Tuscany is a beautiful region in central Italy, with rolling hills, vineyards covering every valley and slopes and olive groves rising up throughout the countryside.
The wine and extra virgin olive oils produced here are essential ingredients in many of the typical dishes of the Tuscan cuisine. While we were in Tuscany I wanted to experience as much of the food and culture as possible. According to the Tuscans, Tuscany has the best food in the world and they are very proud about being the best. Some of their specialties include home made pasta dishes, Florentine steak is at the top of the list, and soups and stews are very popular especially seafood and hearty bean and tomato. Here are a few of our favorite meals.
Thinking back on our trip I can't help but laugh at some of the Italian customs. As I've mentioned, they love their food and they also have many opinions about how things should be done. For example did you know that it is frowned upon to dip your bread into a bowl of olive oil? Well we do it all the time at home but I won't ever dip my bread again while I am in Italy at least not while anyone is looking my way.
We had so much fun learning from the locals. Next time I will blend right in with everyone when eating out. And I will know how to find the best restaurants now that I have a few helpful tips.
It was a little challenging for us to find local, non-tourist restaurants since we were walking most everywhere we went. We opted to take the train as often as possible. Some of our friends had rented a car but even they opted for the train as often as possible. Driving in Italy is insane.
We took the train to Florence and so glad that we did considering the traffic. Since Florence is one of the most visited cities in Italy, with millions of visitors (1.8 million in 2012) annually and over 370,000 inhabitants in the city alone, it can get very congested. Because it is such a tourist spot, there are many restaurants to accommodate everyone. In fact there are over 1,940 restaurants in Florence. Thankfully, we have fabulous friends who did some research prior to our visit and they found a fabulous restaurant, Trattoria (family owned) Acauacotta.
The menu was very extensive including very enticing dishes. I was learning though that my stomach couldn't accommodate an antipasto, first coarse, second coarse and a dessert. So I choose very carefully what I wanted to try. I was looking for something different
The salad was recommended so we started with salads of baby Spinach with Parmesan Cheese, Truffles and Pine nuts. 
The spinach was fresh and tender and the combination of truffles and pine nuts was perfect. I skipped the first (pasta) coarse and went straight for the second coarse, selecting the stuffed rabbit.
It was a good decision. It was beautifully presented and it was delicious. I believe it was stuffed with pork sausage and herbs but since our server didn't speak English I decided to just enjoy my meal. As I’ve already eluded to, the pork in Italy is amazing.
Dennis selected a pork chop that was also beautifully presented.
He reported that it was tender, juicy and very flavorful.
Stacey enjoyed the home made Ravioli with Spinach, Scamorza cheese and Tomatoes. Scamorza is a semi-soft cheese made from Italian cow's milk very similar to mozzarella.
It too was very good. There isn't anything like home made pasta. At one time that was all you were ever served in Italy but times are changing and many people are choosing the easier, less time intensive commercial products. All I can say is what a shame but I do understand about convenience.
We left Florence very happy. It was an amazing visit. It is hard to imagine how it could get any better but it did!
We had a very unique experience on Wednesday. We hired a nature guide who took us bird watching. It was a cloudy, slightly dreary day but we saw many birds. We also saw wild boars out in the distance. I enjoyed the adventure which also included lunch at a local Italian restaurant, totally off the beaten track, not in a tourist area at all. I Gelsi Restorante and Pizzeria seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere.
Our guide had to interpret for us because the menu was totally in Italian and no one at the restaurant spoke English. I had been told if we really wanted true Italian food, we needed to find a restaurant that did not have a menu in English. So we did and it was great. The highlight of the meal was eating lunch with our guide, Marco. He was very entertaining and informative. He was quick to point out that Americans did not know how to eat. Stacey was about to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on her mushroom pasta when out of the blue Marco exclaims, “NO! you can’t do thatâ€. We all jumped and said, “whatâ€? He continued by explaining that it is an insult to the chef to add parmesan cheese to mushroom and fish dishes. He said that it covers up the delicate flavor of the fish. Mushrooms have a very special flavor on their own. So we learned something new. We asked if there were other tips, things that we should know. This is what he shared with us:
Parmesan Reggiano is added to meat and tomato dishes only.
Never order coffee with milk after 10:00 a.m.
Never use your bread to soak up olive oil, it is supposed to be drizzled on the bread.
Don't cut up the pasta and use your bread only to soak up any left over sauces in your plate after you have eaten.
So we enjoyed a delicious meal and learned how to eat Italian style.
I selected risotto. I love risotto and the beet risotto I had the week before was so good. This time I choose the shrimp risotto.
It wasn’t what I expected but it was delicious. The shrimp was pureed and folded in as a sauce. Just in case you are not familiar with risotto, it is a rice that is very high in starch. It must be cooked very slowly and the liquid is added about ½ cup at a time, allowed to absorb before adding in more liquid until the rice is al dente. The shrimp risotto was perfectly cooked, creamy and very rich in flavor.
Dennis ordered Tagliatelle with boar meat and it was wonderful.
Steve and Stacey both ordered pasta with mushrooms,
one with porcini and one with truffles. Dennis was allowed to add Parmesan but Steve, Stacey and I were totally forbidden to insult the chef.
Tuscan food just kept getting better! Our next day was one of my most favorites. We had a guide who took us for a wine tour to Montepulciano a medieval and Renaissance hill town in southern Tuscany. We all love Montepulciano food and wine.
The first winery was Talosa. At one time they aged their wines in the underground caves that date back to the 16th century. It was an incredible experience stepping back in time, walking through the passageways, ducking around the walls and seeing what was around the next corner. We completed the tour with a wine tasting with a very clever, unique instructor. He humored and entertained us while we tasted the wines.
We purchased a few bottles to take with us to lunch.
Christiano, our tour guide recommended the restaurant for lunch and I am so glad we followed his lead. It was one of the best meals we had in Italy, right up there with San Mattia. We asked Christiano to order for us. Wow! The restaurant was Osteria Acquacheta, a very special place where everyone sits together at long tables. The food arrives in large bowls and platters for passing around the table, family style. The pasta dishes were pici pasta with wild boar ragu, and tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms. Pici is a hand rolled pasta that is similar to spaghetti, only longer and fatter. It originated in southern Tuscany.
The steaks were prepared Tuscan style and referred to as Florentine steak. They were cooked in a wood fire oven, seared on the outside and medium rare on the inside. The seasoning for this preparation is very light and simple, usually just salt and pepper.
The pears were served as an appetizer and were slightly baked atop melted sheep cheese. The food was amazing and the service was excellent. The owner put on a show while chopping the steaks to order.
I think these pictures speak volumes. The food was even better than it looks. Our time in Tuscany was incredible.
Next stop Rome in the Lazio Region.