The agenda for the weekend starts with an Italian BBQ

As I went for my early morning run, this morning promised a splendid sunny – maybe even warm (almost hot?) – kind of day.  I spent most of the run planning out my activities for the weekend – BBQ Friday night after work with a glass of Chianti enjoying the sunset over the vineyard, Saturday was to be leisurely including town hopping (Greve and Panzano are bound to have a farm market going on), B-day shopping, gardening and an evening visit to Florence then Sunday (with the promise of really lousy weather) my intention is to cuddled up on the couch and enjoy one of my new e-books.  So my plans to BBQ with DH this evening were almost confirmed and written in stone.

But as I look out my office window and desperately search for the sun, I realize that I had better come up with an alternative plan – at least as far as the grilled chicken with fresh Tuscan Herbs and jacket potatoes are concerned.  Pizza anyone?

Saturday has received rave reviews from the local weatherman – sun sun sun and then more sun.  So town hopping is still on the agenda.  DH and I like to get out the vespa, don our helmets and wind around the country roads looking for a food festival or farmer market where we can have fun picking and choosing all kinds of yummy goodies.  We then pile it all into the basket attached to the back of the bike and anything that doesn’t fit goes into my handbag.  We drive home as fast as possible in order to set up outside in our garden under the umbrella and eat it all in one go!

I have to do some B-Day shopping because my little brother is going to be celebrating at the end of the month, and I don’t want him to wait 4 months (like my little sister did) to get his gift.  I have to calculate normal postal delays between Tuscany and California – AND I have to calculate my perpetual procrastination in taking the box to the post office to actually send it.  He (ever so) casually dropped a hint that our three section Toscanella briefcase was on his wish list  but . . . let’s just say if he wants a briefcase for his B-day he’d better come and visit me first.  I was actually thinking more along the line of a document holder or an iPad case.

I will be planting my zucchini plants this weekend so that they will be ready to sprout flowers real soon – and that of course means fried zucchini flowers.  YUM! And since zucchini plants seem to be constantly in the production mode, two plants should keep us eating zucs until … I don’t know October?  Which is just fine by me because I have at least 50 different ways to make them – the first of which is a Primavera sauce for the Pasta:

2 baby zucchini, 1 baby onion (or sweet onion), 2 ripe tomatoes, 150-200 gr. Ricotta cheese, a bunch of fresh parsley (or basil), 200 grs pasta and as much grated parmesan cheese as you like. (basics for any Italian recipe include Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper)

Chop the onion and begin to sautee in extra virgin olive oil.

Chop the Zucchini and add to the onion.

Chop the tomato and as soon as the onion and zucchini are soft and golden add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook until they are soft and you can smell the flavours mixing and remove from heat.  Mix in the ricotta cheese and parsely.

Make your favorite type of short pasta. Drain (put leave just a little bit of the water).

Mix with the sauce and add some of the cooking water if it needs to be thinned out.

Sprinkle the cheese and serve . . . with lots of bread because the left over sauce will need to be scooped up, its just too good to leave behind.

Well, as the Italians are often apt to say – let’s hope for the best.  Hopefully I will get home in time to at least have a little happy hour before the rain falls.

Wishing you all a great weekend – leave a comment with your plans!

Everything is coming up roses in Tuscany

It is springtime in Tuscany and all you need is a drop of sun and the roses are in bloom everywhere!  It almost seems that roses are as proficuo as weeds in some areas.  It is in my nature to be generally super curious and I will find myself asking tons of questions when I find a reliable source and then I tuck these pieces of info into my brain.  I found most of my American friends and family, when they come to visit,  indulge me and listen to these stories and facts – many of them are probably wondering how it is I can remember all of these curiousities but I had the hardest time remembering how to do algerbra or spell anything with more than two vowels in it. And I am about to share with you one of these interesting little facts.

