of the world, an apostle of universal culture.” —Barrie Kerper The Details Villa La Pietra Via Bolognese, 120 (39) 055 5007210 www.nyu.edu/global/lapietra La Pietra is on the route of Florence’s city bus #25 (from the Piazza San Marco stop, it’s a 15-minute ride).Ask the driver to indicate where to get off — the stop is across the street from the villa gate, where you press a buzzer for admittance. Parking is also available on the estate. Guided tours of the villa and garden, given by an art historian or curator, are offered Friday afternoon.Advance reservations are required as spaces are limited, and may be made by e-mail, phone or fax.The cost is 20€ per person payable in cash. La Pietra’s head gardener gives guided tours of the garden Tuesday morning.Advance reservations are required and the cost of the tour is 12€, again in cash. No tours run during the month of August or from mid-December to mid-January. La Pietra is also open to the public for free two weeks every year. In the fall of 2005, La Pietra will be open for free October 17 to 22. Bookings for this week are taken no sooner than one month before.A state-of-the-art conference center and guest accommodations are available, and special events may be arranged. 1 € = $1.24 at press time you notice another angle that throws everything back into question.” —Jean Bond Rafferty 7 The Dream Interview: Faith Willinger aith Willinger surely has one of the best jobs on earth. In addition to writing Red, White & Greens: The Italian Way With Vegetables (HarperCollins, 1996) and the essential Eating in Italy: A Traveler’s Guide to the Hidden Gastronomic Pleasures of Northern Italy (Morrow, 1998), Faith contributes Italian culinary articles to a variety of magazines, and conducts fabulous Market-to-Table classes weekly. In January, Willinger was honored with an award from San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna as the Ambassador of Italian Cuisine in the World. The American is married to an Italian man and has lived in Italy for 30 years. Barrie Kerper recently caught up with Willinger in her 18th century kitchen in Florence’s Oltrarno. Kerper describes the kitchen as a food lover’s dream, “with hundreds of books, a really big wooden table, a stove to die for, and personal touches — like a wire card rack filled with photographs of family and friends — that make it a warm and inviting room.” F Dream of Italy: Your love for Italy has been well documented in articles and books, but what made you decide to visit Italy in the first place? 8 Faith Willinger: I was crazed, split from my marriage and life in Cleveland, traveling in Europe with my one and a half year old son. I stayed in Germany with friends and then headed south. When I got to Italy, I felt at home. And you know how Italians feel about a mother and bambino. And my son Max was very cute. DOI: A few years ago, an article appeared in an issue of Zingerman’s News (a quarterly from the famous food emporium Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor) entitled “Want to Improve the Enjoyment of Your Eating? Start by Buying Better Ingredients.” With your insistence upon superb quality and maximum flavor, this piece could have been penned by you, and if it was, what 10 Italian (or specifically Tuscan) items would you put on a list of better ingredients, ideally including some items one positively cannot get in the States? FW: 1. Super-Tuscan extra virgin olive oil — my favorite is Castello di Ama. 2. Real, traditional balsamico di Modena—not the fake stuff with age numbers on the label. 3. Quality Parmigiano-Reggiano — just can’t do without it. Save the rind and toss it into a long-cooking soup, then cut into tiny cubes and serve with the soup. 4. Latini pasta, preferably Senatore Capelli. 5. Rice for risotto, preferably Carnaroli or Vialone Nano but NOT Arborio. 6. Great Italian tuna, not imported to the U.S. Read the label on the stuff that looks Italian and you’ll see that it’s not. If someone can’t schlep it back from Italy, make your own. I’m writing the recipe (made with fresh tuna) in my new book, Recipes From My 237 Best Friends in Italy — actually, I don’t know the final number of friends — but it will be a lot, and the book will be published in 2006. 7. Guanciale (pork jowl) or pancetta (belly)—both salt and pepper cured, but not smoked. 