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Guest Blogger: Sarah Bauer
Leonardo da Vinci’s home region of Tuscany has a unique culinary heritage. He may have gotten his philosophy of simplicity from the food of his home region, which combines simple ingredients to create a wide variety of meals and appetizers. Much of the signature meals were created by peasants and as such use a lot of ingredients that would have otherwise been thrown out, such as leftover bread or organ meat from chickens and other animals. Pork and game meat are popular as ingredients in Tuscany, which is known for its wild boards, roe deer, and other wild game. There are many signature dishes that come from this region. Here are a few of the meals and starters that are popular:
Crostini de fegato – There are countless ways to make this dish but at its most basic it is an antipasto that contains salted anchovies or capers, and chicken livers soaked in wine or water. It is spread onto Tuscan bread and eaten as a starter or a snack.
Antipasto Tuscano – This is a cutting board covered with Tuscan meats and cheeses. These include finocciona, which is salami seasoned with fennel, pepper, garlic, and red wine; and lardo di colonnata, a very strong-tasting lard often eaten on top of bread.
(photo credit: Wikimedia)
Pappardelle – Pappardelle is a very broad, flat noodle, usually covered with wild boar sauce, often seasoned with mushrooms and herbs.
Ribollita – A hearty bread soup, ribollita has many variations but always includes leftover bread, cannellini beans, Lacinato kale, cabbage, and various inexpensive vegetables.
Pici – A type of pasta that is like a fat spaghetti. They are hand-rolled and made only from flour and water. Egg is occasionally added but not necessary. Unlike spaghetti, its thickness can vary along its length because of being hand-rolled.
For more recipes and foodie stories about Leonardo DaVinci get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style
