ginnyinshanghai

Bologna (Neighborhood) Eats

April 8, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

One reason we like scheduling a food tour on our first day is asking a local for ‘authentic’ places to eat, hopefully within walking distance. One suggestion we TOTALLY loved and went back two more times (Eric has somewhat gotten over his rule of no repeats on vacation) but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about Cesari.

Da Cesari restaurant was born as an Osteria and wine retailer at the beginning of the 20th century.

Since 1955 the Cesari family has run this old meeting place for families in Bologna. It served a typical menu with regional cuisine. Now, we as tourists can also enjoy this wonderful family location.

Like every good meal, we started with wine. White for me, red for the other two.

We had a delicious, d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s, absolutely tasty pork product, special to that region: Culatello di Zibello DOP with S. Ilario butter.

You might have noticed in the first photo, there looked like it was two stories – yep, we were upstairs. Were we offended or unhappy? NO! First thing asked was ‘Do you have reservations?’ and we did not, but explained we came based upon a local recommendation. He went to his reservation book, and said yes, we can seat you upstairs. Great!

Eric had pasta with shaved fresh truffles – now he likes truffles – with home-made spaghetti.

Adrienne ordered Tagliatelle with classic Bolognese sauce.

I had a delicious entre: Scaloppina with cheese, parma ham and roasted potatoes.

I wish we had room for dessert, but we did not. We had stopped at another local place prior to this and filled up on their goodies. When were leaving, we (and by that I mean Eric) talked with one of the family members that was working, and he said it was his father that started it. We expressed our appreciation for the meal and that he had seated us. If you’re in Bologna – please stop there.

La Frasca – a cozy tavern and brewery in the heart of Bologna, founded thanks to their love of authentic food and hospitality.

Tradition comes to life in an environment that smells like home – their words, not mine. 🙂 But oh, so true.

We started with a few appetizers, fried olives & fries…………Okay, everybody understands the fries, but fried olives? Yep. If we see them again, they are being ordered. Eric tried to dissect them to see if he could duplicate once home. We’ll see.

The grilled veggies were a departure from the norm for us. I pretty much left them alone and ate most of the fries.

Meal selections were grilled eggplant (Eric), Bolognese pasta (Adrienne) and a toasted sandwich (me).

While I don’t have a lot to say about La Frasca, it was in the middle of the market district, down one of the alleys, really good food, we were hungry and really enjoyed our meal. Done. I do hope I see the fried olives, at the very least at home. Hon? Start working on that, please.

The place we continue to talk about and became part of the family here………L’Emporio.

L’Emporio is an emporium of wine and delicious deli foods from Bologna. They only serve the highest quality artisanal products, and you can tell the difference.

The owner, Nic makes homemade tigelle sandwiches, meat and cheese boards and other rotating specialties to enjoy with your wine. Quite frankly, he asked what we were interested in, we shared a few words and after that, we put ourselves in his hands. Yum, meat and cheese.

This wall had items that were VERY local, many of which he had visited either the vineyards, their stores or talked to the owners before incorporating them into his place.

Loved how he showcased his food case. Notice the light?

Here is Nic (sorry not the best photo). I was trying to get the meats in the photo, then he stepped in since he was working and I thought Hey! why not include him.

His father was also in the shop, working. Yes, yes, another ‘not so great’ photo. Hang tight.

He brought us his specialty that he created for the shop and his customers. Delicious!

Our second visit, more delicious meats and cheese. Yes, we were usually one of the first or only ones in the place since we were eating on ‘our time’ not Italian time.

We let him build the platter. When setting it on the table he described all of the items on there – sorry I can’t duplicate that. It was just as good as the photo shows. 🙂

He usually surprised us with a specialty, sometimes on the house. This was one. I tried it, not one off my favorites, but Eric got extra to eat.

Waited for the other two so got a quick photo of what was turning into a highlight of our time in Bologna.

On our third visit……………yes, I typed t.h.i.r.d visit, we asked him to build us anther platter. Surprised? Did we really care what each of them were? Not really, we just dove right in.