8. Super-fresh, seasonal produce, which I can’t live without, from my farmers at the Mercato di Santo Spirito. Get yours from a local farmers market — or your own garden. I have to be the first person at the market — my husband refers to me as the vegetable warrior. 9. Meat from a prime source — I get mine from master butcher Dario Cecchini, in Panzano (featured in the September 2004 issue of Dream of Italy.)You should look for a great source, online if you don’t have a great local source. 10. Vino Italiano — what else would you drink with Italian food? I love Chianti. Classico (Castello di Ama is an expensive but great treat) or Brunello di Montalcino for a special occasion. Or Aglianico from Campania or Basilicata for simple, everyday drinking. [One more must-have item is a culinary tool that Faith loves: a tostapane, a small, square, stovetop grilling pan. Use it for sliced bread to achieve a smoky, grilled flavor as opposed to a toasted one, then sprinkle with salt and a super Tuscan oil for a wow of an antipasto. (Kerper now eats it for breakfast). Find it at any Italian hardware store, such as La Menagère, via Ginori, 8r.] Florentine cuisine is considered the f “Every ingredient should be the very best, just what you deserve.” Girl Scouts next month — couldn’t resist the idea of brainwashing kids with Girl Scout -cookie palates. My assistant, Jennifer Schwartz, wants to give them fettunta (Tuscan garlic bread) merit badges. My students do keep in touch. And we do have repeat customers — of course I change the menu. DOI: Are you working on updating Eating in Italy? DOI: On the subject of olive oil, is there any supermarket brand in the States that is better than mediocre? FW: No. Sometimes I can find something decent at Whole Foods but usually regular supermarkets (and lots of gourmet shops) have crappy oil, and most try to sell the old stuff before they put the most recent pressing on their shelves. Look for extra virgin from the most recent November. Right now you’d be looking for a 2004. [DOI readers who have never tasted quality Tuscan oil may be rather surprised by its assertive flavor and price. But quality oil is expensive to make, and until you taste it, you’ll never understand what all the fuss is about. Two excellent mail-order sources for Italian oils are Zingerman’s — several from Tuscany are offered, including Tenuta di Capezzana, which Willinger calls “one of the best of the traditionally made oils left in Tuscany,” (888) 636-8162 ; www.zingermans.com. — and The Rare Wine Co. in Sonoma, referred to as “the best American source for fine Tuscan olive oil” by Ed Behr, editor, The Art of Eating, (800) 999-4342; e-mail: sales@rarewine co.com DOI: The Shaw Guide to Cooking Schools lists 84 courses visitors may take within Florence and Tuscany. What makes your classes unique? FW: My classes are one day, total immersion, and teach everyday Italian cooking that participants will make all the time. I don’t want to teach you how to make three fancy dishes you might make at home once or twice, I want to teach you how to change your life. We start at the Santo Spirito Market, at the Innocenti family’s stand, and we make 10 dishes. And I give my students the great ingredients (expensive, like the Ama oil, Latini pasta, real balsamico — I’m out of my mind!) so they can have the same results at home. And the gift bag is very sturdy, perfect for shopping at a farmers market. DOI: Do more women than men register for your classes, and do couples and families also participate? Do your students keep in touch with you? FW: More women than men, but lots of couples, siblings and an occasional family. I’m doing a mini-lesson for 10 FW: Of course. I’m always working on this book, and the companion, Eating in Southern Italy, but there is no official date for publication yet. [See Willinger’s “A Culinary Tour of Italy,” at www.concierge.com for current updates.] The Details Willinger teaches Market-to-Table classes (up to six participants) every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.The $570 fee (per person) includes the instruction and eating of 8 to 10 dishes as well as tasting of Italian coffee, wine and grappa. Participants receive a gift bag with ingredients to take home. Registration is best done by the Internet (www.faithwillinger.com), which features Faith’s mottos, such as “balsamic vinegar with an age in numbers on the label is a joke,”“good wine and bad wine have the same number of calories” and “spend more time enjoying a meal than preparing it.” Willinger’s assistant, Jennifer Schwartz (who also has a great job), leads Food Lovers Tours of Florence Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost is $285 per person, including tastings and a trattoria lunch. orebearer of modern French cooking. 