As it turns out both Tuscan vineyards and I share a common like :  Roses.   Anyone who has visited Tuscany might have noticed that at the beginning of each row in the vineyards there can occassionally be found a rose bush.  This is especially true for the older vineyards – like those located around my house.  Some might have thought that is was a gesture of beauty, but I can assure you that the Tuscan farmer has no time for adding a bit of beauty when it comes to something as serious as his veggie garden or vineyard.

When I first started gardening in Tuscany, planted flowers all a long my fence.  I was continuously under the scrutiny of my neighbors – the older they were the more curious as to what the American girl was up too.  Bruno,  as old as they get and with a face that never cracked a smile, shook his head and gave me a look bordering on disgust he said:  ”boh, fiori?”  Of course, don’t they look good?.  ”boh (a Tuscan way of saying I don’t know) non si può mangiare fiori” –  you can’t eat those flowers so, I was just wasting my time.

But not all flower are a waste of time, for example fried fiori di zucca (fried zucchini flowers – need I say more?) and roses.  Yes, back on the topic at hand.  Apparently roses were traditionally planted at the end of the rows in vineyards because they are delicate – more so than the vines.  In this way, if the flowers or the bushes started to show signs of bugs or diease the farmer would be alerted before the problem could attach the vineyards.  The rose bush above is one of my favorites, nestled underneath a olive tree pushes out blooms from May to November non stop – and not scrawny blossoms but long stem red roses!

Not all roses are found in or around the vineyards, like this silver plated Nomination bracelet with a rose motif, this one can be found on line at Pierotucci.com  And let’s just say that the younger generation of Italians are just as fond of planting flowers and roses as they are of planting tomatoes and zucchini plants.

This bush with is spectacular yellow and pink blossoms stands taller than me!  I love the idea of it protecting all of these vineyards.  Of course today – it is more for show than utility because there are lots of other ways to keep an eye on the health of a vineyard.  However, I love it that some farmers still go out of their way to protect these reminants of cultural history.

This pole actually has two different kinds of roses – one is what I would call a wild rose – that the white one crawling up high.  Then there is the romantic white and pink rose – similar to this pink gold rose and silver bracelet from the ROSES collection from Nomination.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures I took of the vineyard and roses surrounding my home in Tuscany.

His and Hers in Leather and Lace

We are seeing it all over the fashion scene, the use of leather to accent clothes, handbags,  and leather jackets and what’s more its the creative use of leather that is so much fun.  Several designers have been showing a wide selection of  bags and jackets and throwing in variations on the theme with elaborate corsets, harnesses and masks, a little beyond my comfort zone, but if you are looking at fashion it is hard to ignore.

Italian designers in particular have been playing with using leather and lace – well actually its more like lace made out of leather.  Caterina Lucchi and Pierotucci have spiced up their collection with some lacy accents.  In particular, a designer leather jacket created for the Spring / Summer 2012 collection which uses a leather lace trim reminiscent  of the eyelet fabric with a 1950′s vintage inspired daisy design.  

Usually the Italian cut in a jacket can be a bit demoralizing since they usually nip and tuck where an American, Brit or Aussie would rather insert a pleat or dart, however this particular jacket is cut true to size.  You could even say it has a tendency to lean a bit more towards the ego stroking.  A model at 5’7″ 160lb can easily fit into a size 46 leaving plenty of room for a cashmere sweater or tee underneath.  What’s fun about this jacket is the simple cut is softened by a feminine touch of frill around the edges.

Also very noteworthy are the unique Caterina Lucchi handbags created by a designer straight out of the central part of Italy.  One of her newest trends is leather totes and clutches with a mix and match of washed leather and varying leather lace designs.  Her bags are normally large, bulky and ornate while always maintaining a feminine flair to them with pastel colors, tassels or in this case, a patchwork of lacy leather designs.

