Tuscan Diet - Dairy

Tuscany produces a wonderful array of cheeses, so there is no doubt that like all of the other elements of their diet, Tuscans take their dairy seriously.

A light supper of pecorino cheese, multicereale bread,
cinghiale sausage and walnuts

Many cheeses in Tuscany are made from sheep or goat's milk, such as caprino, and my personal favorite, pecorino.  Fresh ricotta can be made with sheep, goat or cow milk and is delightfully smooth and creamy.  Other typical Tuscan produced cheeses include raviggiolo (a soft, fresh cheese) and caciotta (a soft crust cheese).

A wonderful etruscan pecorino

Of course another very famous dairy concoction that can be found in Tuscany is gelato!  Gelato was created by Bernardo Buontalenti, a Florentine cook who created the delicious dessert for Catherine de'Medici....and the rest is history!  Florence has tons of gelaterie (gelato shops) serving up mounds of creamy gelato year-round.  Gelato is similar to ice cream found in the US, but believe me...gelato is much better!  It's wonderful dense creaminess is due to it being churned at a slower pace, which causes less air to be incorporated into the dessert.  It also has less fat in it than US ice cream, which helps to intensify the flavor and not coat the mouth like ice cream does.

Caffè (coffee) , fiordilatte (a plain "flower of milk" flavor),
and nocciola (hazelnut) gelato at GROM in Florence

As wonderful as their cheese and gelato are, dairy is much more minor element in the Tuscan diet.  Personally, we enjoy an occasional glass of milk and yogurt (Italian yogurt is fabulous!), but for the most part, a very small percentage of our diet consists of dairy products.  Olive oil is preferred over butter, and we don't use a lot of cream in our recipes like some other folks do, simply because we prefer to eat in a more health-conscious way.  

A variety of Italian  yogurt

Occasionally we will make what Simone calls a "cake" with yogurt.  Simone created the recipe and it's very simple.  He lines a casserole dish with savoiardi biscuits (ladyfinger cookies) and then spoons a layer of yogurt on top.  He keeps layering the cookies and yogurt until it is almost to the top of the dish, then he places it into the refrigerator overnight.  By the time morning arrives, the yogurt has softened the crisp svoiardi and he spoons it up to serve.  We eat it for breakfast occasionally or as a dessert.  You can make it with whatever flavor of yogurt you prefer, or do like Simone does sometimes and use a different flavor for each layer. 

Tuscan Diet - Meats

Another part of the Tuscan diet is meat.

The Etruscan tables would usually find dishes of cinghiale (wild boar), which to this day are hunted by Tuscans for their meat.  These large beasts (which can weigh up to around 190 kg) roam around Tuscany, irritating gardeners and farmers since they tend to like to eat their produce and destroy their plants.

Cinghiale head at Antica Macelleria Falorni in Greve in Chianti

Cinghiale can be found in sausages, roasts and in a delightful dish called Pappardelle con ragu' di cinghiale, which is a dish with flat, broad pasta covered in a tomato-based sauce with wild boar.  The meat is flavorful.  To me, it has a richer flavor than pork and is almost beef-like in texture.  It's definitely good and worth a try if you ever get a chance to taste it.

The tastiest burger in the world - 250 gr burger at
Dario DOC in Panzano, Italy

Chianina cattle have been raised in the Tuscan region for over 2200 years.  The gigantic white cattle are known for the large size, excellent health, and their high tolerance to heat and sun.  The meat is very high in quality and has great nutritional value, which explains the higher prices on the labels for Chianina vs. other beef.  Indeed, it is absolutely tender and delicious.  One of the most famous Tuscan dishes, bistecca alla fiorentina, is made from a cut of Chianina beef.

Chianina steak

Tuscans use every bit of the animal, even the stomachs.  One of the best panini (sandwiches) that I have ever had was a lampredotto panino.  Exclusively Florentine, this sandwich is made up of lampredotto, which is the fourth and final stomach of the cow.  It's cooked in a delectable vegetable broth, chopped up, placed on a crusty bun with some salt, pepper, and salsa verde (a green parsley based condiment).

