Welcome April
A letter with 10 recipes to cook this month, and an insight on what I'm reading, watching, listening to, cooking and dreaming right now.
I’m tired. And this is probably one of the reasons this newsletter is coming to your mailbox a few days later than we had previously scheduled. It has less to do with our seven-month-old Livia than with the whole situation we’ve been facing in the last year.
As I share recently on Instagram, I’m tired because we didn’t take a day off in the last months, not even during the weekend, because it’s difficult to tell which day of the week it is. I’m tired because in the last year we lost loves ones, but we also welcomed into our lives Livia, who turned our world upside down. I’m tired because I’ve taken countless walks, but always along the same road. I’m tired because I know I should not complain, but after one year, I feel the burden of all that has happened. I’m tired because sometimes I struggle to find inspiration or to be cheerful and efficient.
But I’m also grateful. Grateful because our family is safe and healthy, because we still have a job, and an exciting project working on a new cookbook. I’m thankful because we have an outdoor space - a garden, an orchard, an olive grove and the countryside around us - and the family nearby. I’m grateful because my parents help us with Livia, granting us time to work, and because she loves spending time with her nonni. I’m thankful because I still find pleasure in doing small things well: I enjoyed taking the time to write you this letter, sharing my favourite seasonal recipes and everything that excites me at the moment.
What I’m reading.
I’m late to the party, but I’m thoroughly enjoying First, Catch: Study of a Spring Meal, by Thom Eagle. A cookbook without recipes, a journey in a chef’s mind, a hymn to a singular nine-dish festive Spring lunch. It has everything I search for in a book: excellent food writing and inspiring ideas. Moreover, it gives me that irrepressible urge to write more, cook more, experiment and pay attention to the details.
What I’m watching.
Nadiya bakes, on Netflix. Nadiya Hussain is pure joy in the kitchen. I could spend hours watching her bake strawberry shortcake cupcakes, cheesecake brownies with nutty caramel, or her blueberry and lavender scone pizza. In each episode, she introduces bakers and pastry chefs she admires, as the pastry master Julie Jones, @julie_jonesuk on Instagram, who shows her awe-inspiring pie decorations that are edible works of art.
What I’m listening to.
I still remember the first time I entered Fortnum & Mason in London: I felt like a kid in a candy store. All that teas, and the beautiful cheese, and the fresh vegetables, and the baked goods! Luckily I had just a tiny hand suitcase with me, and all I could buy was a box of precious tea bags as a souvenir. Imagine my surprise when I discovered their food podcast, Fortnum’s Hungry Minds. If I enjoyed the first season hosted by Tom Parker-Bowles, I’m head over heels with the second season hosted by Felicity Blunt. Actually, I have a professional crush on her, I find she asks the right questions at the right moment, and it is such a pleasure to listen to her interviews. My favourite podcast at the moment to enjoy during my walks. Listen to the episode with Anna Jones.
What I’m cooking.
I feel like I’ve been cooking non-stop for one year. First my pregnancy and the lockdown, then add testing recipes for our new cookbook, now Livia’s weaning. I’m enjoying every single aspect of this never-ending cooking, except the dishes. As I’m trying to use the same basic ingredients for Livia and for us, not to overcomplicate my daily cooking routine, our meals are now simple and wholesome. As I’m writing, for example, I’m coddling an asparagus risotto which will be our dinner. I’ll just remove her portion before adding salt and a generous handful of Parmigiano Reggiano and butter to cream it (and if you’re interested in risotto, do not miss this post on the blog).
What I’m dreaming.
When we start travelling again, I have a long list of places I would love to visit. I want to start with locations close to home: you almost gave them for granted, and now a short 30-minute drive seems impossible. One of our first trips will be to visit Luisa and Matthias at Il Rigo, an Agriturismo and organic farm in Val d’Orcia. I miss their company; I miss Luisa’s cuisine - her pici, her fresh salads, her jaw-dropping cakes - and her flowers, the beautiful landscape and that sense of peace that Val d’Orcia gives you in every season. Follow them on Instagram at @agriturismo_il_rigo to have an insight into their daily life. You can also listen to Luisa’s interview on our Podcast here.
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Ten recipes to cook this month
Fava beans, artichokes, asparagus and strawberries, and fresh herbs, foraged greens and Robinia flowers: welcome Spring in your kitchen.
Pasta with fresh herb and fava bean pesto. It is a spring pesto, which first requires some patience and meditation in shelling the beans, but then you can make it while you cook the pasta. It has all the fragrance and taste of a seasonal picnic, even when it is raining outside. There’s also a list of my favourite ways to find inspiration again.
