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winetrek

Taken from my Trek from Panzano to San Donato (Chianti) Read more…

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Curious Appetite is a Gourmet Blog by Coral Sisk, Italian-American writer, certified Italian sommelier & culinary tourism specialist from Seattle living in Florence, Italy

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Tuscany has a few kinds of flatbreads, seasonal especially, and this chestnut flour flatcake is one to taste. Not the prettiest of cakes, questionable as a tastiest but rather the heartiest for harsh times, an ode from la cucina povera (consider chestnuts are abundant and extremely dense in calories). This flatcake is made thanks to the plethora of chestnuts found in the woods this time of year, with locally grown pine nuts (cost/supply permitting) raisins and rosemary. Warm up to a slice (like say on our Food Lover’s Tour in Florence;) with a dollop of crema Fiorentina gelato! 🌰🍰#curiousappetite #foodtours

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Diospero/kaki jammy persimmon and starchy castagne chestnut- our food tours keep up with the season’s tastiest finds even in the rainiest of days...what are your favored Fall flavors around Italy or in your neck of the woods? 🍦#curiousappetite #florenceitaly

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In Florence between now and winter? Not every restaurant was made to be enjoyed year round- my latest blog post on thecuriousappetite.com details some Fall-favored addresses and seasonal specialties, with mega help/intel from a local amica @sandrapanerai- grazie mille! These carb/truffle delights you see here are by @ristoranteaccademiafirenze which is literally at the steps of @accademiafirenze- eating well in front of Florence’s most attractive museums is not at all impossible! Where are you eating right now in Florence? #curiousappetite #florenceitaly

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Bocconcini di pollo con fagiolini/bites of chicken in saffron/maldon salt, cooked in sliced lemon/butter and garlic w/ steamed green beans drizzled in new oil. In the simple type of trattorias in Florence/around Tuscany (elsewhere too?) bocconcini di pollo is a thing along with a side of overcooked soggy vegetables doused in oil- ribollita, steak and pappardelle isn’t all you’d find! I made my twist w/ saffron and lemon- if you’re curious for a recipe:
What you’ll need
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
3/4 cloves of garlic
Maldon salt
Pulverized saffron (1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
Cracked pepper
Trimmed green beans, cut in halves
Newly pressed EVOO (ideally from our food club;)
What you’ll do
First, salt the chicken at least 2hrs in advance before cooking, @saltfatacidheat says 1 day in advance but realistically I never remember this and 2-4hrs is fine
Granted you have salt seasoned chicken ready to cook...sprinkle with saffron
Slice lemon
Heat a pan on medium-medium high w/ butter, once melted add in the lemon slices, sliced or whole garlic cloves, salt and pepper
Not too hot but not just warm- nice sizzle
After 3-5 mins, add the chicken atop lemon slices. Cook 5-8min each side depending on thickness, add lemon slices to top of chicken once turned to avoid burning, then cover tightly after the 2 completed 8 min rounds, turn heat off and allow residual heat to cook the rest for about 15minutes. This is tricky- you have to use a little intuition here as the cook times for chicken breast are fickle- 2 minutes too soon and pink, 2 late and tough/stringy. Experiment till you find your formula!
Steam green beans to your snap/al dente liking, taste along the way and stop steaming once just a step away from being too soft as they continue to cook
Cut chicken in cubes once cooked (you can also cube before/marinate and cook- I think cooking whole makes a more juicy result)
Plate with beans, add more salt, cracked pepper and finish with new evoo. Keep or discard cooked lemon slices depending on lemon quality, I eat them alongside. Also- there will be a tasty broth in the pan you can spoon on chicken before adding green beans. Buon random appetito! #healthyish

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Beach tide or swollen river Arno? Yesterday was the 53rd year mark since Florence’s most destructive flood since 1557, and perhaps the atmospheric powers that be seem to have an affinity with this date as other serious floods have been recorded on the same day November 4th in 1333 and 1844. How do you embrace such torrential downpour days? 🌊☔️#guardiancities

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Playing Aperitivo and learning about this zesty crisp almond oil noted Friulano Ribolla Gialla blend at my Italian wine session in San Francisco- these 1.5/2 hr sessions (scheduled at your preference) are tasty ways to drink through Italy and pick up food pairing tips along the way. Thirsty and in the Bay Area? Contact via bio to schedule this better than a lesson session- buon venerdì a tutti! 🥂🍴#curiousappetite #winesessions

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tbt to that Halloween in Rome when I was crazy with the ombrè/failed miserably at a squad pose squat (not pictured: falling over immediately after) @scottallenwilson nailed a matrix style troubled tormented soul vibe and @girlinflorence @engineerbydayinflorence were cucumber cool about all of it...today’s my first Halloween in America in years and prefer how Italy celebrates because the day after is holiday (Ognissanti) THEN Giorni dei Morti the 2nd and in America it’s just the dreadful 1st of the month...Italians if anything know how to party- dead or alive. buon Halloween! 👻 #wheninRome

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Curious about how this food blogger cooks at home? Thanks to the lovely positive feedback y’all gave in stories- despite my incessant rambling and spam polls- you gave me the push to share one of my self-torturous healthyish recipes. Here it is!
Butternut Squash and Chicken Salsiccia (sausage) Zuppa! (serves 4?)
What you’ll need:
1 carrot
3 celery stalks
1 medium red onion
Dice all this up! Aka soffritto
Then!
I small/medium butternut squash, cubed
3 Fresh chicken sausages from your local butcher/meat counter (modify w/ whatever protein)
One clove of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tbsp of good olive oil
Maldon smoked salt (new favo thing)
Fennel seeds, dried fennel, chili flake, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh thyme
8 ounces of chicken stock
Filtered water for more liquid
Pine nuts & parmigiano to finish
Cook it!
Add the diced things x soffritto to a pot full of melted butter and good olive oil
Coat in oil, add a couple teaspoons of maldon smoked salt, a tsp of fennel seed, dashes of ground fennel, chili flake and lots of fresh cracked pepper
Cook until sorta soft (3-5mins?)
Add cubed butternut squash- coat in all the things
Add wine!
Let wine evaporate! 3ish-5mins?
Add a bit of fresh thyme then 2 ounces of stock at a time for 5-8min intervals and add a bit of water too per your liquid level preferences- I’m all about layering liquid in some weird attempt to not loose/dilute all the flavors held in the veg. As for the garlic, I’m weird and add it before the chicken but you can also add whenever.
Mash up the squash once soft enough!
At 2nd broth layering interval, crumble in chicken sausage and 2 more intervals of broth/water layering. Salt to taste before adding chicken but keep in mind this/broth will have salt.
Total cook time circa 45min-an hr, so chicken sausage shouldn’t be cooked for more than 20 minutes
Bowl up, top w/ Italian grown pine nuts (read labels!!!), shower in parmigiano and drizzle a tad of new ev olive oil
If you liked this let me know- I can do more on the blog instead of mega long IG posts. Swipe left for seconds and spot the mad footsie attitude. Questions? #curiousappetite #cooking 🥣

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Bologna isn’t the only Italian city full of baloney- have you heard of mortadella di (of) Prato? This sliced meat is a @slow_food_italia presìdi product, meaning unique regional products promoted in an effort to safeguard biodiversity and traditional foods at risk of disappearing, and is made special by way of Alchermes- an ancient liqueur favored by the Medici family, redolent of cinnamon, clove and a hint of rose typically used in select desserts but also for this savory delicacy. Give it a go- especially if you’re curious for more left-field traditional Tuscan foods when in Florence or around Tuscany. Want a taste?🍴#curiousappetite #foodtours

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