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One of the reasons to move to Bologna- don’t need umbrellas when you have portici (archways) for miles 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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This ecstatic-for-carbs face comes from cooking th

This ecstatic-for-carbs face comes from cooking the caviar of risotto rice- carnaroli!

I escaped Florence last weekend to Switzerland to hang with the hostess with the mostess @girlinzug and noticed cool temps and rain in the forecast, so brought a few ingredients from our #florentinegourmetclub for a warming porcini risotto recipe, including a special carnaroli rice from the ONLY organic rice grower in Tuscany! Last slide includes the wine brought/paired too!

I quickly learned that carnaroli doesn’t release as much starch while cooking and maintains its al dente form quite well. It also results in a thicker risotto vs the more soupy “all’onda” wavy bowls I had been accustomed to. And I much preferred the enhanced toothsome bite of the carnaroli variety after cooking mostly with arborio!

While I’d like to learn from a mega risotto expert all the intricacies (and dive into the vialone nano rice variety too!), these are a few taught to me over the years by Italian friends and cooks:
🍚Toast the rice before adding any liquid
🥄Be patient with ladling in broth, piano piano
🙅🏻‍♀️Don’t overstir
🧈Butter is your friend (and really good parmigiano)
🥂Your cooking wine should also be quaffable (this is a life lesson, really)

Any other risotto making enthusiasts out there?

Info on our Fall-themed food box via linktree in bio under the “Shop” branch! If you can’t be dining around Italy, our gourmet boxes are the next best thing (hopefully!) to create authentic Italian dishes at home with top notch ingredients from Italy!

Buon appetito!🍴🧅 🍄

Even the great artists of the Renaissance had to p

Even the great artists of the Renaissance had to put away their tools and sit down for evening’s supper every once in a while. But what did they eat?

We definitely were curious so we put together this online event: "When in the Renaissance, eat as the artists ate" an hour long virtual food & art history tour hosted by Valeria, one of our friendly, knowledgeable guides in Florence!

You will learn about what Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, and Botticelli snacked on (and what they detested) plus how food influenced their artistic lives.

UPDATE: This event is now offered monthly, rather than weekly, there will be one this Thursday October 1st at 9pm Italy time (open to screens around the world!) the next one will be November 5th!

Details & tickets at the link in our bio, under Virtual Events!
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#italianartists #arthistory #foodhistory #michelangelo #florenceartists #foodhistorian #cntraveler #italyfood #italianfood #italytravel #virtualitaly #renaissanceartists #renaissanceart #florencehistory #abiteofhistory #florentinefood #atlasobscura #bbctravel #historytravel #historytraveller #curioustraveler #culturetrip #italyfacts #piazzalemichelangelo #brunelleschi #botticelli #botticellifoods #botticelliflorence #historiccuisine #italiancuisine

Another fave from @florencecocktailweek was this b

Another fave from @florencecocktailweek was this boozy espresso martini from @cibreo_firenze’s cozy wood paneled caffè with plush theatre seats. Included in this tipple was cacao, Tuscan vodka, Italian espresso (duh) and a touch of almond liqueur with a tiny bite of dark chocolate flourless cake. Genius!

Until next #FCW (hey @paolamenca what about cocktail week more than once a year? Complimentoni! 👏😍)

Hope you all have had a lovely weekend! 🍸🍫☕️#curiousappetite #FCW20

Fall weather calls for funghi & truffles! And that

Fall weather calls for funghi & truffles! And that is exactly what we have planned with the Tuscan Fall Culinary Gold Box.

In your box you will find:
👉organic risotto rice from a local family-owned Tuscan farm,
👉Porcini mushrooms to cook with,
👉delicious Tuscan sheep's milk Pecorino cheese
👉Parmigiano-Reggiano (formaggio!)
👉Truffle Salt
👉Bergamot compote for cheeses & toast
👉black truffle sauce

As always each box contains full size products, and fact sheets & recipes prepared by myself. These fact sheets give you the story of each product and producer so you can have a deeper understanding of each.

Boxes are available now- order some Fall culinary gold from Italy at the link in bio.
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#italy #foodie #foodstagram #madeinitaly #simplefood #loveitaly #madeinitaly🇮🇹 #browsingitaly #littleitaly #wheninitaly #bestofitaly #arounditaly #artisanfood #mediterraneanfood #travelitaly #tuscany #tuscanfood #truffle #trufflepasta #blacktruffle #whitetruffle #porcini #mushroomrisotto #organicrice #italianfood #tuscanfood #slowfood #slowfoodies #italyfoodclub #italyfoodbox

It’s @florencecocktailweek till the 27th which m

It’s @florencecocktailweek till the 27th which means curated events, special cocktails menus, guest bartenders and new spirits out on the market- which is a joy for our Negroni and Amaro club research!

I especially loved Tuesday’s event @gunesanfrediano which head bartender @veronica_costantino88 (who I can’t wait to drink more from!) and the team @shakher13 (an overdue bartender collective whose work- in part- holds sexism accountable in the bartending sector) shook up some creative tipples with new mixology grappa by @casta_grappa (made from prosecco grapes, intended as a softer alternative for drinks calling for vodka).

