Sunday Lunch in the Tuscan Countryside

One of the many delights of living in Tuscany is having a pranzo di domenica (Sunday lunch) with friends.  Even better when one of those friends is a local chef who knows just where to find a special place in an out of the way little village.  Rule # 1: always let the chef pick the restaurant! I was lucky enough to enjoy such a lunch recently, in the tiny village of Colognora di Compito, a lovely drive of about 6 miles, 15-20 minutes through the countryside from Lucca.

 At first glance the restaurant, La Cantina di Alfredo, seems to have been dropped down in the middle of nowhere.  It sits in tiny village along a pretty stone lined stream.  The unassuming building that houses the restaurant (in business since 1965) barely hints at the lively atmosphere and wonderful flavors to be found within. 

The first thing to reach my senses, before even opening the door, was the smell of the wood ovens.  A very nice welcome and a hint of the flavors to come.

Next, the sound of Italian chatter reached my ears.  Families with children of all ages filled the restaurant, happily interacting and sharing a meal.  Not one cell phone or other device in sight.  Sharing a Sunday lunch with friends, surrounded by a roomful of Italian families, is always a treat.  La Cantina di Alfredo provided the perfect Sunday atmosphere.

There are house specialty antipasti that get the meal off to an abundant start.  I have to admit (with only a pinch of guilt) that between the three of us we shared several of them, almost a meal on its own.  I blame my chef friend, who ordered for us – cancel that – I meant to say that I THANK my chef friend - because each bite was delicious.  First, we shared a board of cured meats including prosciutto, salami, other cured meats, and lardo (a buttery soft cubed pork fat) served with thin wedges of herb-flecked wood fired oven baked focaccia. 

Alongside that came a platter of bruschetta featuring fegato (a liver paté) on bread or squares of fried polenta, “meatballs” made of chopped mushrooms, and a pile of pasta fritta.  Pasta fritta is addictive – small bites of hot, fried, salty dough. How bad could that be?   Topped with a slice of the prosciutto it was delicious.

Having eaten a very big antipasto course, we skipped the primi selections (first courses) and headed straight to the main dishes. 

The house specialties include meats grilled in the wood oven, especially Florentine steaks and other cuts of beef. And the big piles of meats waiting to be cooked in one of their two wood fired ovens looked amazing. 

 In addition to beef, other dishes are prepared on the grill as well, including as fish, pork, and chicken.  And a second, even hotter, wood fired oven is reserved for pizza. Both of my companions ordered the Baccalà alla Brace (alla brace means on the grill) while I opted for the Rosticianna alla Brace (grilled pork ribs). 

Alongside we shared a dish of fagioli al forno (oven roasted beans).  Cooking beans in a wood oven turns them from ordinary into something special.  Creamy on the inside but a touch crisp on the outside, drizzled with good olive oil, they were perfect with both the fish and the pork.

Much too full for a dolce (sweet), we finished our meal with coffee (and a doggie bag for me - those ribs were hefty).  Leaving the restaurant by way of a small stone bridge, it was worth the short detour to see the small church with its unique short bell tower and mosaic decoration.  And then it was back in the car for the short drive back to Lucca.  

Good friends + a drive in the Tuscan countryside + a fabulous lunch = a perfect Sunday in Tuscany.

 La Cantina di Alfredo, Via di Colognora, 32.  Colognora di Compito Capannori

Phone: +39 058 3980192.     Cell phone: +39 331 3876800

Email: info@lacantinadialfredo.it

Closed Monday & Tuesday, open Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 2:30 NS 7 – 11 PM

Early Spring in Lucca

The first wisteria of 2025 in the Giardino degli Observant.

As March heads into April there are definite hints of spring in Lucca.  While the weather is still unpredictable, there have been some days just sunny enough to feel a touch of spring warmth on our faces.  I haven’t put away my warm coat and scarves (or my umbrella) just yet, but I can feel the day coming when I will be able to pack them away until next fall.

In my mind, two things mark the early spring season in Italy.  First is the appearance of blossoms. March’s Magnolias fade quickly but are soon replaced with Wisteria. The Wisteria are just beginning to bloom with the first sprays of flowers appearing last week. This past week also saw the first white rose along the path I walk when heading for my language lessons at Lucca Italian School. Soon the whole path will be lined with them. In the past few days I also came across a bed of white calla lilies, something I had not seen before in Lucca.  Gorgeous!

