Festiggiare - To Celebrate

It was the last day of our trip to Lucca and Judy and I decided to festiggiare - a word that can mean to celebrate or to feast. We did both at one of our favorite restaurants.

Gli Orti (the gardens) di Via Elisa is a beautiful restaurant on, you guessed it, Via Elisa just outside of Porta San Gervasio, one of the medieval gates inside Lucca's walls.  

Porta San Gervasio, one of two remaining medieval entrances to Lucca.

We celebrated two things: a successful trip (the first time Judy and I have actually traveled together) and also the launch of this blog, a project months in the planning. We've had fun writing and have really enjoyed the responses we've gotten to our first posts. 

The entrance to Gli Orti di Via Elisa, still decorated for the Christmas season.

On the menu was a guilty pleasure called Pasta Fritta - little pieces of dough fried in oil, sprinkled with a good coarse salt, served warm and layered with a soft melty cheese and a piece of prosciutto. I first tasted this a couple of years ago in a Sicilian-style restaurant in Lucca and then again on an excursion into the hills outside of Lucca with a group from Lucca Italian School last spring. It's one of those dishes that combines warm, salty and savory in just-the-perfect combination and it's an unforgettable flavor. It's also not something found at home (at least not in New Mexico), so don't pass this up if you find it on a menu in Italy. It's an antipasto, so was our first course and perfect for sharing. Remember, this is a festa so a bit of decadence is not just ok, it's required!

Pasta Fritta warm, salty, and delicious.

Judy is a pizza purist, so for her main course she ordered a pizza Margherita, an Italian classic topped with a touch of tomato sauce, good mozzarella and some basil. She pronounced it to be in her top 10 all-time pizza experiences.

Pizza Margherita. It smelled so good Judy had to taste it before I snapped a photo!  

I went full out carnivore, ordering a steak grilled, sliced and topped with herbs, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Alongside came roasted potatoes with rosemary, perfectly cooked with a crisp outside and a creamy, tender inside.  

Steaks are cooked rare in Italy; this one was tender and flavorful.   

You might notice a lack of veggies. They are not abundant on menus here, other than salads or spinach and a few season-specific vegetables like asparagus. As one Italian I know put it to me, "You can eat vegetables at home. No one goes to a restaurant for vegetables." Ah, Italian wisdom!

Happy and full, we skipped dessert and had just a caffe macchiato to finish the meal. We've made a bit of a study of caffe macchiato this trip, which is sure to end up as a future post.  

-post by JB

Caffè macchiato - espresso with just a touch of milk.

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contact info:   Gli Orti di Via ElisaVia Elisa 17, 55100 Lucca, Italy         ristorantegliorti.it

Outside the Great Walls of Lucca

When I've been in Lucca before, I've only ventured outside the walls of the city to walk to the train station. So on my recent trip, I wanted to see what was beyond the imposing walls constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries - especially after I tasted a dessert from a pasticceria in the Borgo Giannotti neighborhood. (Pastry is a powerful motivator!)

Outside the walls of Lucca, January 2017.

The historic center of Lucca is within the walls, which were built to defend the city and remain intact today. The walls are essentially a 4-kilometer-long (almost 2.5-mile) park for residents and visitors alike. Biking, walking, jogging, sitting and watching other people bike, walk and jog - it all takes place on the walls.

Heading out the northern Porta Santa Maria exit from the historic center, there is an underground passageway to Borgo Giannotti, a typical Italian neighborhood with tiny restaurants, bakeries, a flower shop, butcher and other small businesses lining the main street.

Flowers brighten a winter day in Borgo Giannotti just outside the walls of Lucca, January 2017.

It's an easy and interesting walk along a road that is heavily trafficked by cars - something that does not happen inside the walls of Lucca because cars are only allowed in certain areas and often only for certain reasons such as loading and unloading. 

The destination on the walk Joanne and I took near the end of our December 2016/January 2017 trip to Lucca was Pasticceria Sandra, L'Angolo Dolce. Friends had brought us a cream-and-raspberry torta from there earlier in the week (read all about it in Joanne's earlier post, Pranzo con Amici).