We became known as those ‘Disney’ people during our visits. We (again, I mean Eric) struck up conversation with those near us and shared stories and questions. We met a number of the ‘regulars. This is a great neighborhood place. On our last visit we got to meet his girlfriend and his brother-in-law.

We came in as tourists and left as family. I started following him in Instagram, just so I can relive all of the great foodie memories we found here and in Bologna. I’d like to tell you to go – but we don’t want it to lose its small-town, big city charm.

Ginny

Bologna Porticoes and San Lucas

April 2, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

Portico defined – a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cultures.

Okay – got that out of the way. Why talk about porticoes? They are everywhere in the city center.

They are part of the culture and architectural heritage of Bologna. No other city in the world has as many. They were built to increase living spaces, with the added benefit of a covering in possible inclement weather or the hot Italian sun.

Within the historic center they cover 24 miles. If you include outside of the medieval city walls now you’re talking 33 miles. The first evidence dates to 1041 and were originally wooden. In the mid 1500s brick or stone took over construction.

A portico featured prominently for one of our ‘walks’. The Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca is a symbol of Bologna and sited atop a forested hill. The church is the most important sanctuary in the civil and religious history of the city.

I had read about it before embarking on our travels and thought the ‘walk’ would be a good memory. Little did I know……….

One of our last free mornings, we started the journey – early. Yep, we’re still walking through Bologna to get to the climb – no one is around.

Walked through one of the city gates before the true start of our trek.

This was created so that traffic didn’t interfere with the journey to the top. In my mind, it signaled the beginning.

This portico has +600 archways and is the longest in the world at 3.8 km and 666 arches.

Walking to the church on top was considered a pilgrimage that started in the 12th century. More on that in a minute. We walk. Yes, that is Adrienne ahead of me.

And walk.

Add in a little construction – now I know why the pathway is so smooth.

And walk more.

What I don’t have a photo of is the stairs, stairs and more stairs that continue forever. And yes, the last bit of the journey before reaching the top, is more stairs. She’s an athlete, I am not. The joke for the remainder of the trip was ‘She tried to kill me’ with the climb. My legs hurt right now as I’m typing this post. I’m not lying – it was tough. Towards the end, my stopping to catch my breath…….and rest my legs……….was getting tiresome.

Telling my story to friends when I got home about walking to the top, apparently, it’s a ‘thing’ for those that know Bologna. Even now in today’s age, it is considered a pilgrimage to make it to the top. Okay, it WAS worth it.

The round part of the building was open when we arrived and the only space available for us to explore. Why was this church here? A church as a chapel has existed on this hill for about 1000 years. The current building was built in the 18th century to replace the 15th century construction.

Inside nuns were reciting their prayers.

The dome………

A side chapel…….

Tradition holds that in the 12th century, a pilgrim from the Byzantine Empire came to Bologna with an icon of the Virgin of Madonna and child, from a temple in Constantinople. A pilgrimage occurs during Ascension week.

Another bonus was the view of the Italian countryside.

Along with a hilltop view of Bologna.

It was time to go back down to the city to tell my husband ‘She tried to kill me’.

As we retraced our steps, a number of the shop fronts were not open but they chose an additional way to advertise their business on the metal grating covering their storefront. Cute.

We both chuckled when we walked past this business. It wasn’t the first time, nor the last time we saw a bit of Disney.

Ginny

Oh yeah, whose idea was it to go up – mine, as Adrienne continued to remind me.

Bologna Agro -tour Part 2

March 31, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

After learning and tasting Parmesan cheese, it was time for wine. We drove 30 minutes before stopping at…….

Totally loved this stop. With only the three of us and our tour guide, it felt like stopping at a family friend’s place. We walked through some of the nearby vineyards.

Looking at the gnarled vines gave you a feeling for the age and strength of this vineyard. Also, the photo below gives you a glimpse of the Italian countryside.

We got a quick photo – with a nearby castle in the background – before heading to the tasting room.

We started with this wine having a little bit of fizz. Have I mentioned…….I like fizz?

Behind the wine glass (above) you can see some local Parma we enjoyed while we were waiting for these toasted sandwiches with mortadella. I never enjoyed mortadella………until I came to Italy – delicious. I’m now spoiled.

