Renaissance Masters and Food.
Italy boasts some of the longest living citizens in the world. A crucial reason is the Italian diet with its roots in the past. Much like today, food was the cultural center of life in Renaissance Italy. It played an important role in religious holidays and family celebrations and relied heavily on the use of seasonal ingredients. The Italians had some of the best chefs and cooks in Europe at the time.
This week’s menu is an interpretation using ingredients that Italians most certainly enjoyed in the early 16th century, including many fresh aromatics.
Celebrate "mamma" on her special day!
Whether you are together or apart, share your love by sharing a meal across your tables. Chef Christianne is channeling her female sophisticated touch in this beautiful menu that captures healthy fresh flavors and is designed for the discerning tastes of Mom. We have paired this menu with optional special refreshments, flowers and cookies to complete the ultimate Mother's Day package.
Lombardia: Where it All Began. Over the past year, many have asked why did Italy, and particularly northern Italy become the epicenter of Coronavirus. There are several theories as to the when and why, but it seemed to have been the perfect storm of coinciding factors. Despite all this, Italians have a truly unique take on life – maybe because they have suffered so many hardships through time, they have mastered a fundamental understanding of what really matters. It is because of the value Italians place on family and their traditions that it is easy to understand why the art of cooking and then congregating around the table has been fundamental to their survival in this unprecedented difficult time –...
Waking Up – Springtime in Florence Isn’t it amazing how just a few notes of an old song can bring you back to a place you haven’t been in years? When thinking about this week’s menu, highlighting the first new vegetables of spring, I kept hearing the lyrics of an old popular Florentine tune – recounting the spectacular beauty of Spring’s awakening in Le Cascine, Florence’s Central Park. This week’s menu highlights Florentine Spring rituals and ingredients Italian cooks are beginning to find in their local markets and that most likely will be included on their Spring tables. Menu Insalata di Faro Primaverile Spring faro salad with radish, fava beans, Castelvetrano olives and pecorino Gigli agli Asparagi e Rucola Artisanal...
Happy Florentine New Year, Dante.
“Buon Capodanno / Happy New Year” could be heard again in the streets of Florence last week. The traditional Florentine New Year always has been celebrated on March 25, the feast day of the Annunciation.
To add to these festivities, last year, the Italian government announced the establishment of a National Dante Day or “DanteDi” to be observed annually on March 25. Dante Alighieri is considered the father of modern literature and perhaps the greatest poet of all time. He was born in Florence (Tuscany) in 1265 and died in Ravenna (Emilia Romagna) in 1321, making this year the 700th anniversary of his death. This week’s menu takes inspiration from both regions that were home to Dante.