Pasticceria Sandra, L'Angolo Dolce - culinary craftsmanship at its best.

The pasticceria is small. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in creativity and culinary craftsmanship. A glass display case in the center of the shop holds dozens of delectable delights, including cakes, cupcakes, miniature pastries, panini (sandwiches) and more. Each one has been created as a unique piece of edible art. At the back of the shop is a coffee bar. Joanne and I each ordered a mid-morning cornetto con crema and cappuccino. The cornetti (that's the plural of cornetto, which is like a croissant) were perfectly flaky and buttery and filled in the center with a soft cream that was not too rich but sufficiently sweet.

The River Serchio, January 2017.

Fortified by coffee and sugar, we hit the road again, following it through Borgo Giannotti to the River Serchio, which flows toward the Ligurian Sea. Walking/biking paths run alongside the river and on a clear day like we had, there is a nice view of the Tuscan hills in the distance. I love to explore, and this easy walk through Borgo Giannotti was a nice way to spend part of a day. I spied a church on a hill to the north of the river, and now I'm looking forward to exploring it on my next visit!

   -post by JG

Three Wise Men and A Witch (Epiphany in Italy)

January 6 is Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, and the official end of the holiday season in Italy.  Epiphany represents the day the wise men (magi) arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

Italian folklore says that along the way the wise men stopped an old woman to ask for directions (I believe this is why they were considered wise). They invited the old woman to go with them but she was too busy (cleaning house and the like) and so stayed behind. Later she tried to catch up with them and bring a gift to the Christ child but couldn't find her way- so instead she wanders around giving gifts to good children (and lumps of coal to the naughty ones) on Epiphany. Today Befana is portrayed as a witch or crone-like creature who gets around on a straw broom.

Befana arrived in Lucca to the delight of local children, tossing candy as she descended from a rooftop in Piazza San Francesco (assisted by balloons and the crane atop a local fire truck) and gave small gift-filled stockings to the little ones. We later saw her across town, jovial and dancing to accordion music accompanied by a local chorus.

Befana waves to the crowd as she descends on Lucca, January 2017.

Waiting for Befana to arrive.

The Magi arrived in a much more solemn ceremony. The story of Christmas was recited and they entered on horseback, greeted by people in medieval costume and the sound of drums. They moved through town in a procession and finally arrived at the church of San Paolino to worship at a living nativity inside the church. Ceremonies such as this seem to happen often in Italy and I am always delighted when I am able to experience one.  They are meaningful and moving and just one of the many things I love about Italy. 

Waiting for the Magi to appear.

The Magi at the church of San Paolino.

Epiphany is not celebrated much in the United States, but it's a big part of the Christmas season in Italy. After Epiphany, the decorations come down and Italy pauses before beginning to prepare for Carnivale.

-post by JB

Pranzo con Amici (Lunch with Friends)

Today's post is all about pranzo (lunch). Judy and I are still in Lucca and we've invited friends to our apartment for lunch. These are really special friends - Angelo, Daniela and Eva are the trio behind Lucca Italian School, a wonderful language school and a place where I have spent many happy weeks over the past few years. They are, as I tend to think of them, the holy trinity of Italian teachers. Eva is also the school's master cooking teacher, but hey, no pressure!

The table is set for pranzo with amici, Lucca, January 2017.

I love to cook, especially for friends. It's a way of being creative, of welcoming others, of sharing a bit of myself. Conversation and laughter always surface when people share a meal. Often when I've hosted a meal in Lucca it's been for friends visiting from the United States. Today Judy and I are hosting Italian friends, so there is the added bonus of speaking in Italian and catching up on news from Lucca and the Italian School.

On the menu today:

Insalata mista, a simple mixed salad served with olive oil, lemon and a balsamic glaze.  

A simple salad, Lucca, January 2016.

Caprini aromatiche (an herb and olive oil marinated soft cheese). I could write a whole blog post on my love for this cheese and my attempts to recreate it at home; sadly I have not yet gotten it just right. Luckily in Lucca we can walk five minutes down to Il Mercantino on Via San Paolino and buy some.