9 News, Tips, Deals A Good Guide is (No Longer) Hard to Find timers and regulars, and Dario Castagno Tours provides some of the best. Castagno (author of the wonderful Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide) and his colleagues are passionate about Florence and Tuscany, and offer the choice of two threehour tours of the city: one is an historical overview and the other an in-depth discovery of museum treasures.The three-hour time frame is just right, allowing visitors to explore, shop, eat, and relax on their own for the rest of the day.Tours focusing on the Medici and San Lorenzo, Michelangelo or Florentine villas may also be arranged. Each three-hour tour is 200€ for a small group. Italian Government Tourism Board 10 Snagging Castagno himself is nearly impossible on short notice, but his collegue Francesco Bartalini is just as charming and knowledgeable. Bartalini is a licensed Florence guide, but he reminds visitors that as recently as 1960, 80% of Tuscany’s population lived in the countryside. His ideal Tuscan Florence’s Fontana del Nettuno itinerary, for two or three days, would include the Crete Senesi, the Val d’Elsa,Val di Merse, the Maremma, Cetona, Sarteano, Chiusi and the coast south of Livorno — areas he believes still have an Dario Castagno authentic feel. DC Tours can create personalized itineraries with the clients’ desires in mind. (I asked to visit Montaperti, site of the most famous Guelph-Ghibelline Battle, and I was apparently the first client to do so).A full day tour, anywhere in Tuscany, is 450€, which includes comfortable transportation and, if it’s in Chianti, a wine tasting at a vineyard is part of the tour. A half-day tour costs 200€ per small group. For more information, call (877) 746-4348 or visit www.toomuchtuscansun.com and www.masternet.it/home/iitt Francesco Bartalini may be also be reached on his cell at (39) 335 5615324 or by e-mail at [email protected] —Barrie Kerper d good tour guide is invalu- A able, for Florentine first 1 € = $1.24 at press time Florence’s Next, Best Gelateria he latest entry in Florence’s competitive gelato scene opened just T weeks ago – GROM – one of Turin’s best ice cream makers now has a branch just a block from the Duomo. Federico Grom opened his first shop in Turin in 2003 with the goal of using only the finest ingredients to create ice cream come una volta, like the old days, before powdered milk, food coloring and artificial flavors became part of gelato making. Grom emphasizes his philosophy of quality by using only the best of the best, such as lemons from the Amalfi Coast, hazelnuts from the Langhe region of Piedmont and Sicilian pistachios from Bronte, in his creations.These ingredients are all on the Slow Food “endangered foods” list! Milk from small producers as well as organic eggs provide the rich flavor for the cream-based flavors.The house specialty Crema di GROM is a sort of “cookies and cream” with crushed Meliga cookies broken into the rich custard cream. Chocolate lovers will adore the rich assortment of flavors, all using Guido Gobino Cru chocolates from Turin.The special flavors for May 2005 included pear sorbet with Venezuelan chocolate chips and coffee gelato made with Guatemalan coffee. Grom’s gelato isn’t the least expensive in Florence – the smallest size costs 2€ – but it’s surely some of the highest quality. — Judy Witts Francini, divinacucina.com GROM Via delle Oche, 24/r www.grom.it Open daily, 11a.m.- 11p.m. Additional branches in Genoa, Milan, Padua and Turin 60% of the world’s most important works of art and Events G Friends of Florence Save Famous Treasures imericans have had a deep appreciation for Florence since the 19th century, so it’s not surprising that an organization known as Friends of Florence (FOF), devoted to preserving and enhancing the historical integrity of the arts in and around Florence, was created in 1998.What is surprising is that a relatively small foundation has managed to fund such major projects, the most significant of which was the diagnostic testing of the David that determined the course of the statue’s cleaning. In just 24 hours, the group raised the $200,000 needed for the testing. d A Founded by Countess Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda (who is part American), FOF is modeled after the better-known non-profit Save Venice, and maintains offices in Washington, D.C. and Florence. If Countess Brandolini’s name seems familiar, it may be because she and her husband are the owners of The Best in Italy, a rental and real estate agency whose properties eclipse those of any others in Italy in luxury and distinction. All include staff, swimming pools and fine furnishings.The seven properties near Florence generally rent for a period of two weeks for a cost of $18,000 to $44,000. Friends of Florence is supported by Italians as well as Italophiles from all over the world.Tuscans Marchese Piero Antinori and Marchesa Bona Frescobaldi sit on the foundation’s board. FOF’s Advisory Committee includes Mel Gibson, Bette Midler and Sting. FOF’s current project is restoring the Sala della Niobe in the Uffizi. This hauntingly beautiful room features the sculptures depicting the Myth of Niobe, one of the more tragic figures in Greek mythology. (Niobe had 14 children and in a moment of arrogance, bragged about her seven sons and seven daughters at a ceremony honoring Leto, daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. Niobe mocked Leto, who had only two children, Apollo and Artemis, but Leto did not take the insult lightly, and in retaliation, sent Apollo and Artemis to earth to slaughter all of Niobe’s children.) Florence is filled with more artistic treasures than almost any other place on the planet; so many that Italian fine arts departments cannot attend to them all. It is more urgent now than ever that the legacy of Florence be preserved. Many of the unique works of art and architecture that have inspired the world for centuries are in danger of being ruined from neglect or sporadic preservation. Italian law does not permit tax deductions for funding preservation. Upcoming FOF restoration projects include these Florentine treasures: Egnazio Danti’s Terrestial Globe in the Palazzo Vecchio, the Neptune Foundation in Piazza della Signoria, the Medici Ivory Collection in the Palazzo Pitti, Garden of the Little Island in the Boboli and the Tribune and Twelve Caesars in the Uffizi. For every U. S. dollar the organization receives, FOF applies 99.6 cents toward its projects.While every contribution is appreciated, in order to participate in the foundation’s extraordinary annual program, you must become a Founding Patron (contributing a one-time gift of $30,000) or Patron (contributing $5,000 or more annually). This fall’s program runs October 15 to 18 and includes dinners at private palaces; private visits to the Uffizi, Accademia, San Marco and Bargello; lunch and wine tasting at the Antinori Tignanello Estate; a visit to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure with restoration experts; and a lecture by distinguished historian Ross King. A tax-deductible contribution of $3,500 per person and payment of direct costs in the amount of $2,500 per person are required to register. In the spring of 2006, FOF will run a trip including the unveiling of the Niobe Room as well as a private day visit to Rome. For more information on Friends of Florence, call (202) 333-3705 or (39) 055 223064 or visit www.friendsofflorence.org For more information on renting a villa through The Best in Italy, call (39) 055 223064 or visit www.thebestinitaly.com d —B.K. A Book For When You Have Tuscany in Mind dequate preparation for any trip abroad takes more than just research on the best hotels or newest restaurants, it requires at least a basic understanding of the place and the people who call it home. A terrific resource for this type of reading on Florence and Tuscany is the just released anthology Tuscany In Mind (Vintage, $14) edited by Alice Leccese Powers. For those seeking an historic view of Florence, Powers has included selections from Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, Henry James and E. M. Forster. There are mesmerizing readings on life in Tuscany by everyone from Lord Byron to Frances Mayes. Powers also provides excerpts from two recent noteworthy books, the memoir An Italian Affair by Laura Fraser and the novel The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dumant. Powers is also the editor of the 1997 anthology Italy In Mind (Vintage, $14). For more information, visit www.vintagebooks.com A are located in Italy; half of these are in Florence. 