And as for the his, we are seeing lots of leather accents on the runways.  Though we haven’t quite reached leather lace on the jackets, designers like YSL are showing wool and tweed jackets with contrasting leather sleeves, collars, edging and shoulder or yoke patterns.  Especially noticable are the two tone jackets, where the sleeve is black or dark brown leather and the body of the jacket is in a softer, paler shade of woven material.  However if we want to find the lace, there is a new look with Campomaggi where they are offering a  stark contrast by adding some frills.  They are using laser cut leather lattice (say that 10 times fast!) on their men’s totes.  The rugged washed-leather body of the bag and the over sized metal accessories (all or which are traditional characteristics of Camomaggi)  are offset with the two exterior pockets covered in leather lattice lace.  I find it rather surprising that they have managed to add this touch without detracting from the distinctly masculine feel that distinguishes the Campomaggi style.  Though perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised, Campomaggi has had an enormous success with their bags and this is just another example of offering the public not only a style that is out of the ordinary but also catering to those addicted to the trendy market and who require something new to ohhh and ahhh about.

The Pierotucci Italian Leather Factory proudly carries on the Florentine tradition of designing, assembling and selling handmade genuine Italian leather bags, jackets and accessories such as wallets, gloves and belts. They are based in Florence and surrounded by the beauty of the Chianti vineyards, the perfume of delicious food and a culture rich in art and craftsmanship.

Whatever you call it: holiday, vacation, free day, it all equates to one more day of Liberty!

April 25 in Italy is celebrated as the Festa della Liberazione – or rather the anniversary of the day Italy was “liberated” of the nazi-fascist occupation. This event was courageously fought for by persons of every age, creed and economic possibility uniting provinces and regions in the name and honor of their country.
When I first came to Italy, I must admit WWII was only a long list of dates and a series of cliff notes but upon my arrival 20 years ago the events of this traumatic moment in history were still very much present and on certain occasions I felt as if I was breathing history.  My arrival in Italy was not to some large city like Milan, Rome or Florence – I was dumped in the countryside.  The poetic, romantic and green countryside where by chance the partisans where particularly strong and where the foreign liberators were seen almost as saviors.  Ignorant of the part the partisans played along with the United States and Great Britain  in this liberation, it took just a few years of learning the language, meeting the people and being my naturally inquisitive self to discover the hardships, the reality, the togetherness and the drive which pulled an entire country through tragedy, massacres, political and religious  persecution and horrors.  Somehow things just came alive to me when I asked – why is that building riddled with holes  and received the answer oh that was machine gun fire from the Nazis … yikes, you realize how not so far off things were.

So even though I am not an Italian citizen and though I am not one to dwell on the disasters of the past, I find that I celebrate this holiday all the same, not because it means a day off of work but because it means honoring people – of all nations – who believed in freedom and achieved it.  I see it as a sign of respect for all of those persons who gave of themselves for something that they felt to be right and true.

Thank you!  Thank you for your actions then, 67 years ago, and thank you for your actions today, to all those who still strive to uphold freedom.

Friends for lunch in Tuscany

The idea started off as a fun afternoon in our garden with some warm sun shining down on us, ribs on the grill and us with some friends enjoying the fresh cut lawn and the colorful array of flowers popping up everywhere.  But with a mini-cyclone in arrival this weekend, I don’t think that is going to happen.  However we are not going to let this unexpected weather situation change our plans, my Sweetie and I are a bit like the mailman – come rain, sleet and cyclones, the meal must go on.

So have I decided take this as a great opportunity to serve up those wonderful winter dishes typical to the Tuscan menu before we are forced to eat fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil for months on end   It will also give me a great opportunity to use my black leather pants one more time before the summer temps settle in.

We are going to start with an antipasto of polenta fritta and crostini with melted mozzarella, anchioves and capers.  Polenta is one of those truly under rated foods, made from yellow corn meal it is great served hot and creamy with chunks of pork and potatoes, or cut into hard blocks covered with meat sauce, or heated in the oven with cheese on top  – are you getting the idea, that it is delicious in any form.  Well we are going to cut it into bite size pieces and fry it till it is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and serve it with a spicy tomato sauce for dipping (now that would be my American touch to the meal – Italians just serve it straight up!)  I will also be cutting up a delicious hunk of mozzarella into tiny bits and placing it on bread with chopped anchovies and capers, toast it in the oven till the cheese becomes nice and gooey and serve it up with the fried polenta.  YUM!  We will be in 8 – one of which is under 6 – but these goodies will probably be gone before they reach the table.