Lampredotto panino from Nerbone
at Mercato Centrale in Florence

There are many birds that are eaten as well.  Chicken, gallo (rooster), turkey, guinea fowl, quail, duck, capon...it can all be found on Tuscan tables.  Roasted, boiled, grilled...it takes all forms and is very tasty.

Poultry for sale at Mercato Centrale in Florence

Rabbit and lamb can also be found at local butcher shops and supermarkets.  We often like to pick up some lamb chops and cook them with rosemary and a little olive oil for dinner.  Pork is also a favorite, either in the form of prosciutto, salami, or a delicious roast.

One of my favorite pork dishes is rosticciana, a simple dish made with pork ribs, garlic, rosemary, and wine.  Below, you can find my recipe for this delicious (and easy) dish.  I like to serve mine with a side of sauteed spinach.

Rosticciana with sauteed spinach and garlic

Rosticciana

Pork Ribs
Rosemary
Garlic
1 glass white wine
Salt

Cut the ribs into sections about 3 cm (a little over an inch) thick.

Stovetop method:
Place ribs into a large frying pan and add several sprigs of rosemary, a few cloves of garlic, and a glass of water.  Cover and cook over low heat for about an hour.  Make sure to turn the ribs frequently until the water has completely evaporated.  Increase the heat, add a little salt and a glass of wine.  Allow the wine to gradually reduce, browning the meat evenly on all sides.

Oven method:
Place all ingredients into a rectangular oven dish and roast for 40 minutes at 180°C/350°F.

Tuscan Diet - Bread, Pasta, Grains

As I've mentioned before, the ancient Etruscans developed farms across the fertile land of Tuscany (or, rather, Etruria, as it was known back then) and along with vegetables and fruit, planted many forms of grains, such as farro and millet.  The land was so fertile, as a matter of fact, that the Etruscans were able to supply grain on the occasion that Rome was suffering from famine!

Today, grains remain an important part of the Tuscan diet.  For example, farro, a nutty flavored grain high in fiber and vitamin B3 and zinc, can be found in soups, salads and a multitude of other dishes.

Fresh bread baked in a wood burning oven
 at a bread bakery in Poggio a Caiano

Pane toscano, Tuscan bread, is as basic of a bread as you can get:  flour, yeast and water.  No salt at all.  Why no salt?  Blame the Pisans.  According to legend, around the year 1100, Pisa (a port city) blocked the shipment of salt from reaching Florence, attempting to force the Florentine troops to surrender in battle (Pisa and Florence were enemies for centuries).  However, their plan didn't work...the Florentines simply made their bread without salt!  To this day, traditional Tuscan bread does not have salt in its recipe.  This may not seem palatable to some (and on its own, it does taste rather bland), but when eaten with Tuscan dishes, it is quite complementary and goes very well with the types of food eaten in Tuscany, since the bread does not overpower the taste of the food.  Tuscans seem to put bread in everything.  It's in their soups and it's the biggest ingredient in panzanella, a bread salad!

Fresh pane toscano and prosciutto - best sandwich ever!

When you think of Italian food, I'm sure pasta is one of the first things that come to mind.  Pasta has been around Tuscany since the time of the Etruscans.  Archaeologists discovered proof that around 3000 years ago, Etruscans prepared a wheat and egg pasta-type food.

Fresh pasta at the local supermarket

There are well over 300 different pasta shapes...wide, narrow, flat, round, shapes, filled...you could have pasta for months without having the same shape twice!  Don't think that pasta is off limits if you are "on a diet".  Simone has a personal rule for us that we only eat pasta for lunch and not for dinner, since you tend to burn off more energy during the day than in the evening, especially since we may not eat dinner until 8pm in Italy.

Fusilli con cozze (fusilli pasta with mussels)

Tuscan Diet - Fish and Seafood

Tuscany has over 250 km of coastline and many lakes and rivers within the region, so you can imagine that there is plenty of fresh fish and seafood available.