We tried another wine and pork product – very good.

Then our hostess brought out this rose’ – loved it. Yes, it has some fizz. Like a number of Americans, I started drinking wine with White Zinfandel – sorry hubby – a number of years ago. 🙂 Not necessarily the best wine, but they had a great marketing campaign, and we drank.

Along with more meat product – such a hardship.

I haven’t thrown in many flower photos, so here you go. Flowering trees were in bloom during our time in the countryside.

We probably stayed longer than normal, but it was so comfortable we didn’t want to leave. We grabbed a photo of the group before heading out.

What about my duck? Got a quick photo before leaving.

One last stop was on the agenda before heading back to Bologna. Let’s learn about balsamic vinegar.

What is balsamic vinegar? A dark, concentrated, intensely flavoured vinegar originating in Modena, Italy, made wholly or partially from grape must: freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds and stems. This was a family business as were most in this area.

First stop – vinegar barrels.

As the juice condenses, the liquid was put into smaller barrels. These barrels were mostly composed of oak wood.

Upstairs was another room of smaller barrels, getting closer to the finish line. The wonderful smell of balsamic vinegar was getting stronger. The resulting thick syrup, called mosto cotto in Italian, is subsequently aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of several barrels of successively smaller sizes. I mentioned most barrels were made of oak. They had several different wood barrels and let us take a whiff. You could tell a difference in the product as it finishes. The light-colored wood was cherry wood.

Now it was time for the fun part – eating! First up was onion jam prepared with balsamic vinegar, topping ricotta cheese- covered bread. Oh yeah, and some local red wine.

Gelato topped with whipped cream, some nuts and drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

I thought the cookie was going to be our last tidbit.

I was wrong! Our last morsel was a cookie crumble topped with gelato and 25-year balsamic vinegar. O.M.G. Yes, they saved the best for last.

There was absolutely no pressure or expectation to purchase anything from our stops. but hey – how can you leave this without adding something to your bag? We couldn’t!

This was a totally awesome tour – not our norm. There was a maximum of 8 but as you could see (or guess) it was the three of us and the guide.

Ginny

Couldn’t resist throwing in this photo taken at our last stop. Yep, that’s Eric on top of a Lamborghini.

Bologna Agro-tour – Part 1

March 27, 2024March 29, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

This was a tour we booked at the last minute and was our last full day in Bologna and our chance to get out of the city. But first, we made a stop at one of the oldest pastry & coffee shops in Bologna. I could find it again………….but never got the name nor a photo of the outside. We ordered our beverage of choice and a pastry while Ricardo prepped us for the day’s activities.

First stop on today’s tour – cheese – and we headed to Modera.

We got picked up fairly early (7 am) to ensure we saw (most) of the cheese-making process for Parmasean. We missed two steps, the curdling of the milk and subsequent separation. Use your imagination from the photos below. Curdling occurs naturally if cows’ milk is left open in a warm environment to air.

Separation of the curdling gives you this delicious Ricotta. I’ll state this right now………this is not a post about cheese-making, listing all of the sciences and steps involved. If you need that – google it.

*Separated product becomes fresh Ricotta.*

Milk product is placed into these heated copper bowls.

This is when we arrived. The solid matter comes together and at this point the gentleman was loosening that which was at the bottom of the pot.

The pictures below show more of the next few steps.

The cheese master was involved in the next steps, a culmination of 10 years work. If he makes a mistake, two rounds of cheese are lost.

A hydraulic lift assisted with putting these into the cheese molds.

The cheese was stamped and strict records are kept to track this until sold to the consumer.

This mold ultimately indicates this is Parmesan cheese and other important info.

They are soaked in salted water before drying and then put into the warehouse next door.

And what a sight to see – amazing!

I don’t think I can fit one of these into my suitcase – but I’d like to try.

Inspections occur periodically and the wheels are stamped at that time.

So we asked how the mold impressions seem to darken during the process. The answer……..cheese dust. Huh? We got lucky and the machine that ‘brushes’ the cheese was at the very end of the row.

Split the video because the ‘brushing’ went on for quite a while. But then the cheese, goes back into its original space, turned upside down.