Calla Lilies in bloom at the entrance to the Casa di Cura Santa Zita

Flowers are also blooming in window boxes and on terraces throughout Lucca, spots that will become even more colorful after the spring Verde Mura which is scheduled for the first weekend in April. The annual garden show showcases flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and anything else needed for the garden. 

The second sign of early spring for me happens in the markets.  Agretti is the first to appear (sometimes as early as late January / early February).  This past week asparagus and artichokes were in abundance. Pots of herbs arrived at the Ortofrutta this week too.

There are also fresh spring peas, perfect raw in salads or added to a pasta primavera.  And zucchini flowers!  While they are wonderful stuffed and fried, I never actually go to the trouble to prepare them in that way (isn’t that what restaurants are for?).  But, chopped along with the zucchini itself they make a tasty addition to a frittata. Big bundles of Tropea Onions, available year round from southern Italy, add a splash of color to the Spring market.

From southern Italy come bright red, flavorful strawberries.  Topped with a whipped combination of cream and mascarpone they make a delicious yet simple dessert. Crumble a few amaretti cookies on top for an extra treat.

As early spring progresses to the warmth of late April and May, Lucca will provide an evolving parade of opportunities to enjoy the colors, blooms, and tastes of Tuscany.

Craving Cicchetti

Sometimes, when planning an evening out, someone will ask where I would like to go for dinner.  Often a local restaurant (whether I am in Lucca or back in New Mexico) sounds just right. But other times the place I want, the flavors I crave, are far, far away.  And nothing else will do. Right now, what I am craving is some really good cicchetti. 

The word cicchetti does not have an exact English translation.  Not to mention it may be second only to bruschetta as the most mis-pronounced Italian culinary word.   Let’s start there – the “ci” in Italian is pronounced like the English ”ch”, and the “ch” in Italian is a hard sound, like an English K.  So, pretty much backwards from English.  And those double consonants are drawn out. So, for an English speaker, cicchetti is pronounced something like this:  chik-KET-tee.  Cicchetti. Yum.

A plate of assorted cicchetti from Bacaro Frascoli in Padova. Fried cheese wedges, a tuna croquette, a cheese and caponata crostino, some fried anchovies, and - my favorite - baccalà mantecato .

The closest translation to the word cicchetti would be the Spanish word tapas. Or perhaps small bites or little side dishes.  A bruschetta can be a type of cicchetti as can miniature panini. Both cold and hot little dishes can be cicchetti. Put a bunch of these tasty little bites together, add a glass of wine, and you have dinner.  

All’Ombra della Piazza in Padova has a wonderful cicchetti bar with a seemingly endless variety from which to choose. No problem going back for seconds!

Bacari, or wine bars, serving cicchetti, are a Venetian tradition. They can be found in wonderful hidden corners of Venice and in some of the nearby towns of the Veneto, such as Padova.   Just about 4 hours by train from Lucca, a visit to either place is sure to include a stop for cicchetti at a local bacaro or cantina. It is a sure bet that the atmosphere will be lively, the wines good, and the variety of cicchetti will make it hard to choose.

It is no surprise that, like many Venetian dishes, cicchetti often feature fish. The classic version is a small piece of toasted bread topped with baccalà mantecato, a creamy, whipped salted cod.  Mixed with good olive oil, it is a simple but oh so good dish.

Sardines are often on the menu too, fried and in a vinegary dressing or just served fried and hot. 

Also classic are polpette, little fried croquettes made of meat or fish.   Some versions include potatoes mixed with cheese, meat, or fish. 

At Cantina Do Spade there were many types of fried cicchetti to try.

Hot dishes of a couple of spicy shrimp or a single flavorful scallop are on the menu too. Not a fish fan?  Well there are also fried olives or crostini topped with assorted ingredients – cheese, caponata, pumpkin, caramelized onions, lardo, salumi. The selections are endless and change over the course of an evening because as fast as they are eaten they are replaced with something new and different!

The cicchetti bar at Cantina Do Spade is tiny (though there is a bigger restaurant in the back). We were fortunate to find 4 seats!