Fish and seafood for sale at the Mercato Centrale in Florence

Tuscans have included fish in their diet for centuries.  I absolutely love fish and to be in a region where there is an abundance is such a treat for me, considering I'm from the midwestern US where practically any and all fish found at supermarkets is (or was) frozen.

Palombo (dogfish) with olives and sage in olive oil

Orate (sea bream), branzino (sea bass), polpo (octopus), cozze (mussels), acciughe (anchovies), vongole (clams), calamari (squid) can all normally be found at pescherie (fish markets) and supermarkets around Tuscany.

Polpo (octopus) and ingredients before being dropped into the pot

Low in fat, calories and cholesterol, fish make a very healthy addition to your diet.  They are great sources of protein, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3's are incredibly heart healthy, so it's important to make sure you get some in your diet.

Muscles in pasta with cherry tomatoes

We eat fish and seafood in a multitude of ways.  Sometimes we toss the fish in a little flour and fry it up in olive oil.  Other times, we bake whole fish in the oven stuffed with herbs and lemon and drizzled with some olive oil.  Mussels in pasta sauces, boiled octopus, fritto misto (fried mixed seafood)...it's all delicious and all quite nutritious!

Fried latterini (smelt)

Baccalà  is one of our favorite fish to eat.  is salted cod, which looks rather unappetizing in its dried, salted form, but once it's soaked and cooked, it is absolutely delicious.  In Italy, you can find it dried as well as in its bagnato (wet) form.  Our favorite way to cook it is the way they do in Livorno.  Baccalà alla Livornese is a simple recipe, cooking the fish with a delightful tomato sauce, which is absolutely fabulous! 

Baccalà alla Livornese

800 grams baccalà bagnato (already soaked)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
400 grams tomatoes (I used canned polpa, or crushed tomatoes, but you could use fresh and chop them up)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
parsley, chopped
salt and pepper (if needed)

Cut the baccalà into cubes around 2 inches (5 cm).  Rinse and squeeze dry.  Lightly flour the fish and and place into a heated pan with olive oil.  Fry all sides until brown.  Add tomatoes and garlic.  Cook a few minutes and add salt, if needed (it very well might not need salt, so be sure to taste it before you add any).  To finish the dish, sprinkle with parsley and cook for a couple more minutes before serving.

Tuscan Diet - Beans

Tuscans have been called "bean eaters" throughout their history, which was actually a fairly derogatory term referring to the fact that Tuscans, for the most part, were poor and beans were (and are) cheap, yet hearty and full of protein and nutrients.

Cannellini beans being mixed into homemade ribollita

Ages ago, soaked beans would be placed in a glass flask with garlic, olive oil and and a little sage, and then placed next to the embers of the household fire overnight (this is called fagioli al fiasco).  These days, it's not much more difficult to cook them.  If you have dried beans, they should be soaked at least 8 hours, so normally I set them to soak overnight (don't leave them for more than 20-24 hours though, or else they might start fermenting).  Drain the beans and then cook them in a generous amount of water (an approximately a 3:1 ratio is what I have been told over the years).  Cooking time will depend on the type of bean, but usually it will take anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour or more.

A way to get around soaking and cooking dried beans is to use canned beans.  It will definitely cut down on your cooking time and there are several good brands of canned beans available.

Fagioli all'Uccelletto

One of our favorite ways to eat beans is a traditional Florentine dish called Fagioli all'Uccelletto (an uccelletto is a little bird, so the name translates to "beans cooked in little bird style").  It's quite simple to make and is a nice hearty dish, often traditionally served with sausage, but we like it all on its own!

Fagioli all'Uccelletto

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin and crushed

8 - 15 fresh sage leaves, stems removed

2 roma tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped fine

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

water

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add the garlic and sage.  Cook until garlic is golden brown and sage leaves are crisp.  Add tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans.  Add enough water to just cover the beans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let simmer for 30 minutes or until the beans are very soft and the liquid is mostly gone.  Serve hot.