Another step is tapping the cheese round as part of the inspections.

Before leaving the drying warehouse, we captured one photo. There is a.l.o.t. of cheese here.

But you know………………..there is one step that needs to occur before all of this starts.

This rooster wanted to prove they ruled the area.

One cow wanted to be the center of my attention.

We walked past this contraption and what was happening? If you have an itch you can’t reach, come to the brush and it does the job (and keeps things clean and cows happy).

Remove the hairnets and the booties and it was time to taste their goodies. The front part of this building was a market where many locals stop in. I mentioned Labrusca in one of my earlier posts – love it. Finally, a red wine with a bit of ‘sparkle’ that was a dry wine. Who knew there were so many options. Not me!

All the products were either made here (cheese) or sold in their market. Perfect timing for a snack during the tour.

Those round ‘crackers’ seen below – parmesan cheese crisps – delicious!

I originally was going to have 1 post for the tour, but after I started writing, I’d rather break it down into manageable bites – more coming soon.

Ginny

Basilica di San Petronio – Bologna

March 26, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

The Basilica is dedicated to the patron saint for the city, Saint Petronius who was bishop of Bologna in the 5th century. Its commanding presence dominates Piazza Maggiore which at various times of day is filled with tourists or students – it’s a huge gathering spot. We stopped inside within hours of arriving in Bologna – it draws you in.

A very imposing building, even with the facade incomplete. I think it adds to the charm. The lower part of the building is covered in marble, while the upper part of the building was exposed brick. Construction started in 1390 but ultimately money ran out.

It is considered the 10th largest church in the world by volume being 132 meters long, 66 meters wide and 47 meters tall and the largest church built of brick.

Let’s go inside.

At the alter was a 15th century ornate wooden crucifix, which the maker is unknown.

Behind that is a fresco with the Madonna and St. Petronio.

Two organs are part of the church with both being in good condition. I included a shot of one.

There were some windows with varying degrees of stained glass. These were part of the 22 chapels along the sides of the basilica.

As we started seeing several years ago, relics were a major part of church business and this one was no different. One chapel was dedicated to relics and I believe the area highlighted in the gold window near the bottom were relics from St. Petronius.

Ever curious, Eric noticed an unusual roped off area inside the church.

The church hosts a marking in the form of a meridian line inlaid in the paving of the left aisle in 1655; it was calculated and designed by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini, who was teaching astronomy at the University. The stanchions and plexiglass are trying to preserve the markings carved into the marble.

A meridian line does not indicate the time: instead, with its length of 66.8 metres (219 ft) it is one of the largest astronomical instruments in the world, allowing measurements that were for the time uniquely precise. It tells you the day of the year.

The sun light, entering through a 1.066-inch hole placed at a 88.8 ft height in the church wall, projects an elliptical image of the sun, which at local noon falls exactly on the meridian line and every day is different as to position and size. Again, this is so amazing, this was happening in the mid-1600s.

As we were exiting, this last side chapel was awe-inspiring. It was filled with so many things. I’m sure you could look at it daily and find something new each time.

While the Basilica di San Petronia is larger than life, we walked by this other building and on one of our last days we stepped inside. This greeted us. So much beauty. I think I whispered ‘wow’ out loud, along with the other two. It was a shock to the senses. So solemn and quiet yet a bustling pedestrian zone was right outside its doors.

Walking to the altar, here is a closer shot of the fresco. We were the only ones inside the building. I’m guessing this is John the Baptist. Why?

This was the entrance into the church. I assumed it was the name of the church. No, I can’t find the name, no matter how much I tried searching the internet and looking at internet maps.

These are the hidden gems you find when traveling.

Ginny

Bologna Food Tour

March 24, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

This is something very common for us – booking a food tour, especially when we stop at a new city for us. Why?

~you’re talking with a local that is typically passionate about their city.

~able to get local recommendations tailored to your wants.

~find those ‘hidden’ gems that aren’t in a guide book.

Eric does a LOT of research prior to our trips and reads LOTS of reviews for said tours. Occasionally we’ve gone back to revisit places that was on the tour because we enjoyed it so much. Now, we’ve also gone a bit crazy and done too many food tours (Lyon, France) during one visit – we learned.

