What’s left to say about Italian cooking? And do we really need another “I moved to Italy and it’s so wonderful” book on our shelves? My answers are: “Plenty” and “I think so, yes.”
In the fall of 2001, my wife, three children, and I moved to Italy. Our four-month sabbatical forever changed the arc of our lives. A few years later, we settled in Gaiole-in-Chianti, a small village of 2,750 souls about an hour south of Florence in the heart of Chianti Classico wine country. Like most “stranieri,” we came for the food, wine, art, and culture. But we’ve stayed because of the people.
Two years ago, I started thinking about a book. “What,” I asked myself “could I possibly add to the thousands of books that have already been published about Italian cooking?” And: “Won’t a personal memoir turn into a trite cliché like so many others?” The answer to both questions, I concluded, was our close circle of local friends.
I’m happy to introduce you to 20 Amici 40 Ricette; Friends & Food from the Heart of Chianti. It’s a love letter to my adopted village, a tribute to the people who make it special, and a look at Italian cooking through the eyes of everyday people. It’s a peek at real life and real cooking in Italy.
Who will you meet and what will you learn? I’ll introduce you to my friend, Luciano, who rises at 5:00 a.m. to forage for mushrooms that are the base for a porcini-tangled plate of hand-made tagliatelle. You’ll meet Marcella, who has a deft hand with a béchamel and ragù-laced lasagna. We’ll venture to Florence to meet Giordano and Saverio Monni of Buca dell’Orafo, where dishes like groppa scallopata (grilled top round of beef) and traditional ribollita soup rule. And I’ll take you to Gaiole’s main piazza, where my friend Fernanda, her two daughters, and son-in-law carry on the traditions of a third-generation trattoria serving coccoli (literal translation “cuddles”)—fried dough balls with stracchino cheese and prosciutto that typify Chiantigiana comfort food. These are just a few of the 20 friends you’ll meet.
You’ll also get my two cents worth: opinions on cooking philosophy; essential pantry items; the nuances of great pasta cookery; why the bread is bad in Tuscany (it really is); favorite recipes from my own Italian American childhood; and lots of recommendations for places to stay, eat, and drink great wine in Chianti. Bonus: all of the incredible images captured by my collaborator and friend, Nico Schinco.
If you love to cook, travel and meet new and interesting people, I think you will enjoy 20 Amici 40 Ricette.