Tuscan Diet - Fruit

Wandering through Tuscany, you will see fruit just about everywhere.  Grape vineyards abound, as do olive (yes, olives are technically a fruit!), lemon, cachi (persimmon), fig, and other fruit trees.

Tiny citrus fruits in Poggio a Caiano

Fruit is an important part of the Tuscan diet.  We eat fruit several times a day in Italy...sometimes as part of breakfast, but more often following lunch and dinner.

Fruit (and vegetables) for sale at Mercato Centrale in Florence

It was something that I had to get used to.  I have always liked fruit, but when I went to Italy, I was not used to it being served after every meal.  As soon as we would finish our meal, Simone would insist that I eat fruit!  Now I don't even think twice about it and I always reach for fruit after a meal.

Uva di tavola (table grapes)

I'm sure that you already know how important fruit is to incorporate into your diet.  Along with vegetables, they provide numerous vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants and fiber.

Simone peeling a nespole (loquat)

We eat any and all fruit types, but we do make sure to eat what is in season.  Grapes, pears and apples in the fall, kiwis and citrus in the winter (I ate so many clementines in December this past year, I just about turned into one!), berries in the summer, and lemons year round.  Typically, in Italy, if it isn't in season, you probably won't be able to easily find it at the market.

Cachi - a soft fleshed persimmon (my favorite!)

A great way to incorporate fruits in your diet is to keep a bowl of fresh fruit on your table.  Having fresh fruit readily available and in sight is a good reminder to eat your fruit after meals.

Fresh fruit or cooked fruit, it's all good!  One of Simone's favorite things to do with fruit in the winter is to cook apples.  It's super easy and incredibly delicious!  Peel an apple (or two or three...or however many you want) and cut it into slices.  How you want to cook it is up to you.  If you want to use a microwave, place the apple slices into a bowl, sprinkle with some cinnamon and add a spoonful of water.  Cover with a lid (or a plate) and cook for several minutes (the time will depend on how many apples you are using and how thick they are cut...just check them periodically throughout the cooking time to monitor their progress.)  If you prefer, you can cook them on the stovetop.  In that case, place the slices in a small pot and add the cinnamon and a little water.  Cover the pot and cook over a medium flame until softened.  Buono!

Cooked apples alongside a grilled pork chop and asparagus

The Tuscan Diet - Vegetables

The ancient Etruscans were incredible people.  They had an amazing sense of engineering, geology, and agriculture/land development.  Archaeologists discovered that around 700 BC, the Etruscans had developed drainage and irrigation of the land, which led to bountiful groves, fields and gardens.

Needless to say, vegetables remain as a large and important part of the Tuscan diet to this day.

A vegetable vendor at the Mercato Centrale in Florence

Full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, there is no denying that vegetables should be a major part of your diet.

Tuscan zucchini

A multitude of different vegetables can be found in the markets in Tuscany.  Some of my favorites are zucchini, melanzane (eggplant), cavolo nero (black kale), carciofi (artichokes), cardi (cardoons), asperagi (asparagus), peperoni (peppers), and spinaci (spinach).  Admittedly, I am a big fan of veggies!

Cardi (cardoons) cut up and ready to be cooked

Buying the freshest possible produce is important, so sticking with buying things that are in season is something I try to do.  Of course what is in season where you live may be different from what is in season where I live, so if you would like to find out when the best time of year to buy vegetables in your area, then do an internet search for seasonal vegetables in your area.

Cavolo Nero (black or lacinato kale)

I could go on and on about the different vegetables - what to look for in buying fresh produce, how to store and prepare them - but then this post would end up being entirely too long!  (In future posts, I may try to feature a vegetable now and then in order to give more specific information and how to prepare it.)

A good recipe using a lot of different vegetables is Minestrone.  The beans and the pasta in the soup make it quite filling.  It's very flavorful and makes a really great meal on a cold winter's day!