This was our tour for Bologna.

What better way to start than with coffee and croissant. This is one of the only places in Bologna that roasts their own coffee beans.

Options for croissants were plain or creme.

Next up – pasta factory. Upstairs was where the pasta was being created.

At this time of the year, only one table occupied for pasta. At other times of the year, every available space in this room is full of pasta-making.

Enough of looking, let’s get some food! Eric and Adrienne were drooling at what was inside.

Part of this business was prepared food but the other side was fresh pasta for sale.

They had lots of goodies for sale. Yes, a few of them made the trip to Florida.

What did we pick up from this location? This delectable platter.

This is also where I was introduced to a dry Lambrusco – delicious!

A glass of that along with a plate of meats – I was happy.

Parmesan cheese with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar – perfect.

before sitting down to each these goodies, we walked through tight alleyways that were full of open-air markets. Notice those cheeses? The stickers (numbers) indicate how many months they have aged. They go up past what I captured in my photo.

This was also a great place to find this map and see where some of these culinary gifts come from.

It was f.i.n.a.l.l.y time to eat some of that pasta we saw being made earlier.

What better way than to close with some gelato? Sorry, no photos.

We had a great tour and enjoyed the introduction to Bologna.

Ginny

Florence to Bologna

March 22, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

All to soon, it was time to continue on our Italian journey. Look at these two seasoned train travelers. They’re keeping an eye on the platform departure board as I wandered off.

We were waiting for this.

Bologna. Why go to Bologna?

~it is the 7th most populous city in Italy

~also nick-named the ‘Fat City’ – rich cuisine, the ‘Red City’ – red tiled rooftops and the ‘Learned City’ – oldest university.

~speaking of which…..the University of Bologna has the longest continuous university operation in the world, established in 1088. That is not a typo.

Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre. The first two photos are part of the main historical centre square.

A main reason for visiting……………not many Americans have it on their traveling plans. It reigns as the gastronomic capital of Italy – definitely a great spot for 3 foodies. They have gifted the world with Parmigiana Reggiano, tortellini, mortadella, Parma ham and balsamic vinegar to new a few things.

These two towers are symbols of Bologna with construction begun 1109-1119. It is assumed their construction was a competition between two families to prove who was more powerful. Basically, they are so old, very little was known about them. One of the towers is learning so much, it was permanently closed off in 2023 and a metal barrier is being constructed if it does collapse.

We grabbed a quick bite before our apartment was ready. Its location was ideal being one block away from the church in the first photo.

After dropping off the luggage we started walking.

Porticoes – a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.

This city is known for them, and we came across them quickly. I fell in love with them. 🙂

We all chuckled when we walked past this.

Naturally I needed to include a photo of a flower stall we walked by.

Too early for dinner we stopped for some refreshment along the historical centre square.

There were a variety of liquids imbibed. The middle drink was Eric’s choice, a Campari Spritz – a combination of prosecco, bitter liqueur and soda water. Yeah, ugh. I tried it – no thank you. The other two photos below are sparking local wines.

We needed a little something to hold us over until dinner and we ordered this. O.M.G. Those squares are fried gnocchi and the ham……cutatello, a rare small salumi made from the choicest section of the pigs thigh muscle.

As I was typing this post, I looked up cutatello ham. We should have brought some home and tried to get it through customs. Since 2017 it has been sold in America at Italian specialty stores and even a shop on Amazon. Check it out. Be prepared for stick shock!

We eventually wandered off for dinner at Sala Interna. Nothing special, but it was open, had seating and comfort food. Yes, we started with wine – white for me, red for the other two.

Two starters were ordered, bruschetta and lard bruschetta, they arrived waaaaaaay bigger than we expected. Did we need both of them? Not really. Did I try the one with Lard? Yes, Double Yuck. 😦

I had the traditional tortellini in broth – simple, but delicious. It was perfect that evening. When the sun started to set, it got chilly quickly. This was hot and filling.

Eric had this entre – ham-topped meatballs, fries and an unusual salad. Ummm.