Focaccia, soft inside with a beautiful salted crust. Fresh from Amadeo Giusti.

Caprini and focaccia.

For the main course, a frittata with onions and zucchini (recipe below, adapted from Marcella Hazan).  

Many of the frittata ingredients.

Wine (this is Italy after all - wine with lunch is "normale"). Our friends arrived with a bottle of Sangiovese from the Lucca hills, which went perfectly with the meal. 

For dessert a fruit crostata (or two) from a nearby pasticceria and a torta (cake) brought by Daniela, Eva and Angelo, filled with cream and raspberries. This came from what must be the most heavenly place on Earth, Pasticerria Sandra, L'angolo Dolce (the sweet corner), which is outside the walls of old Lucca in the Borgo Giannotti neighborhood. At L'angolo Dolce, pastry is art.  

Heavenly pastry from a local pasticceria, Lucca, January 2016.

Coffee brewed stovetop in the Moka to round out the afternoon. Moka brewing is an essential skill and one both Judy and I have been practicing. We've just about perfected our technique. 

A Moka, a coffee-brewing essential in Italy.

Pranzo today was "perfetto." Great company, conversation in a mix of Italian and English across a range of topics, and a chance to welcome friends into my Italian home (even if it's only a rented apartment for a couple of weeks). It's all a piece of my part-time but very real Italian life.                                    -post by JB

The end of a lovely lunch with Daniela, Angelo and Eva, Lucca, January 2017.

Frittata with Zucchini and Onions (serves 5-6) 

2 small or 1 medium zucchini, cut into thin rounds

1/2 of a large onion, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan  

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

10 large eggs

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over low-moderate heat. Add zucchini rounds in a single layer and cook on one side until slightly browned. Turn and cook a couple more minutes on the other side. Remove from pan and place in a large bowl.  

Sauté onion in the oil remaining in the pan until golden and soft. Remove from pan and add to zucchini. Cool to room temperature. (Can be done several hours ahead of time.)

Add to cooled veggies: chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, eggs. Mix well to combine.  

Preheat oven broiler.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet and pour egg/vegetable mixture into pan. Cook over low heat, pulling up the edges as they set to allow liquid to flow underneath. When nearly cooked through and just wet on top, place under broiler for a couple of minutes to set top and lightly brown.    

Slide from pan onto a plate and serve hot.

A finished frittata.

Note: This is not a fussy recipe, It can easily be cut in half (just cook in a smaller pan). Try swapping out the zucchini for small rounds of parboiled red potato, or add roasted red pepper and use soft goat cheese instead of Parmesan. Experiment!  

Seasonal Sightings

Once Christmas Day has passed in the States, the holiday season is in the past for many people. In Italy, the season extends through Epiphany, which is typically on January 6. Christmas decorations remain up, festive lights continue to glow and gifts are even given to some children on that day.

Rows of lights crisscross a street in Lucca, December 2016.

In Lucca this year, signs of the season were everywhere, from piazzas with towering Christmas trees to private doorways with pine swags and even a café window adorned with one sheer red and one sheer green curtain.

A tree with white bows and white lights in Piazza Mercanti, Lucca, December 2016.

At Gigi Trattoria, bunches of holly berries were used to tie back the Christmas-colored curtains. The restaurant is a favorite in Lucca for both Joanne and me (Judy).

Gigi Trattoria, Lucca, December 2016.

Joanne wouldn't let me post the photo of one store window that proudly displayed the words "I Love Xmas" over a fist with a raised middle finger. I had to agree with her. There were too many other "politically correct" shop windows to capture. Below is a glimpse of just a few of them.                      -post by JG and JB

Restaurant window just off Via San Giorgio, Lucca, December 2016.

The window of a flower shop, Lucca, December 2016.

Yep, it's the window of a wine shop, Lucca, December 2016.

Taddeucci's window includes one of the shop's famous buccellato - a must-taste in Lucca. December 2016.

Chocolate shop window on Via Filungo, Lucca, December 2016.