Any Sunday lunch in Tuscany (Italy for that matter) must have a pasta and since I am catering to an all Italian crowd this weekend, I will have to abide by the rule.  We are going to take a classic (pasta in meat sauce) and dress it up into the Florentine Pasticcio – a pie crust base filled with pasta, meat sauce, besciamela, grated Parmesan and about a zillion calories  (but who cares about that!)  Now pasticcio normally means to make a mess out of something (a lot like the Italian government, in fact when I tried to find a good picture of this dish – that’s exactly what came up photos of Italian government officials!) When you put this dish together it kind of has a messy look to it but that has absolutely no influence on the taste, which ranks right up there with lasagna!

We will follow this up with another classic winter dish arista di miale al forno – roast pork with rosemary and garlic.   Normally this is served with roast potatoes but I had a wonderful opportunity at the local market to pick up fagioli di Cetica – a small white bean and I will be accompanying the main course with green veggies and beans.  One of the fun and interesting things that have come out of the European Community is that many local areas have been protecting recipes and foods that are particular to certain zones.  Cetica is a gorgeous little town about an hour southwest of Florence located in the mountains.  The mix of cold temps and rich soil have produced several delicacies (red potatoes from Cetica, chestnuts, mushrooms and of course these white beans.)  I will be doing a very simple recipe of beans cooked with garlic, sage and black peppercorn, to be served with extra virgin olive oil on top.  The simplicity of this recipe is exactly what makes it so delicious.

Needless to say all of this will be served with a healthy portion of classical Tuscan bread, olive oil and red wine.  I bet you were all wondering when I was going to mention the wine . . . but we could say that it is a tacit agreement that all Sunday lunches – well any lunch for that matter – in our house is served with a Chianti Classico.

We are being treated to homemade bread with walnuts – which should be nicely complimented with the Gorgonzala DOP that I picked up.  In addition to the bread there will be a surprise dessert that one of our friends is bringing over.

Tune in on Monday – and I will have photos of all these goodies . . . if they last long enough for me to take a few.

Luxury comes in new colors this season

Working in the sector, we see a plethora of styles, cuts, colors and qualities pass through – but every once and a while, we will see the  arrival of what comes close to a true work of art!  Just this week a new men’s leather jacket arrived and it is truly divine! The most distinct feature, besides the great cut, is the quality of the leather. When they say soft like butter they ere imagining this jacket.  The texture is delicious, truly supple, with that light hint of a fresh leather smell.  This top quality Italian nappa leather is tanned right here in Tuscany and besides the fact that it is a hand sewn customized jacket, it is this leather which makes it stand apart from the others.  Available in what I would call jewel colors, accentuating the elegance and uniqueness of the model.

The green leather jacket almost appears to change color depending on the light taking on a rich deep green to a forest moss green / gray and the purple jacket lingers between a dark purple to more of a Sangiovese grape purple.

This style is an elegant, classic bomber jacket has a hidden front zip and snap closure, mandarin collar and buttons at the cuff.  The designer jacket is lined in viscose and has elastic accents at both the cuff and the waist to ensure a perfect fit against errant winds.  I encourage you to visit the site and view the photos where you can note in better detail in the front pockets and collar which are accented with a  perforated nappa lambskin to offer a subtle contrast to the texture.  These small, but attentive attitude towards detail is part of what makes this a top class leather jacket.

We give thanks that we have something to give

In August 2011 we wrote about the Pierotucci Project called “Japanese Fortunata for Relief Aid,”  and as amazing as it may sound, exactly one year to the date of the tragic event,  we sold the last of these limited edition FORTUNATA bags.  This was an  initiative designed to help those who suffered during the March Tsunami in Japan and the purchase of each one of this bags resulted in a donation from Pierotucci to the Japanese Red Cross to assist the rebuilding of a land and people that saw devastation and lose beyond our imagination.  We are very thankful to those who purchased one of these FORTUNATA Bags for helping us to aid those in need.  We would like to recognize that this contribution is not only from Pierotucci and those craftsman and women who had handmade each and everyone of handbags but it is also from the heart of each person who purchased this symbol of solidarity.

