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ribollita toscana sant’ambrogio market Florence

ribollita toscana sant’ambrogio market Florence

ribollita in Florence: Tuscan peasant bread, bean and garden vegetable soup 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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Calling panettone eaters! I’d heard of using le

Calling panettone eaters!

I’d heard of using leftover panettone for breakfast French toast, but what about a sort of tiramisù?! (fully prepared for @italiansmadatfood 🤣)

We’re working on a dolce recipe that will (hopefully!) pair sweetly with our Festive culinary gold gift boxes- which includes a big ol’ panettone!

Check out our gift boxes under the “Shop!” link in bio and subscribe to our newsletter if you’d like the recipe for this “panetiramisù!”

What are some of your tasty tips for making the most of your holiday panettone stockpiles? (Or do they even last longer than 12 minutes once open). 🍞😋#curiousappetite #florentinegourmetclub

Starting to get the hang of this zona rossa life,

Starting to get the hang of this zona rossa life, week one down. Grateful we can go on walks, exercise, pick up food and drinks to go, etc etc.

There’s something magical about being able to crush one of the cities best pastries (sfoglia 🥐 al cioccolato 🍫 con arancia 🍊) and a cappuccino to-go by @rivoirefirenze on a crisp Fall weekend morning, ponte vecchio in view and not a soul in sight.

But then reality kicks back in and you become sick to your stomach realizing the repercussions of this abnormal moment.

Thankfully there are heaps of resources keeping #Florence updated on where to get take-out and delivery rounded-up by @theflorentine (including accounts like @sandrapanerai @girlinflorence @madtasting and more)

I’m trying to do my part by getting a coffee, sometimes a sweet, and other comestibles to go whenever I have to be out and about for essential errands and appointments.

What are some of the silver linings you’re finding in this mess of a time? #curiousappetite #florenceitaly

Amari, meaning “bitter” (not to be confused wi

Amari, meaning “bitter” (not to be confused with bar bitters or Campari-like bitter liqueurs) are a booze class of their own!

These syrupy elixirs are a complex, flavorful result of a base alcohol and a top secret blend of macerated herbs, roots, spices, barks, citrus peels, etc and sugar.

Most should be appreciated room temp or chilled but I’d refrain from ice unless you enjoy amari this way- and that’s all that matters!

Did you know we have Negroni & Amaro club, in addition to our gourmet boxes mailed from Florence to you? (yes, even you in the states!)

I’m a total amaro geek and take great joy in curating our booze boxes!

Included are hard-to-find (dare I say impossible in most of the states!) unique craft amaro by interesting makers around Italy, some who use local herbs and citruses they grow themselves or foraged in the Northern Italian alpine regions.

You can either request bottle(s) to be added to your Negroni club box OR a mix of only amari, which we’d work together to select based on your personal tastes.

Curiously thirsty? Send an inquiry via linktree at bio under “Join Our Negroni & Amaro Club” branch! 🥃 #curiousappetite #florentinegourmetclub

Another off-brand reflection- and that is, what do

Is there a one wine fits all cheese? Hardly. I wil

Is there a one wine fits all cheese? Hardly. I will say my trusty go-to is a high acid white (this usually has something to do with a personal preference for high-fat cheeses) or think of what local wines are made near where cheese has been crafted- per the old adage “what grows together goes together.”

Our monthly Sommelier-Led Italian cheese and wine pairing is this Friday November 20th at 3:30pm East Coast/9:30pm Italy time- tickets via linktree in bio under “Eventbrite!”

Come geek out with a sommelier on this useful virtual tasting on how fat, acid and flavor play into wine pairing selections for your next cheese plate (whether for the holidays or at-home aperitivo).

What’s your favorite cheese and wine combo/go-to? Mine is a tie between Pecorino Toscano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano OR Lambrusco di Sorbara with Parmigiano-Reggiano 😍
#curiousappetite #onlinetastings

Usually breakfast in Italy is something sweet like

Usually breakfast in Italy is something sweet like a cornetto 🥐 brioche or fruit filled puff pastry (tbh why cornetto when you can sfoglia con ricotta e pera 🍐😍) and while some may see this as a glorious pass for dolce as least once a day, others may find a baked sweet underwhelming.