Tortellini with Bolognese sauce was Adrienne’s choice. Yes, that recipe originated here. It is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, with characteristic sofrito (onion, celery & carrots), white wine, milk and a small amount of tomato paste or sauce. Mighty tasty.

It was a full day, a day of travel and a day of wandering. Tomorrow is our Bologna food tour – always a great way to start our time in a city.

Ginny

Florence Eats

March 20, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

We had several meals that were special, two of which needed reservations prior to our arrival. Truly, it was the first thing asked when we arrived. But let’s get to our meals.

The first one I’m going to talk about is Trattoria L’Oriuolo.

Their mission is traditional flavor with a Tuscan touch. The restaurant prepares classic recipes of Florentine cuisine and of the peasant tradition. Simple ingredients once considered poor are being rediscovered as genuine, rich and traditional and culture. But enough words, lets see the food.

For a number of months, I’ve been drinking white wine that has bubbles or considered sparkling. I’m not talking about champagne, but there are other sparkling wines but in Italy, Proseco is theirs and I had a glass with my meal. Eric and Adrienne shared a bottle of red wine.

We had bruschetta as a starter and we talked………..why is this the first time we’ve ordered it during our trip? It’s simple, tasty and cleanses the palate. I see more in our future!

There was one reason for selecting this restaurant: Bistecca alla fiorentina, steak Floratine-style. What does that mean? It is a loin steak on the bone cooked on a grill until rare. The meat is aged for at least two weeks in cold rooms and must be at room temperature at the time of cooking. Eric had been thinking and drooling about this experience ever since our trip was being planned. Once you order the Floratine steak, it is brought out to the table with a scale and the weight will determine what price you are paying. Once you agree to the cut and weight, it goes back into the kitchen.

The unseasoned meat is turned once, cooking it about 3-5 minutes per side. Finally, it is cooked ‘standing’ on the side of the bone for 5-7 minutes until the traces of juice disappear from the bone. Then it comes to the table.

They also ordered a side dish of greens.

They both loved it. It’s not my thing. Instead I ordered this pasta with beef short ribs. I LOVED my choice. The pasta was cooked perfectly with a bit of chew, the meat was tender and the sauce spot on.

We had NO room for dessert. Surprised?

One day for lunch, we stopped at Da Pinocchio.

It is in the heart of the historic district and their menu is typical of Tuscan dishes. Several locations in Florence had this type of seating. Great for when the weather is dicey. You’re outside, but then again, you’re not exposed.

The dish below was something recommended we look for while in Florence, one of their specialties as a starter. Come on…….hot, fried dough, spreadable cheese and prosciutto. What’s not to like?

For our meals, Eric went traditional, pasta with meat sauce.

On that day they had a special with chicken (half of a cockerel, young male chicken, less than 1 year), accompanied by fries – my choice.

Adrienne – she needed a salad with a protein added

We were stuffed – no desserts with this meal. However……..there were a number of Pinocchios inside and they were begging to be included in my post.

Our last reservation in Florence was for La Giostra.

Their brick arches of the sixteenth century and the historiate walls where the horses of a nearby carousel once rested, now houses 16 tables where new stories begin every night. More than 25 years ago this family came together to share their family traditions and ancient recipes with the people of Florence. Obviously, you needed a reservation when only 16 tables exist. Luckily we had one.

By this point, it was evident that if we wanted dessert we were going to have to forgo a starter. So when this showed up at our table, we said ‘No, we didn’t order this’. She explained that everyone received this. There is bruschetta on the plate but when we asked what the other items were……..we couldn’t fathom their Italian explanation. No matter, we ate them all and we were happy.

This was the second time they ordered the Floratine steak – and were very happy with what came to the table. A few veggies were part of the platter.

I ordered one of their dishes they are known for – Ravioli fatti a mano con Peccorino di fossa e Pere Williams. Or, homemade ravioli filled with Peccorino cheese and William pears. There were other ravioli fillings but I went with a local dish.

I’ll be honest – not my favorite filling. I ate most of the ravioli and Eric shared pieces of his steak that were cooked more to my liking. But hey – that’s what going to new areas and ordering new things is about. Hopefully there are more ‘wins’ in the positive column.

