Inspiration from an Italian Spice Market: Chai

Does anything taste better on a cold winter afternoon than a cup of chai? Hot, peppery, spicy, sweet, milky - it is the perfect winter warm up. Brewed Chai is not a typical offering in Italy, and the available Chai tea bags just don’t approach the taste of the real thing. There was only one solution, I needed to learn to brew it myself !

A trip to an outdoor holiday market in December gave me just the inspiration I needed to work on my chai brewing skills. A big basket of star anise and another of tiny cubes of candied ginger first caught my eye. There were also displays of cinnamon sticks, whole black peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods. It was impossible to see all of these spices and not think of chai!

I have experimented with several different ways of brewing chai. I’ve used whole, ground, and crushed spices. I’ve tried making batches of spice mix ahead of time to keep on hand. In the end I have found that the easiest method, and the one that achieves the flavor I crave, is to brew individual small batches of chai using whole spices, pieces of crystallized ginger, and a good strong base of black tea. Whole milk is perfect for chai, though 2% works pretty well too. There are lots of possibilities for sweeteners - I tend to use stevia.

The brewed chai will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, just reheat as needed.

The recipe is flexible. Like more pepper? Just increase the amount to taste. More cinnamon? Throw in another stick. Don’t like cloves? They can be eliminated all together. No cardamom on hand? It will still taste great without it. The ginger, cinnamon, and some black pepper are essentials though. And a good, strong black tea. And while I have tried powdered spices, they just don’t work as well.

As I write this I have a batch brewing and my apartment is filled with the wonderful aroma of chai spices.

Simple Chai Recipe (makes 3 cups)

In a saucepan, cover 3 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose black tea) with 3 cups of boiling water.

Add the following:

3 cinnamon sticks

1 ounce of crystallized ginger, either thin flakes or cut into small bits (note: ginger varies a lot in intensity - this is a starting point, adjust to taste)

3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

12 whole cloves

15 cardamom pods, cracked

4 whole star anise pods

Steep over lowest flame x 45 minutes and then strain to remove the whole spices.

Add sweetener and milk to taste (4 ounces of milk is about right)

Bring to a simmer and enjoy!

A hot cup of chai provides inspiration for writing too!

Christmas Windows

Christmas has arrived in Lucca.

Throughout the historic center there are signs of the holiday everywhere. Piazzas large and small are home to Christmas trees, oversized ornaments, and beautiful light displays. The streets glow with overhead sparkle. It is just cold enough to feel like winter, but not too cold to be out at night enjoying the festive atmosphere.

And the shops!

Shopping is all the more fun for the whimsically decorated windows and elegant indoor displays. One of my favorite window displays is in the historic shop Taddeucci (below).

Instead of words, today I will let the photos do the talking with pictures of Lucca’s wonderful shop windows.

Christmas for grownups at bar Des Artes !

Elegant Christmas decorations from Casantica, Lucca

Babbo Natale even paid a visit to this shop, delighting all the kids that passed by.

Traditional Christmas Panettone in tins designed by Dolce & Gabbana decorate the window of a local butcher.

Changing Seasons in Tuscany: Autumn into Winter

Sometimes the calendar plays tricks.  October, an autumn month, seemed more like late summer in Tuscany this year.  The temperatures were mild, there was plenty of sunshine, and outdoor cafes were still in full swing.  It was hard to even imagine cold weather.

Blue skies and fall color along Lucca’s walls.

Colorful umbrellas brighten dreary days.

But then the end of daylight savings time arrived, bringing shorter days and early nightfall. By mid-November temperatures were much cooler and the rains began.  This should not have been a surprise, November is typically a very wet month, but it still seemed to catch us all off guard.

Out came the colorful umbrellas, making the city cheerful despite some dark, drizzly days. It finally felt like fall. 

Now, just two weeks later, it is still officially autumn, at least until the winter solstice arrives on December 21. But it feels like winter.  The days just keep getting shorter and it is cold! Really cold. And though this transition happens every year, somehow this year it seems more of a shock.  

There is no room for complaint.  The fall color is gorgeous.  The fog and rain have a mysterious beauty.  Italy needs the rain. The umbrellas are colorful.  The cold air is invigorating and walking atop the walls of Lucca at dusk on a chilly evening is inspiring. Crisp late autumn beauty is everywhere.

Cranberries are nearly impossible to find in an Italian market. These were expensive, but worth it for a traditional apple cranberry Thanksgiving pie.

Late November brought “American-ish” Thanksgiving celebrations.  They began with a minor miracle - I actually found fresh cranberries in Italy! Hard to find here, they are an essential ingredient when I make an apple-cranberry pie and it just doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving without that pie!

On Thanksgiving day, a small gathering at the home of friends was a joy. There were prosecco filled glasses, a wonderful dinner with a not-quite-traditional (but very delicious) stuffed chicken breast, all the traditional trimmings, and lots of laughter. 

We were all reminded of the many blessings we have found here in Italy.  And while I always miss my family back in the US at this time of year, I appreciate that they remain with me in spirit and that modern technology helps keep us connected.  Not to mention that soon a big jet will whisk me off for a visit to NM where I can hug them in person!