11 Giovanni: Not Just a Chip Off the Old Block Tuscan producers and you can taste generation of Latinis — Giovanni’s the high quality of the meats and daughters — who are the driving force cheeses. We decided against ordering behind this place. Caterina, both a first and second course and each trained at New York’s French member of our group moved on to Culinary Institute, is the head veal ossobuco (15€), potato ravioli with chef. Her sister Chiara serves black truffles (12€) and tortelli stuffed as the restaurant’s sommelier. with pears and pecorino (12€), They both speak English like respectively. Absolutely rave reviews natives (thanks to their all around the table. Chinese-American mother) and make American guests Chiara says that the most feel additionally Il Latini popular dishes are welcome. The girls also Ribollita (a traditional have a brother, Marco, but Tuscan soup), pici (a type he lives in the U.S. Their of pasta with sausage and Family patriarch Narciso Latini began mother, Carol, makes the kale sauce (12€), Smokey the dynasty in 1951 when he took over desserts (for example, Gnocci (gnocci with his uncle’s wine store on Via della panna cotta or torta al smoked tuna, swordfish Vigna Nuova. In 1965, he moved Il cioccolato; 7€ each) and is Chiara, Giovanni, a waiter, Caterina and salmon, 12€) and Latini to its current location, the former behind the selection of Bistecca alla Fiorentina (the famous stables of Palazzo Rucellai. Narciso ran the waiters’ funky leopard print Florentine steak, 45€ per kilogram). the restaurant with his sons until a few aprons. years ago. The brothers’ wives were The next day, we paid an impromptu rumored to have had a falling out. A great family story is one thing, but late lunchtime visit to Il Latini to obviously, the true test of a restaurant compare the two restaurants. The It’s always a thrill to walk into a place, is the food. Our meal began with experience — average food, inattentive especially in a tourist city, and complimentary starters of service — proved lacking. To be fair, notice that the place is filled fried vegetables (artichoke or Latini is known for its frenetic, with Italians, with not one squash blossoms, depending communal dining (there are two tourist in the bunch. That was on the season) and a plate of dinner seatings) and large the scene at L’Osteria di Giovanni coccoli (fried portions. Perhaps we and luckily one table was still bread, literarily didn’t try it at the best time available — the one we had translated as or success has brought reserved. “hugs” in L’Osteria di Giovanni some complacency. English). For Chef Caterina Via Del Moro, 18/20/22 anyone whose beloved In the Latini family tradition, the oper(39) 055 284897 In contrast, there’s a ation of this restaurant is truly a family Italian grandmother www.osteriadigiovanni.it palpable hunger for sucaffair. At 93, Narciso is still going made similar dishes, the strong (his granddaughter noted that surprisingly light, yet Closed Tuesday. Open other cess in the air at Giovanni familiar, taste of these his first ever trip to the hospital took days, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. — the sisters and their father are open to trying traditional foods will place this year for something minor and 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and he immediately asked, “When can bring tears to your eyes! Reservations recommended. new versions of Tuscan favorites, while maintainI go back to work?”) and is the host ing a relaxing and welcoming most days during lunch. Next, we devoured a selection of appeatmosphere. While they may be huntizers including prosciutto, salame, gry, the Latinis will make sure you finocchina, mouth-watering sheep’s Although proprietor Giovanni is leave their osteria full and satisfied. ricotta and chicken livers on crostini always buzzing around the place, overseeing the dining room, it is a new (12€). The Latini family has excellent 1 € = $1.24 at press time It was a cold weeknight in February. Walking past the restaurant Il Latini, we saw a crowd, mostly made up of tourists, forming at the door of this perennial Florentine favorite. We were looking for something new and undiscovered and heard that Giovanni Latini, who had split from his brother Torello, current proprietor of Il Latini, had just opened a new eatery blocks from the long-held family seat. I 12 The Details In 1252, Florence became the first city to mint its own gold coin, the fiorino. 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