Desserts? Yep we each ordered one.

ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and nuts

We really enjoyed our time and experience at this restaurant and would definitely recommend anyone planning a visit to Florence – book this place!

Ginny

San Lorenzo Marketplace

March 19, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

Technically speaking…………..this is considered two markets. There are a number of outside market stalls dating back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the market was located outside of the city walls but as the city continued to grow, it was moved inside the city and became more organized. We didn’t spend a great deal of time in this section. It seemed to be mostly about leather goods and we were here for the food.

In the early 20th century, the market underwent a major renovation, which saw the construction of the covered market hall that still stands today. The renovation helped to modernize the market and improve the shopping experience for visitors. The cast iron and glass structure recalls European architecture, most notably Parisan. But enough of the history, let’s get inside!

Always love the shops that feature local products. So many things to look at.

Some specialize strictly in meat.

If you want your meat to be prepped – here you go.

Then you have the cheese mongers. I mean, come on, where can you find cheeses like these in the states?

Couldn’t resist this shot with the baby sheep highlighting the milk used.

Mushrooms – N.E.V.E.R seen this many shrooms in one place. This shot was only a small portion of the food stall.

And the veggies. LOVE their veggies. Artichokes were in season and numerous times we found 3 sizes of this veggie and priced accordingly.

Almost forgot about the seafood. Indeed, I only captured one photo. Being so far inland, seafood was still available but nothing really unusual was seen.

Renovated in 2014 the upstairs area is a foodie’s delight. This new floor of the market is not only a hub for food but also for Italian culture and history. Many of the specialty items represent a different method of production, dating back in time, calling upon old Italian cultural traditions.

There’s plenty of seating, a team of workers clear and clean the tables and the stalls work together with an electronic system when your orders are ready to be picked up.

Let me share a few of the food stalls:

*Pick your focaccia topped-bread which could be grilled or reheated.*

*Pick-up pre-packaged biscotti or select your own.*

What did we eat?

Crostini, (top) smoked cheese and mushrooms, (bottom), smoked salmon and garlic aioli.

Sometimes you just wanted a sandwich. Okay, it was me that wanted a sandwich.

And let’s not forget desserts. One time I got this cake, slightly warmed up. It was very good.

I chose the ice cream bar on a different day, with sliced almonds – excellent!

This turned into our ‘lunch’ choice a number of days. We could each pick up what our heart desired at that particular moment, to eat or drink. 🙂

They are actively working on incentives for locals to shop and eat at the marketplace. Things such as a discount card, discounted or free parking and special cooking events. I know one thing……….if we lived in Florence, we would be coming back – repeatedly.

Ginny

Pizza & Gelato Class in the Florence Hills

March 17, 2024 by ginnyinshanghai

This sounded like it could be a fun time – and it was. We’ve booked a few classes in the past and always had an excellent time. Yes, we learned something, but it was more about talking to others and drinking while trying to cook. This started with a short bus ride out of the city, into the hills of Florence where we were greeted by one of the hosts.

Walking to the site gave me a first chance to see the Florence countryside.

Before starting the class there was a bit of tasting involved – loved it!

This was a great way to start our evening. Most had wine, I chose a local beer. I brought others to my side before the evening was over.

Since the gelato was going to be a longer session, we got it going first, each picking out the flavor we wanted to create. Ultimately, we would be tasing everyone’s gelato.

Hard at work creating our hazelnut gelato.

Before starting the pizza-making we had a bit of time to wander the grounds for a few photos.

The making of the gelato was in this building.

Next on the agenda was making our pizza dough. Everyone had to participate. First step was mixing the dough.

Then roll your dough to get the right consistency and work it without over-flouring it. That’s the trick!

One of the last steps for the dough was to ‘relax’ the dough by slapping it onto the work area.

A few more techniques were shown so that our ball of dough was a smooth ball.

We worked in small groups at the pizza workstations and everyone ‘learned’ how to toss their pizzas. Some where better than others. Adrienne had the ‘knack’ – must be her Italian blood.

A multitude of toppings were available for our individual pizzas.