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Sabrina being the surgeon she is behind the bar at Gurdulu. Girl crush alert. (photo credit: Gurdulu) 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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Blue with food envy/homesick for this antipasto to

Blue with food envy/homesick for this antipasto toscano: thicc rustic peppered prosciutto, fatty fennel finocchiona, marbled salame toscano and thinly sliced buttery herbed cured lardo plus some dainty slabs of pecorino con amici over a bottle.
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Glad our colleagues are enjoying these moments of rediscovering the city and if you’re there too- would you do me a favor and demolish a plate (of pretty much anything) please?
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On a similar note- as eateries open back up around Florence, restauranteurs will rely heavily on locals to provide agency. I hope in all this, the mediocre panini traps and touristic menus will begin pandering also to locals- and stay that way. Thoughts? Buona domenica a tutti 😘 #curiousappetite #iloveflorence

Love this tasty buffet set-up for our Virtual Ital

Love this tasty buffet set-up for our Virtual Italian cocktail class- nice choice of hooch and aperitivo snacks, @alyssakira! If you missed this Friday’s session led by one of our favorite expert bartenders in Florence, you can buy tickets to next week’s bittersweet symphony via link in bio. Salute! 🇮🇹🥃🥄#curiousappetite #virtualmixology

Next to Piazzale Michelangelo (the square with one

Next to Piazzale Michelangelo (the square with one of the best views of Florence- swipe to last to see why) is a gorgeous iris garden @societaitalianairis and is open 10-6pm until this Saturday May 24th. These sent in from one of our colleagues in Florence bring a little cheer even if unable to see in the petal flesh- hope you enjoy! And if you’re in Florence now- hope you made it/make it! Ever been? 🌸🌺#florenceitaly #irisgarden

I wonder what Venus would be thinking- about the d

I wonder what Venus would be thinking- about the dumpling inspired by her navel now being taught online between a culinary teacher in Italy and would-be travelers in America during a global pandemic. What a time to be alive! Seeing these snaps from a recent private online pasta lesson made me smile, as a humbling encouragement we are able to still connect people to what we love about Italian culture albeit during such times. Grazie mille to our precious team and guests for helping to keep the curious appetite dream alive! To book an online experience, check out our daily schedule of events via link in bio or contact/DM for private “off-menu” options like this tortellini making class. Buona appetito! 😘#curiousappetite #onlinecookingclasses

First Aperitivo since lockdown sent in by a collea

First Aperitivo since lockdown sent in by a colleague in Florence at one of my favorite snack bars on the planet, Fiaschetteria Nuvoli who I adore for crostini topped w/fegatino or salsiccia cruda and fried croquettes plus vino.

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I almost didn’t think it would be possible to see this scene so soon. And most certainly didn’t expect Italy to consider opening its borders to the rest of Europe by June. These last months have honestly been full of reluctancy about life ever returning to how we once knew and loved it, including being able to resume our culinary tours.
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On the one hand I applaud Italy’s success in flattening the curve and imagine leaders are allowing re-opening stages based on expert advice but also am hesitant to jump for joy for this glimmer of hope. Surely things will be different (they have to) and although I would love nothing more than to be able to resume daily life. Even more, I want people to love living their lives safely (and without worry) and I will hold out hope this will still be possible, for however long it takes. I’m rooting for you Italy!
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Grazie mille to everyone doing their part to protect each other and following guidelines set out by science and experts. Apologies for the soapbox, I sincerely hope we can come out of this forest for good without an agonizing touch and go dance. Looking forward to sharing an Aperitivo with you all in Florence- when the time is right ❤️#curiousappetite #italyreopening

Buonissimi! The results sent in from a couple gues

Buonissimi! The results sent in from a couple guests on our latest online class: Tuscan Biscotti Baking! They look perfect 😍Grazie for joining! If you’re curious to experience Florence from home, check out our daily schedule of online events- link in bio or in our newsletter just sent out (check your inbox!) Hope you have laughed or smiled at least once this weekend ❤️ Buona domenica a tutti #curiousappetite #onlinebakingclass