I loved @gunesanfrediano’s Aperitivo bites, inc dried crispy peppers/peperoni cruschi with whipped burrata- delightful (can’t wait to return for dinner!)

Shout out to all the bar pros working harder than ever under a face mask plus having to follow myriad rules so we can still drink! (Drinks are needed, reality is strange!)

Anyone in town attending events or drinking all the guest drinks? If you are, don’t miss this Saturday @madsoulsandspirits who will be hosting the world’s best kept secret bartender Andre Copacabana from @legiraffesecretbar

That was a doozy of a long caption! Grazie if you made it till the end 😘🥂🍸#curiousappetite #FWC20

Ever seen these bongos in Florence and wondering h

Ever seen these bongos in Florence and wondering how they originated?
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Since Caterina brought all her chefs with her to France from Italy, she asked one of them to whip her up something sweet…
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Well, the crema pasticcera found inside was typical of Italian sweets, but the puff mignon was a French favorite, the chef took both of these which were on hand and created this little cream puff now piled into little mountains, covered in chocolate- bongo!
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Hop on “Caterina de’ Medici, the royal foodie and her “food legacy” virtual tour held once per month- the next event Tuesday September 29th at 9pm Italy time. Join the chat with one of our expert food historians. Reserve tickets via link in bio!
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#caterinademedici #florence #firenze #foodhistory #virtualexperiences #virtualtours #visititaly #armchairtravel #florenceitaly #iloveitaly #italymagazine #foodtours #nytfood #travelandleisure #foodandwine #gastroobscura #nytcooking #culturetrip #lovetheworld #tasteofitaly #theflorentine #cntraveler #theculturetrip #profiteroles #sweettooth #sweeteats #italiansweets #italianfood #pastrylovers #pastrylife

One of the most memorable pairings this summer was

One of the most memorable pairings this summer was from @cuculiaristorante: dollops of sheep milk ricotta from Pienza (hair flip) and mussels “al guazzetto” in summery tomato matched with a seaside mineral-rich sapid women-powered Fiano vino from Italy’s pizza region of Campania’s salty wine country coast.

I so wish everyone and anyone from around the world could be in Florence, but if you’re privileged enough to be here and are craving creative cuisine at Michelin quality but local budget friendliness- head to @cuculiaristorante! Check their menu before reserving- make sure it’s your jam! Hope you’re all eating and drinking well ❤️🥂🍴#curiousappetite #florenceitaly

This sticky wine grape studded and jammed focaccia

This sticky wine grape studded and jammed focaccia pie, aka schiacciata con l’uva starts to pop up in bakeries in Florence from late August as a gentle warning of Fall on the way and to me, a reminder how beautiful Italian food culture is.

I adore how seasons are celebrated and symbolically phased with food window merchandising with specialties such as these.

But the real question is- do we actually like this dessert? Is it a dessert? Is it truly enjoyable with all the crunchy seeds in an ultimately dry bread soggy from the syrupy grapes and a strange bitter aftertaste?

Apart from the cultural nostalgia baked seasonal Tuscan icons like these induce, are they actually delicious and worth the sugar/calories? (Preparing to be exiled from Florence...) 🍞 🍇 #curiousappetite #schiacciataconluva

This has been an eat your feelings year, no doubt.

This has been an eat your feelings year, no doubt.

What better way than with a semel from Marco, aka the Michelangelo of panini, slathered with earthy truffle and wedged with salty sheep’s milk pecorino and contrasting sweet sliced pears?

If you want to escape reality and catch a glimpse into the bustling Mercato Sant’Ambrogio/food market, we’ll be including a link in our newsletter about to be sent out with our recent live-streamed food tour from the beating heart of Florence’s food culture.

The newsletter will also include a free PDF of my favorite Italian spots to munch around the West Coast if you can’t make it to Italy yet.

If you’re not subscribed, you can via linktree in bio.
Buon appetito and sending everyone lots of hugs and soothing carbs to help buffer the mess that is 2020. Buona domenica 🥪#curiousappetite #florenceitaly

Pardon the lighting, but the riverside snacks from

Pardon the lighting, but the riverside snacks from @lungarnodining’s Caffè dell’Oro Nikkei-themed fusion menu and spritz are worth a holler and a fancy weekend evening Aperitivo.
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Fried avocado sando, Peruvian pork mini panini, salsa’d scallops and amberjack sashimi 🐟 tiradito in aji amarillo yellow chili are delights and proof Florence is not a boring city to eat in.

If you can’t be in Florence eating all the fun things and drinking all the drinks, please support your local restaurant by ordering take-out if outdoor/indoor dining isn’t possible especially if you’re on the US’s West Coast as 2020 has been beyond demoralizing for restaurants everywhere who fight tooth and nail to hang on. Thinking of my home coast (best coast, sorry not sorry) and hoping the air quality cleans up soon and everyone is staying well- big hug! Buon weekend a tutti 🍹🍴#curiousappetite