A bacaro is typically small with limited seating or sometimes no seating at all.  Head to the bar, pick out an assortment of cicchetti, order a glass of wine and either stand at the bar or head outside to enjoy your dish perched on a bench or a canal wall.  If you arrive right when the place opens you just might snag one of the few seats. This was the case at Cantina Do Spade in Venice when some friends and I enjoyed a plate (ok, several plates) of cicchetti and a glass (maybe two) of wine. 

I am in Lucca now, far from my favorite cicchetti places in Padova and Venice.  I’ll have an aperitivo with friends tonight, but the little bowls of peanuts and potato chips they’ll serve will leave me longing for a good bacaro and some of my favorite varieties of cicchetti.   Time to plan a couple of days in the Veneto!

A selection of cicchetti at All’Ombra della Piazza in Padova. Most of their selections on the night we visited were crostini topped with cheese plus a variety of toppings. It was impossible to choose a favorite.

Cantina Do Spade S. Polo 859 Venezia

All’Ombra della Piazza Via Pietro d’Abano 16. Padova

Frascoli Bacaro / Cicchetterai Veneziana. Via del Santo 93. Padova

The Olive Press Kitchen (Formerly Extra Virgin Cooking Classes)

Chef Giuseppe at work

Here is a recipe for a wonderful day of cooking in Italy:

Start with Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi (he makes the magic happen). You’ll meet Giuseppe, along with your small group of classmates, for a bit of shopping at Montecatini’s market. Here you’ll find fresh herbs, veggies, and just the right beans for soup. It’s a great way to start the day and learn about local ingredients.

This very old “hog-back” bridge spans the stream behind Il Molino

Next, spend the day at the historic molino (mill) where Giuseppe’s grandparents lived and worked. The mill property is over 600 years old and sits alongside a stream whose waters once powered the mill equipment.

Inside the old mill you’ll find a professional kitchen with lots of workspace. Here, under the chef’s guidance, you will prepare and cook authentic Italian dishes. If the day is chilly, there will be a fire burning in the kitchen’s large fireplace. Could there be a better atmosphere for cooking? I think not!

To make the atmosphere even better, enjoy some Prosecco while prepping ingredients and take a break to sample some regional olive oils and cheeses.

Later, when all the work is done, you’ll share a fabulous lunch with your classmates in the beautiful dining room, the spot which once housed the olive press. Today it is a rustic yet elegant space with a table large enough for all to gather. Giuseppe will select wines that pair perfectly with the food you’ve prepared. A member of the Italian Sommelier Association, he knows his wines and happily shares that knowledge during the meal.

A beautiful table setting adds to the enjoyment of lunch

Some of you may have done a class with Giuseppe at Extra Virgin Cooking when it was located inside the historic center of Lucca. Those classes were wonderful and inspired me to write an earlier blog post (from April 2022). With completion of the mill renovations, all of the classes moved out to Il Molino last summer. New location and a new name - The Olive Press Kitche. I was excited to experience the new location when, with a couple of friends, I signed up for a class this past October.

The cooking school is in the hills outside of Montecatini. Montecatini can be reached by train along the Florence - Lucca line. Coming from either Lucca or Florence, it is about 30 minutes to the Montecatini Centro stop. Once there, Giuseppe will meet you and it is just a short walk to the market. Classes include round trip transportation between Montecatini and Il Molino.

My October class took place on a chilly, rainy day so we enjoyed the fireplace while we prepared our first course, a Zuppa Frantoiana. This is a typical fall soup of vegetables and beans drizzled with the season’s fresh pressed olive oil.

We also prepared a beef based ragu to go with Gnudi, a light as a cloud ricotta and spinach dumpling. Shaping the gnudi takes practice and we all had fun learning the technique (but even more fun eating them at lunch).

Fall is funghi (mushroom) season, so we also made a risotto with several types of mushrooms, including porcinis.

I can almost smell these thyme scented mushrooms cooking!

Last, we made a wonderful classic Italian dessert - zabaglione. Rich with egg yolk, sugar, marsala wine, and whipped cream, it was topped with fresh berries. A perfect way to end our meal.

Everything about classes with The Olive Press Kitchen is special. From Giuseppe’s care and teaching, to the gorgeous setting, to the small group of students, to the shared meal of authentic foods and wines. For anyone interested in food, cooking, or just good eating, a day spent at the mill cooking with Giuseppe is a fabulous experience.