Like a grown-up version of buttered pasta: spaghet

Like a grown-up version of buttered pasta: spaghetti from Gragnano, Sicilian olives, good ev olive oil, slivers of garlic topped with the realest parmigiano-reggiano. Created by one of our #florentinegourmetclub members @susanaley 😘

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Our gourmet club is a seasonal curated box mailed to you full of made-in-Italy specialty foods like slow-dried regional pastas, estate-made ev olive oil, jarred savories (picked antipasti, pesto, calabrian chili paste, etc), artisanal sweets like cold-processed Modica dark chocolates and sweet Sicilian pistachio butter all discerningly selected for quality and authenticity.
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We include informative guide sheets to explain the curiosities behind each food, for example like why the village of Gragnano is the bastion in Italy for dried pasta and how slow-dried/bronze cut makes for a sauce catchy noodle. Our boxes make tasty gifts while supporting small businesses/makers in Italy. Info via link in bio or curiousappetitetravel.com/florentine-food-club Buon Appetito! 🍝#curiousappetite #eatitalian

{new online event!} Join our bittersweet symphony,

{new online event!} Join our bittersweet symphony, an hour Italian cocktail making session with an expert bartender in Florence, Italy. We miss leading our Aperitivo Tours so we thought we could bring the perfect Negroni to you via a live interactive webinar. Join us Fridays 1pm PDT/ 4pm EDT, additional details + link to tickets in bio via @eventbrite by searching “Curious Appetite Travel.” Makes a creative idea for companies #wfh thirsty for a unique virtual teambuilding activity or happy hour- contact us direct for a quote. Salute!🍹#curiousappetite #virtualmixology

This pasta is easy peasy- distract yourself from r

This pasta is easy peasy- distract yourself from reality and shuck some fresh peas, cook in tomato and cured guanciale toss with your favorite noodle and heavy pour a glass of Rosso Piceno from Le Marche. Recipe up on the blog and included in our weekly e-newsletter. Buon appetito! 🍝 #curiousappetite #cucinalockdown

A glimpse into Florence sent in from one of our co

A glimpse into Florence sent in from one of our colleagues on the ground.

I love Florence, as we all do, I could detail a million reasons. At the same time, there has been much discussion around mass tourism and how unlivable cities like Florence have become. The only time I’ve seen the Ponte Vecchio this empty were in the wee hours of the evening, stumbling home after a night out in the Oltrarno.
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Since Italy’s lockdown has been gently/partially lifted this Monday, social media channels have been flooded with images like these from around Italy of empty attractions and key sights which would normally be packed like sardines during prime daylight hours.

It might seem like a spectacle, but it also represents a somber elephant in the room whose name we all know. The names we may not know are the 30,000+ victims to the pandemic and who are also missing from Italy’s squares and cobbled paths. I write about food so apologies if this falls into the realm of navel gazing, but I personally think the topic of death is associated with much taboo.
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Regardless, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the souls who aren’t able to see or roam these empty streets, or “enjoy” their country’s cultural beacons “tourist-free.” I did a quick search and the annual death rate in Italy is est. 635,000 per year, in a country w/ a population of 60.35 million. So far, the pandemic has taken 30,000 lives in a matter of 3 months, which is close to 5% of the annual average. (Pls excuse errors, I’m a sommelier, not a statistician)
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I’m so sorry to anyone who has had to experience death, or knows someone who has and so forth. I’m so sorry to Italians who have to live with this history in their consciousness.
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I’m rooting for Italy’s long path to recovery, sincerely hoping this nightmare concludes ASAP. Not for being able to “go back to normal”, but rather for this to stop taking lives unnecessarily and for the misery it causes.
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I hope the same for the US but that’s a whole other can of worms.
Thank you for reading, and hoping you’re all safe and sound as well as your loved ones, and doing our best to protect our fellow humans. Big (virtual) hug❤️ #florenceitaly #covid19italia