But there are savory loophole exceptions like little panini and pastry flatbreads with decadent toppings as these from most local bakeries and coffee bars.

The top right corner slice is porcini and potato on fat rich thin crispy pastry flatbread and I’m here to tell you it may change your life a little (right @mementomartina?) and def served as a salty send-off to Tuscany’s last day of orange as starting tomorrow we are officially in the red.

To understand all this color coded madness, @theflorentine @girlinflorence @thelocalitaly as usual breaks it down (in English!)

Today was a carb-free for all in light (or darkness) of the stark new (albeit needed!) lockdown in effect at midnight (Sunday). Which is silly (or dramatic?) because this is all temporary and it’s not like you can’t order or pick up carbs for at-home eating. But for distraction’s sake- if you had to choose between a savory or sweet breakfast- which & what would it be? ☕️ 🍕 🥐 #curiousappetite #colazioneitaliana

Any panettone fans out there? This one is a chocol

Any panettone fans out there? This one is a chocolate slathered and pistachio ribboned version because last week in stories I asked which you’d all prefer- a gourmet one like this or a classic candied fruit variety and I was surprised (but should I have been?) you all were for the 🍫 pistachio. I test-tasted and turns out you all have the tastiest opinions ever! Grazie!

Good news is you can get one of these mailed to you from Florence via our food club- and if you’re signed up for our newsletter you should have our latest letter in your inbox right about now! If you’re not- you can still check out our festive gift boxes via link in bio. 🍞 🍾

Any other panettone combo requests? Or basically will you please give me an excuse to eat cake? Grazie ancora!! 😘 #CAKE #curiousappetite #florentinegourmetclub

📸 @silviopalladino_

An update from Florence- aside from all the usual

There are few yums greater than a Tuscan bruschett

There are few yums greater than a Tuscan bruschetta- I’m not talking about the tomato soaked ones, but rather a toasted rustic dense slice of toothsome pane rubbed with a piece of raw garlic then drenched in extra virgin olive oil pressed last week from one of your favorite farms, wine maker (as they don’t only pick & press for hooch) friends or family of friends.

To me, this is Tuscan food culture. And I love it in its simplistic entirety.

Want some just pressed EVOO mailed to you? Check our food club- now taking orders for our Festive Culinary Gold box which includes a big bottle of freshly pressed oil from teeny tiny organic producers I love from the bottom of my appetite. Plus other feast-worthy foods like specialty pasta, truffles and chocolate pistachio panettone.

Details under link in bio under “Shop” branch

Buon lunedì a tutti!

I’m curious- what’s your preferred vehicle for olive oil drizzlin’? #curiousappetite #florentinegourmetclub 💚

One of Florence’s winning crostone (big toast, a

One of Florence’s winning crostone (big toast, as crostino means “little toast”) topped with asiago and truffle sausage then toasted to melted crunchy salty meaty cheesy umami delightfulness @levolpieluva

I don’t know about you but I flipped from anxious eating to celebratory snacking, and the latter landed while here at Le Volpi e l’Uva as I caught wind of the election results while feeling eating & drinking in dear company- can’t think of a place more symbolic! Nor a wine more perfect- a rosy juicy Nebbiolo- as the first sip into a new chapter in history.

Le volpi e l’uva is named after the Aesop fable of “The Fox and the Grapes”, and is where the expression “sour grapes” was coined as the fox hungered after grapes on a vine too high for his reach and instead of admitting defeat, he contradicted his own wishes claiming they were too sour in the first place.

I’ll never forget where I was and what I was doing when I learned of this historic win, even if a sour loss for others.

And speaking of fables, another moral comes to mind when reflecting on current affairs:

“You may deride my awkward pace but slow and steady wins the race.”

What a time to be alive!

Anything special you ate or drank at the news break? Hopefully not sour grapes 😉 🦊 🍇 #curiousappetite