Pici with breadcrumbs and wild fennel. For a better result, use homemade breadcrumbs. I collect all my stale bread and once in a while prepare a large batch of breadcrumbs. A grating of lemon zest, an anchovy fillet melted in olive oil or a tablespoon of tiny capers are a great addition to this dish and a way to move it from Tuscany to sunny Sicily.
Potato and artichoke soup. Artichokes are cooked with potatoes and leeks and half a cup of chicken broth, something I made some time ago and stored in the freezer. The soup can be served with more sautéed artichokes and golden bread croutons cooked with savory, or even with some toasted hazelnuts and almonds.
Warm Spring salad with grilled pecorino cheese. Think about young artichokes, fresh fava beans and asparagus, all cooked separately to respect their nature or left raw. Add a citronette of your best extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, some fresh herbs, and a slice of grilled pecorino cheese. This is Spring on a plate.
Fava beans with chorizo and pimenton. This is the edible memory of a short trip to Barcelona. You can perceive the vibrant Mediterranean soul that shakes this side dish directly from the colours, but certainly, the Mediterranean accent isn’t limited to the nuances: fava beans are very popular in Italian cuisine and southern France traditions as well.
Spinach and chicken patties. Spinach and chicken patties are a perfect idea for a picnic, a mix of vegetables and meat coated in golden breadcrumbs, a delicious trick to have your children eat vegetables. It is both an excellent choice for the upcoming picnics or a second course to enjoy well seated with your legs under the table served with crispy fries.
Robinia flower fritters. To deep fry the Robinia flower fritters, I made the same batter I always use to deep fry zucchini flowers, as many years of passionate and relentless frying have proved it to be reliable, dry and crisp. Sprinkle your flowers with sugar or drizzle with honey for a poetic end of a meal, or serve them with salt for a surprising appetiser.
Strawberry muffins. A few weeks ago, I found myself in a new kitchen with a basket of fresh strawberries so intensely smelling on the table. An old charm came to my mind, and I felt the urge to bake a tray of muffins, something you could eat for breakfast with a coffee. I used just a few simple ingredients I could find there, which can be found in every kitchen. Everything was simple, effortless, two bowls and a wooden spoon.
Chocolate salame. Simple in its preparation, with ingredients that are always at hand in the pantry, a couple of eggs, a packet of cookies, those that we call the Marie, some butter, cocoa powder and sugar. You won’t find nuts, not even dark chocolate, or liqueur: the aroma and the taste of cocoa powder shine through, unfiltered. It has the spontaneity and the frankness of those recipes born from the pantry.
Lemon and strawberry jam. I chose to keep the ingredient list as short as possible: strawberries, lemon and sugar. Strawberry and lemon as my childhood gelato, the ice cream my mum and aunt would buy me in those hot summer afternoons in San Gimignano. On a wafer cone, they would mingle together in a swirl of tart fruitiness.
What are you planning to cook this month? Is there something you are excited to reintroduce to your cooking routine? Let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to add new recipes to my cooking repertoire.
Are you in the Southern Hemisphere?
Let me tempt you with a risotto with apples and smoked trout, a savoury butternut squash pie and an apple strudel.
Are you interested in more original recipes?
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What you missed this month: a Tuscan Easter menu and a seafood recipe for Good Friday, a recipe to make porchetta at home, a yoghurt pound cake for breakfast, and two recipes from the Italian South.
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Cookbook update
We’re testing recipes, writing, researching, retesting and rewriting. I’m cooking recipes that are love at first sight and recipes that, after the initial failure, are now part of my cooking repertoire.
We started organising the photo shooting, too. We’ll take most of the photos in a few months, towards the end of summer, but we had to take the chance of the most luscious and verdant Spring vegetables, as they tend to have a very short season. We’re delighted with the results, as they scream Spring and green, and can’t wait to show you the final photos!
Join our virtual cooking classes
We are missing the people we used to meet during our market tours and cooking classes. We had to figure out a new way to share our passion for food, to virtually meet all the food enthusiasts who gave us so much through the years. This is why we launched a virtual Tuscan cooking class on Udemy, an online learning platform. We’re working on new courses and videos. Read more about the courses here on the blog to stay updated.
I always enjoy your newsletters, but this one especially made me smile. For a long time, I have felt like my brain is broken or I can never find the energy to do what I know will help me move forward, professionally and personally. And you summed it up perfectly - I'm tired. It's comforting to know I am not alone and that I can feel this way and still share gratitude and joy with others, as you do. Thank you for everything that you do--for your recipes, your newsletters, your podcasts and so much more. Your work always brings me joy and makes me dream of a day when I can finally visit and cook with you in person. Sending you and your family light in this time and I look forward to reading more.