 And now Lucca is gearing up for the winter holiday season.  Chestnuts are roasting and all around town Christmas decorations are going up.  This year it seems the city of Lucca is going all out, with some new and exciting displays filling the piazzas with Christmas spirit. 

 For the next few weeks I will happily don my winter clothing to go outdoors. I will spend time walking up on the walls and through town, crunching through the last of the fall leaves, enjoying the holiday lights and sparkle, watching the ice skaters in Piazza Napoleone, visiting churches with lovely Nativity displays, and enjoying the change of seasons from autumn to winter.    

A chilly autumn afternoon on the walls of Lucca.

An Italian Decade

August has come and gone, there are only a few weeks of summer left, and I have just arrived back in Lucca after a long visit with family in the US. Today I am feeling nostalgic - it was 10 years ago that I first came to Lucca, intending to have a “once in a lifetime” month of studying Italian here. Little did I know that the adventure would be much bigger than I realized at that time. Once in a lifetime turned quickly turned into once a year, then twice a year, and then, in 2018, a move to Lucca where I now spend the majority of each year. That first excursion to Lucca was a decade ago, my Italian decade. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photo memories from each of the last 10 years in Lucca, beginning with the gardens of Palazzo Pfanner, one of my favorite spots (top photo, from 2012).

2013 - Another garden, the Orto Botanico. I snapped this photo of two friends, some of the dearest people I have ever met, at the end of our garden visit.

2014 - An excursion to Pisa with Lucca Italian School. Those storm clouds !

2015 - One of the many Medieval celebrations in Lucca. I still never miss a chance to see one of these. I’ve gained a new appreciation for men in tights, ancient weaponry, and flag throwing.

2016 - The year I retired and went a little crazy - making three trips to Lucca. Spring (below left) and my favorite view from Lucca’s wall. Fall means beans for soup at Bottega di Prospero, one of Lucca’s oldest markets. Winter brought my first Christmas season in Lucca (made possible by a ridiculously low $400 round trip airfare!).

2017 - Spring in Lucca and another chance to study in the beautiful Liberty Style building that houses Lucca Italian School. The Santa Zita flower market, something to look forward to each spring. My favorite of the many beautiful stands of wisteria that herald spring in Lucca. The Rolling Stones came to Lucca in Fall of 2017, these posters were everywhere! The Volto Santo Procession and a medieval archery competition, both part of the Settembre Lucchese events.

2018 - Summer fun in the piazza. One of Lucca’s outdoor art exhibits. My first home in Lucca - what a thrill to see my own name on the doorbell.

2019 - A cold winter morning. Carnevale in Viareggio. A costumed participant at the Lucca Comics and Games Festival. A cooking class during Olive Oil week at Lucca Italian School.

2020 - Definitely a strange year ! Even the street art reflected the pandemic. Banners promising that all would be ok where everywhere, a sign of community spirit and hope. Christmas decorations were most welcome this year, especially with inspiring words from Dante.

2021 - Magnolias, the first sign of spring in Lucca. A sculpture from Cartasia, the celebration of paper art. Over the summer paintings of Puccini heroines appeared on many of the store shutters in Lucca, a delightful surprise.

2022 - This year marks 10 years of travel to Lucca and the easing of COVID travel rules, double the reason to celebrate. Verde Mura, the spring garden festival returned. My grandkids and daughter came to visit (finally)! The kids explored Lucca with local tour guide Diletta Barbieri. A happy group enjoying lunch after a cooking class at Extra Virgin Cooking. It has been a good year and it isn’t over yet ! Life is good in Lucca.

The Mystery In Italian Details

Italy’s “big picture” is full of things to love - culture, art, architecture, music, food. Everywhere you turn there is something wonderful to be experienced. But sometimes, there is enchantment to be found in the smallest of details and in the little mysteries that no guide book can describe.

I am still amazed that after 3+ years of living in Lucca, I continue to find new small details to appreciate. The iron fixture near my apartment door that I noticed for the first time in April, the decorative brick arch just down the street, a small fountain tucked away in a rarely visited courtyard. Lucca presents a never ending series of discoveries!

Sometimes those little details are just noted in passing. Other times, a bit of mystery draws me back again and again, examining details, feeling intrigued, painting imaginary explanations in my mind. Often this occurs with some of Lucca’s many ruins and abandoned places. How I wish I could explore all the abandoned and locked churches, those ruined buildings with their encroaching vines and empty windows, the slowly decaying wooden doors.

Behind my apartment building lies one of those abandoned places. The mystery is why this one spot - a garage - lies abandoned. It is surrounded on all sides by restored buildings, in fact the rest of the attached building is painted a sunny yellow and is full of apartments, flower boxes, and pretty doors. A simple line of color separates the two spaces.

So why is this place, a garage with old wooden doors, chained shut and abandoned? And is the window above a sign that there might have once been a living space up there? Was it perhaps the home of a carriage driver for one of the surrounding palazzi? A rough apartment for a not-so-favorite relative? A storage space, hay for the horses? Who knows? Certainly not I. But I often find myself stopping to look at it, as if someday I expect the answer to come to me.

There is beauty in this abandoned structure, especially in the small details. My camera loves this space with its rusting bolts, peeling paint, and crumbling wood. I think I will be disappointed if ever anyone comes along and restores it. It is perfect just as it is, mysterious and aged.