Classes are scheduled 3 days per week, 9 am to about 2:30 pm. All classes are in English. Cost (as of January 2025) is €130 per person.

Contact info: info@theolivepresskitchen.com

Website: theolivepresskitchen.com

Planes, Trains, and Epiphanies

It took me 3 planes, 3 trains, 2 airport shuttles, and an overnight in Rome to bring me from New Mexico back to Lucca a few days ago.  This was a considerably more complicated itinerary than my usual return to Italy. The why of it will be a familiar story to anyone who has experienced a long delay in the process of renewing their permesso (the permit for a long term stay in Italy).

If only the Befana delivered long delayed permessi

 My current permesso, which I have renewed annually for the last 6 years without difficulty, has been expired now since the end of August, caught up in bureaucratic delays.  Without a valid permesso, and possessing only the receipt as proof that I am waiting for it to arrive, I am OK legally to be in Italy. But boy is travel complicated! Without it, travel is permitted only directly between Italy and one’s home country. No stopping in any other Schengen zone country allowed.  Not even an airport layover to change planes is permitted.  That meant that my usual path into Italy – the US through Germany and onto Florence was not possible and I would need to fly from Albuquerque, where I was visiting my family over the holidays, to a US city with a direct flight into Italy. 

So, my return from New Mexico involved 3 legs – Albuquerque to Denver, Denver to Washington DC, and DC overnight to Rome.  Getting from the Rome airport to Lucca required a short train ride on the Leonardo Express into the Roma Termini train station, followed by a fast train to Florence, and then a slower local train from Florence to Lucca. This seemed a bit much to do all at once, so I broke the trip up with an overnight near the Rome airport.  So, 2 days of travel. 4 airports. 3 planes. 3 trains. 2 airport hotel shuttles. 1 hotel. Whew!  Luckily all went smoothly and I am now happily back in cold, rainy beautiful Lucca.

The stage is set for La Befana’s arrival in Lucca later today.

I have arrived just in time for the final event of the Christmas season here in Italy – the celebration of Epiphany.  Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, is the 12th day of Christmas.  It marks the day when the Magi, following the Christmas star, arrived in Bethlehem with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.   But, they arrived without one important person – the Befana. 

The Befana is an old woman, portrayed as a crone or a witch.  The story goes that the three wise men stopped her to ask for directions on their way to Bethlehem.  She directed them along, but declined to accompany them for she had much housework to do.  Later, she tried to follow them but got lost.  Ever after she has wandered around, on her broomstick, leaving goodies in the stockings of good children on the eve of Epiphany. 

This Befana roamed the streets, along with a chorus and musicians, in Lucca on the evening before Epiphany.

In Italy, Epiphany is marked by re-creations of the Magi arriving in Bethlehem and by festivities related to the Befana. There are Befanas wandering the villages, Befana themed cakes, songs, dolls, and images.  

In Lucca, on the eve of Epiphany, a troupe of musicians and singers gathered to sing about the Befana (video on Instagram and Facebook). The Befana herself accompanied them, delighting children with her basket of sweets. The legend of La Befana is an old tradition that remains an important part of the Christmas season here.

 In Lucca, an annual event marks the arrival of the Befana in the Piazza San Francesco.  She arrives from a rooftop in the piazza (with help from the local fire department).

Each year her arrival is just a little bit different (photos below are from 2 previous years). Later today she will arrive and rumor has it she will come in Babbo Natale’s sleigh (I will be on hand to watch, look for some photos on Instagram and Facebook late today).  

The little ones will gather around as she tosses candies to the crowd on her way down from the roof top.  And they’ll wait to receive stockings filled with candies or other goodies. 

 La Befana - what a fun way to bring the holiday season to a close.

 As for the other meaning of epiphany – a sudden “ah ha” moment – I had one when I realized that the last two quarter century years have marked major turning points in my life.  1975 (the first quarter century year of my life) was the beginning of my “adult ” phase marked by graduation from college, my first professional job, a marriage. 25 years later, 2000 brought a big career change, the launching of my youngest child, and being suddenly single.  Now, 2025 is here, possibly my last quarter century year unless I live to be 97 in 2050. I plan to make the most of it!  I am hoping for joy in small things, some great travel, gentle opportunities for growth, pleasant surprises, and – finally – the arrival of my long term Italian permesso!