How to get six additional, unique recipes that complement Cucina Povera

Preorder Cucina Povera and receive an instant download of the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet, featuring olive oil focaccia, limoncello, and many more

Schiacciata all’olio - One of the recipes included in the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet

When a couple of weeks ago, we announced the Cucina Povera pre-order, your wholehearted reaction far exceeded our expectations. It was not just seeing our book climbing the Amazon rank for the New Releases in Italian Cooking, Food & Wine (even though that was quite terrific!), but realizing how you immediately embraced this new book, supporting our two-year long project with enthusiasm.

We’ve been working on Cucina Povera for two years, but the cucina povera approach has influenced our everyday meals since I was born, and has always had an impact on the menus of our cooking classes.

Learning about Italian cucina povera is a timeless and delicious way to inform your own way of cooking, adding simple and nutritious recipes to your cooking repertoire. You don’t need to be an accomplished cook to make the recipes of cucina povera. Whenever possible, shop seasonally and locally: you want to keep things uncomplicated and let each ingredient shine.

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You truly believe in your heart that this book you have been working on since the beginning of the pandemic can be significant to many other people, for its uncomplicated, seasonal approach to food, for its straightforward, nourishing dishes, for the attention to a traditional, sustainable way of cooking. But you also fear that moment when you let it go into the world, when your work is put on the test of time and other people preferences and kitchens.

Will they find the cucina povera approach as relevant as it is for you? Will they embrace its regional recipes and make them part of their cooking repertoire?

Even though I have to wait two more months before you can hold Cucina Povera in your hands and start cooking from it, you already generously demonstrated how excited you are for this book, and this filled our hearts with gratitude. So we prepared something for you…

Preorder and get the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet

I’m so happy to share these additional, unique recipes that complement Cucina Povera nicely. These recipes are unique because they are a part of my personal cooking repertoire and some of my favourites to make during our cooking classes: bake pear and pecorino crostoni to open a meal, sneak pieces of warm olive oil focaccia into the bread basket, or make limoncello and serve it in a tiny glass to end a happy, relaxed lunch with friends that stretches into the late afternoon.

Once you pre-ordered the book, head over here where you can receive an instant download of the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet, featuring six delicious recipes that will complement the final edition of the cookbook.

Dive into some of my favourite recipes now while you wait for your copy and share your creations with #cucinapovera on Instagram.

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Today, on the blog, as a further thank you note for your support and for all your preorders, I’m sharing another recipe that did not make into the final version of Cucina Povera, the Italian ciambellini al vino, wine and olive oil cookies. They can can give you a taste and feel of what you’ll find into our cookbook. I really can’t wait for you to have the finished book in your hands!

Two of the recipes included in the the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet: crostoni with pears and pecorino and limoncello - Photos by @tommyonweb

REMINDER: January Cook-Along and Live Talk

We will meet SUNDAY the 22nd of January at 9 pm CEST - 3 pm EDT - 12 pm PDT and we will make zuppa inglese, one of the most classic - and easy! - Tuscan desserts. This is an event designed for those who subscribed to Letters from Tuscany. Download a reminder for your calendar (both Google and Apple) here.

Keep your eyes peeled for a newsletter with ingredients and link to join!

What I’ve been watching, cooking, drinking, and reading

• I’m still reading through all your stories and introductions in last week’s thread. If you want, share something about you and read other people’s stories: I’m so proud of this community.

• I’m still cooking from the Via Carota cookbook (I told you about my crush for this book here). The last recipe I tried is carciofi alla griglia - artichokes poached in a court bouillon, brushed with salmoriglio, grilled until charred, and served with aioli. How good do they sound? They are even better.

• Domenica Marchetti
  in
  Buona Domenica
  made two more recipes from Via Carota: carabaccia, the Florentine onion and bread soup, and panna cotta all’olio (paywalled content).

• I dropped Chef’s Table Pizza months ago because it didn’t strike a chord as it had happened with the previous seasons (I have watched Nancy Silverton’s and Corrado Assenza’s episodes many, many times). Today, while I was preparing lunch, I mindlessly put on Franco Pepe’s episode to have it as a background soundtrack. Well, I almost burnt the cabbage I was braising as I started checking distance and accommodation in Caiazzo, as his pizzeria raised to the top of my food destination wishlist. A must watch episode.

• You can read two more great articles about Franco Pepe here and here, both from Laurie Ochoa on the LATimes.

• Last Friday we took a day off and we went to Florence for a day trip. This was the deal: as a Christmas present I would give Thomas a visit to a photo exhibition, and he would treat me to a lunch out somewhere of my choice. So, first we saw an Elliott Erwitt exhibition at Villa Bardini, then, walking along the Florentine back alleys, we were tempted by traditional trattorias, vinai, and elegant restaurants. Eventually, we picked Berberè Pizzeria, a place we’ve been wanting to try for ages. As they define themselves: friendly people serving delicious pizza in lovely places. That’s exactly the impression we got sitting in their Florentine location near Santa Croce.

• I resumed my morning walks, and nothing makes me feel more refreshed than brewing a hot tea as soon as I get back home, a ritual to begin my working day. Lately I’ve been drinking Saturne rooibos tea, with a light peach note, and Starlight rooibos tea, spiced and citrussy, both from Giusmin Tea Lab, a tea shop in Milan I discovered thanks to my friend Fabrizia.

Nigel Slater’s Brussel sprouts, smoked mozzarella and dill bake

• I made Nigel Slater’s Brussel sprouts, smoked mozzarella and dill bake from GreenFeast: Autumn Winter. I’m always struggling to find interesting recipes with Brussel sprouts to add to my cooking repertoire. Even though I substituted sweet provolone to mozzarella and skipped the double cream in favour of whole milk (yes, I reckon I’m a terrible recipe end-user), it is a keeper.

• Speaking of Brussel sprouts, don’t miss this article from

  ingredient by Rachel Phipps
  : it was the first time I saw Brussel sprouts on the stalk with the sprout tops attached.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Sharing is caring. If you liked reading this post, let us know by clicking on the heart button, sharing it with your friends and family, or on social media (it only takes 2 seconds, and it would mean the world to us!). It would help us so much to get discovered by other like-minded people.