Minestrone

4 or 5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. diced pancetta
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
1 diced carrot
1/2 pound cavolo nero (black or lacinato kale), chopped
1 diced celery stalk
1 head of lettuce, chopped
2 or 3 small diced zucchini
1/4 pound string beans
2 or 3 ripe plum or roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
beef broth
1/2 pound short pasta (I use ditalini)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Saute the pancetta, onion and basil.  Add all vegetables except tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste, cover and let cook for 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and beans, and enough broth to cover everything.  Cook slowly for 2 hours, covered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add more broth or water as needed.
After 2 hours, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes.  When pasta is done, the soup is ready to eat.  Serve hot, drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

The Tuscan Diet - Olive Oil

Quite possibly the most essential element in Tuscan cooking is extra-virgin olive oil.

Olives growing in Tuscany, ready for harvest

Olive oil is super good for you.  There have been several clinical trials that have shown that adding olive oil to your diet may actually lower your cholesterol levels and therefore, may help lower the risk for coronary heart disease.  Other clinical trials claim that olive oil can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.  Olive oil even has anti-inflammatory properties in it!  So why wouldn't you want to add it into your diet?

A tasting station for olive oil at Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti

Besides all of the health benefits, olive oil tastes amazing. A good olive oil will add fantastic flavor to your foods.  The region where the olives grow, type of olive, ripeness, and several other factors can effect the flavor of the oil.  The color of the oil can range from a greenish to a yellow-green color.

If you are in the US, you need to be aware that the US government has refused to adopt the International Olive Oil Council standards, so just because the bottle might say "extra-virgin", doesn't mean it actually contains extra-virgin olive oil.  To be completely certain that what you're buying is extra-virgin olive oil, look on the label for a COOC label (California Olive Oil Council), which has adopted the IOOC's standards.  If it is an imported Italian olive oil, look for the initials DOP (or DPO), which stands for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin).  This provides assurance of the quality of the oil.

Cold pressed olive oil means pretty much exactly what it sounds like:  during the pressing of the olives to extract the oil, no heat was used.  This is a good thing, because it preserves the nutrients in the oil.

Flavored olive oils can be an interesting thing
to try out.  This orange flavored oil is one that
we tasted in Chianti.

Olive oil should be stored away from light and heat.  Both light and heat can effect the flavor of the oil as well as causing it to spoil quicker than usual.  Keeping it in a pantry or cupboard away from the oven, or at least keep it further away from the stove.  Make sure that you use the oil within a month or two so that the nutrients are at their optimal levels, because they do drop over time.

Tuscans use olive oil on just about everything.  (We go through a bottle of olive oil every week and a half or so!)  They will put it on salads, bread, soup, pasta, meat...you name it.  As a matter of fact, a super easy way to make garlic bread is the way they do it in Italy.  Simply take a piece of bread (preferably Tuscan read), toast it, then take a clove of garlic and rub it vigorously on both sides of the toasted bread.  Then drizzle a little olive oil on the top.  Buono!  Less work and better for you nutritionally!

The Tuscan Diet - Introduction

It always surprised my friends to here me say that I lost weight whenever I would go to Italy.  "How is that even POSSIBLE??" some would say to me.

Really though, if you look at Italians in Italy, most of them are quite trim!  The lifestyle there includes a lot of outdoor activities and walking, there aren't fast food restaurants on every corner, and food is prepared with fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Fresh produce, olive oil and other tasty Tuscan foods
at the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) in Florence

I was introduced to Tuscan foods by Simone when I first set foot in Italy 3 years ago.  I really enjoyed the combination of flavors and the fact that everything was so FRESH.  I had heard before that the diet of Mediterranean countries is probably one of the most healthy diets in the world, but I never realized how delicious it could be!  I was a convert from the start...especially when I discovered how EASY it is to prepare!

I haven't bought pasta sauce in 3 years, since I found out
how easy it was to make my own!

Over the next few days, I will discuss the various elements that comprise the Tuscan diet.  These are all things that can be found anywhere and easily incorporated into your own diet, bringing a little bit of Tuscany into your own life!  Stay tuned!