We have purposely chosen to represent Japan in a moment of beauty and the cherry tree image seemed the best choice since Japan is known to use cherry trees as a gesture of goodwill.  We have constant contact with the Japanese population when they come to visit Tuscany and many of our co-works here at Pierotucci are Japanese.  Their pain was shared by all of us as they checked in on family members and friends during this tragic time.  There was no question of our eagerness to find a way to contribute individually, as well as a business community, to assist in their rebuilding.  In looking for a photo which could celebrate Japan,  my colleague told me that the moment of the cherry blossoms was extremely important to their culture, it is known as Hana-mi and would be an excellent symbol.  According to the Buddhist tradition, the breathtaking but brief beauty of the blossoms symbolizes the transient nature of life and the act of “flower watching” is considered to be a spiritually revitalizing activity.  We wish joy and strength to the Japanese in this period of revitalizing of their community.

We are eternally thankful that we were able to give.  Thank you for making this possible.

Matteo and Marco Tucci

Owners of Pierotucci srl

Another celebration in Italy, Father’s Day is today

We are guest blogging at one our favorite English blogs today.  DressItalian mix food and Italian culture perfectly, offer well informed and interesting articles..

Please go check us out as we give you the low down on la Festa del Papa’ here in Tuscany

Let them know who sent you – thanks a million and

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY from Pierotucci.com

Women bring light and laughter into the world

Yellow couldn’t be a better color as representative of the Festa della Donna here in in Italy.  The blossoming of the Mimosa plant (not to be confused with the drink… however if you really want too, you can interchange them and I won’t complain!) is the traditional gift to the women  – this goes for the Mom, the Wife, daughters, co-workers and friends.  Women are traditionally seen as bring life, laughter and joy into the world and yellow reflects the freshness of this idea. Today I played with color and feminine fancy to bring together some fun yellow ideas.

Women in Yellow by naturalitalianwoman featuring cat eye sunglasses

Alexander McQueen platform high heels
$324 - net-a-porter.com

Leather handbag
€350 - pierotucci.com

Leather shoulder bag
€235 - pierotucci.com

Wallet
€15 - pierotucci.com

Victoria Beckham cat eye sunglasses
$535 - net-a-porter.com

Pashmina shawl
€87 - pierotucci.com

Slimmer belt
€63 - pierotucci.com

NARS eyeshadow
$34 - nordstrom.com

Kate Spade lipstick
$24 - katespade.com

Eye makeup
sleekmakeup.com

Yosh fragrance
$110 - barneys.com

Italian Designer Handbag | Fortunata | SunshineYellow colored leather
€205 - pierotucci.com

fiori di mimosa
€49 - mazzodifiori.it

Country Lanes in Tuscany

I live on the outskirts of Florence, in an area that is called Colle Fiorentina  This translates into the Florentine hills, well known for its DOCG Chianti wine and the fact that it is the gateway to the area called Chianti Classical.  The hills are covered with rolling vineyards, olive green groves and Mediterranean pines in lush dark forest.  It is a picture postcard panorama.  You are probably thinking nice to read about but does it really exist, or is this yet another fanatic raving about the Tuscan countryside? I guess it’s a little of both. If you can imagine, I have a 2 km stretch right outside my front door that plunges through the middle of olive groves and vineyards and in the distance there is a silhouette of the Apennines on the left and that of a Tuscan hilltop town on the right.  If I hit it right when I go for my morning walk, I get a brilliant sky flushed with early morning color going up the road and on the way back, the sun is warming my behind and splashing buckets of yellow light on the trees. So you see, how can I not be one of those raving fanatics?

