Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Torta coi bischeri is a typical Pisan dessert. “Torta” means cake and the word “bischero” literally means the small key which is used to adjust the strings of a violin. However, the word has developed dozens of other meanings in Tuscany. In the case of the Torta coi Bischeri, the word refers to the rolls of dough which are arranged during preparation to surround the cake, and which look exactly like the aforementioned violin key.

This “cake”, is actually closer to a tart and is made of chocolate decorated with currants, pine nuts and candied fruit. As well as the traditional recipe, there is also a green version which sees the rice mixed with beets. Although it is widely sold throughout Pisa, this cake actually originates from Pontasserchio.

In this village, the cake is especially popular during the month of April due to a festival where all residents must bake a spring dessert. As it is a popular gift amongst family and friends during Easter, it is an obvious choice. However, as so many of the cakes are made, each with the family's own recipe, the festival turns into a competition.

The best place to try the cake is in its birthplace or in the surrounding but if you’re too far away, you can try to make it at home with local ingredients. Follow our recipe for now and find a holiday rental in Pisa so you can try the real deal later – or, maybe, even compete in the festival yourself!

Once you have found the perfect holiday rental in Tuscany, the googling begins as you try and make a list of the things to see and do in this beautiful region of Italy. Food is probably going to be high on your list as Tuscany, in particular, is known for her delicious, hearty, simple and wholesome cuisine. You have probably sampled Tuscan dishes already but there is nothing quite like the real thing, especially if you are on holidays and enjoying the pace of life and surroundings of Tuscany. In order to make your life easier, we've gathered together some of the best treats that the region has to offer in this one series of posts on sweets in Tuscany. So, when you go to order a coffee to enjoy some afternoon as you sit in a piazza in Tuscany, you'll know exactly what kinds of sweets to ask for as the perfect accompaniment.

Tuscany is well-known for her delicious food throughout Italy and beyond. Most of us are familiar with Tuscan dishes, whether we realise them to be from that region or not, and it is a hearty, rich cuisine full of simple ingredients that anyone can enjoy. Less familiar, however, might be the many delicious desserts of the region which must be tried once you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are spending any time in the area.

To help you out, we've compiled a list of some of these amazing desserts.

If you're considering a holiday in Tuscany, you have probably already started imagining all the delicious treats, food and drink that you are going to consume once you get there. Tuscany is a region of Italy, in particular, that is known for its cuisine and while the savoury dishes of Tuscany may be more familiar to most, it is a cuisine that also happens to be just rife with delicious typical desserts and sweets, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. If you've got a sweet tooth, it's the ideal part of Italy to visit. Just pick out the perfect luxury villa in Tuscany for you and yours and your particular needs and then grab a pen and paper because there are some sweets that you're going to need to track down when you arrive.

Once you've found the ideal holiday rental in Livorno and are busy exploring the city and its beaches, make sure to stop and sample some of the local cuisine. Livorno is known for multiple local specialties including cacciucco, a rich fish stew made of tomato and five different kinds of fish and served with a thick slice of bread rubbed in garlic. The dish has become somewhat of a symbol of the town which is understandable, considering it is a port town of seaside resorts and lots of fishing activity. Other Livornese fish dishes include Triglie alla Livornese (Livornese red mullet) and Spaghetti al Nero (pasta with cuttle fish ink).

However, as important as fishing and seafood is to the town, you must also make time to try Torta di Ceci, a chickpea flour “pancake” which is a typical dish of Livorno. It makes for the perfect street food and is tasty, nutritious, cheap and easy to eat as a snack on the move, or as part of a meal. It is made from chick pea flour which is made into a thin batter and cooked in huge round tins in a very hot oven, preferably wood-fired. The resulting pancakes are then sold by waiting and is traditionally eaten in bread as a “Cinque e Cinque” (meaning “five and five”) which refers to the original value of the bread and the torta: five liras for the bread and five for the torta.

There are some important historic Tortai (places where they serve the torte) in Livorno, such as Cecco in the Borgo district, and Gagari by the covered food market. Try one while wandering the city and then finish it off with a Livornese “Ponce”. This is a potent hot drink made from coffee and rum according to a secret formula. The most famous bar in Livorno for Ponce is Civili in Via del Vigna, but it is available everywhere.

If you can't wait until your trip to try out a Torta di Ceci, try out this recipe and daydream about your perfect getaway in Tuscany.