In my 20 years of living abroad, about 19.5 of them have been involved with tourism. And even though I am a do-it-yourself kind of gal, I always tell visitors, if you can swing it, get a tour guide. A good one will fill you up with fun little details like why you can find roses at the end of the vineyards, the value of the Tuscan cypress tree as a landmark, point out the orchids that grow alongside the road and my personal favorite, tell you where to find THE best extra virgin olive oil. However, I know that not everyone’s budget can afford the cost…(therefore if you want to know any of those little facts I mentioned before, just drop me a note)

So instead of telling you my tale, I am here to tell you that it is completely possible (and safe) to venture outside of the city center, the art museums, historic monuments far from street vendors and yet another gelato shop, to find the Tuscan scenery described – on your own – without a guide, on a budget and without a lot of hassle.

If you have a car, then you are already finding out about another kind of hassle – Italian driving. However, I am assuming that you are not daunted by this, so believe me, finding rolling hills covered with vineyards is truly as easy as driving into Chianti.  The scenery is award winning, like this image below.

So this is where my years of experience come into play. I wholeheartedly suggest that you take a deviation when you get to Grassina which is the first little town you will encounter when leaving Florence to go towards Chianti.  Simply  follow the sign for S. Polo in Chianti.  The first 3-4 km may seem like a disappointment – but you must persevere and you will find yourself taking a trip into an unadulterated piece of countryside.

If you don’t have a car then I say -> do like the locals, TAKE a BUS!  Contrary to popular belief, the Italian public transport is a great way to enjoy a slice of authentic Italian-ness!  You have two options. Option number one is low on the fatigue scale. Catch a SITA bus (they are blue) for Greve a/o Panzano – but look for the one that goes “via S. Polo” , it will actually say that on the bus destination sign above the driver. You will find it right next to the sign that tells you NOT to talk to the driver  or you may disturb his/her concentration…like I ever saw that happen! The further the buses go from the city center is directly proportional to how many passenger names, family problems, political stances and weekend activities of said passenger that the driver knows.

If you are like me, then the second option is for you.  Personally I am a walker.  My boyfriend, he wants action; he’s got to run, bike or go hiking (hiking implies sweating, huffing and puffing) . . . he doesn’t see the value of walking, daydreaming and absorbing the scenery.  Second option:  catch the ATAF (the orange bus) number 31 from Piazza S. Marco to Grassina (go till you find capo linea – means go to the end of the bus route, like in the very last stop). Then get out and walk from Grassina to S. Polo.  This is 11 km of ups and downs.  A point of interest, as long as you aren’t doing this on a Saturday or Sunday, you can stop at a sweet little place called Tommasina about 5 km in and munch down just like the locals.  Once in S. Polo you can opt to catch a bus and proceed to Greve or turn around and go back home to Florence.

Now if you are a biker… Well this category should be divided into a sometime biker and a real biker. Listen up sometime bikers, you have to keep in mind that the trip from the city center of Florence is not a piece of cake (20km) – nor are the ups and downs if you want to make Greve your final destination.  I can’t tell you how many times going to work at Pierotucci Leather Factory I have seen failed attempts to bike Chianti on a rental city bike. They get as far as Grassina (hitting only main roads, car fumes and traffic) and are too tired to go forward.  If you are a vigilant biker, then you will probably laugh in my face – but I tell you that 222 is loaded with dodgy cars, hills, fast Italian drivers, hills, slow foreign drivers, hills, honking horns, hills, traffic and hills.  If you think I am exaggerating with the hills that’s only because repetition helps the “sometime bikers” remember who they really are.  In any case, the deviation mentioned above, helps you avoid all of the dodgy points except for the hills, yet still be blessed by scenery and a more pleasant type of traffic (tractors?)

If you are thinking about getting crafty (I know I said that the public transport system is great) but they have yet to install buses from Florence to Greve that include the bike racks on them…

PS if any of you car people, have the urge to walk a little bit. Count off 6 KM from the turn in Grassina, and on the right will be my 2 km stretch of Tuscany. Park your car on the dirt road and stroll it – it is well worth it. Don’t forget your camera and a picnic lunch.