Tastecation: Tuscany

I was riding my bike home tonight and found myself on an 8% grade ascent, which made me think of my trip this summer through Tuscany by bike. While it was definitely my favorite part of the trip (at the time I considered it life changing), it's taken me a long time to get to writing about it. In a way, that's very Italian - do things in what ever amount of time they take, just be true to the effort.

For anyone planning a trip to Europe, I cannot suggest more highly Florencetown bike tours. I can't imagine seeing the countryside any other way. When in a car, passing by the rows of grape vines and olive trees, it's gorgeous, yes, but I get mesmerized by the sites flying past me and fall into a trance (aka, falling asleep). But on a bike, I had to stay present, I had to work for the views, and when I saw them they were that much more stunning.

It's no surprise that a place like this was also the birthplace of the Slow Food movement which seeks to raise awareness of the connection between what we eat and the world around us and how eating local, sustainable, well-raised food makes for a better planet and for tastier dishes. One of our wonderful lunches was at a restaurant with slow food stickers all over its window called Ristorante da Padellina.

There, we had a wonderful antipasta with meats probably from the village center we'd just ridden by. We also had an assortment of fresh pasta along with a few bottles of wine for the table.

And we ended with the typical glass of Vin Santo (a sweet wine) and biscotti for dipping.

One of the places where we stopped prior to our delicious, slow food lunch was in Panzano to see the butcher shop of Dario Cecchini, made famous locally because of his almost religious attentiveness to the full use of an animal ("everything but the moo") and internationally because of his appearance in the book, Heat.

Dario does, indeed, put on a show, and serves up some amazing treats in his shop, such as fresh bread covered in flavored lard (don't knock it till you try it).

Although Dario is a small hero and may even be a part of the slow food movement, he imports his beef rather than using the local Chianina cattle, the long-legged, white cattle local to the area and historically used in bistecca. They are so local, in fact, that we saw one down the hill from the villa we stayed in.

Even our meal at our villa was phenomenal. But what I had realized early on in my travels through Italy, were fully confirmed in this adventure - food is better shared with a group of people you really like being with. Friends, family, or people you've been biking with for a day. It doesn't matter. The key is to be with people with whom you have a shared experience, because food like this is meant to be passed around the table and shared.

So I learned a lot of things while on my bike through Tuscany. I saw my first Chianina cow. I saw my first laurel tree. I learned how to make extra virgin olive oil and that you should eat it fast because it doesn't last. I learned what it means to have the official Chianti rooster on a bottle of wine. But the most important thing I learned was to take it slow, enjoy the ride, and share it all with great friends (old and new). Buon appetito.

Tastecation: Florence

Sure, Florence is known for some of the best works of art and is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, but walk around the streets of Florence and you'll quickly realize that they're famous for their leather. And where there's leather, there are cows. And where there are cows there is food rich with different parts of said cows.

In Rome, I saw herds of sheep, so wasn't surprised to be surrounded by pecorino. Although Tuscany is knows for its Tuscano pecorino as well, I was happy to see fresh mozzarella on my antipasto plate at Osteria All' Antico Mercato (although I'm pretty sure it was bufala moz, not cow moz).

One of the most famous meals to get in Florence is the bistecca alla florentina (which traditionally comes from the Chianina cattle raised in Chiana Valley).

I'm afraid this author and traveler did not have enough room in my stomach for the experience of the immense plate of savory cow flesh that is bistecca. Instead, I opted for a more reasonable dish at Pizzeria Ristorante il Teatro - tagliata, which is a much smaller cut of meat, grilled and served with a ton of fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Needless to say, I enjoyed it. But perhaps that was because of the wonderful service that came with it.

Florentines are not only friendly, they are historically efficient when it comes to the use of ingredients. When times were tough, the rich ate tripe and the poor used the water in which the tripe was boiled. And when salt was out of reach to most people, they made bread without it. To this day, you will get fairly flavorless bread at most Florentine restaurants. At Alla Vecchia Bettola I enjoyed two creative dishes made from food that many of us would just throw away.

The first came with the standard salamis and prosciutto of the meat antipasto - beef liver pate. I am not a huge fan of beef liver, which typically makes me gag a little when I try to swallow it. But somehow, the combinations of the liver with other meats and spices was quite delicious.

The second dish, ribollita, starts with day old bread with cannelleni beans, tomatoes, and kale. Now this was delicious by itself; a true expression of peasant food at its best. But after I ate a few bites, the waiter kindly motioned to the olive oil and pepper on my table, which, once on top, took the flavor to an almost godly level.

Mmmm. On that note, I'm gonna go try to turn some leftovers into a divine delicacy.

Tastecation: Rome

I went to Rome because of the rich history and figured when in Rome... eat as the Romans do. Smart choice.

What really appealed to me about Rome was the amount of layering of everything in the city, almost like an artichoke, where each yummy layer yields an even yummier layer beneath. There are thousands of years of history in Rome, ranging from brutal to beautiful, one generation layered on top of the next.

The Romans have a lot of pride in this history. What is wonderful is not only that they try to preserve it, but they try to do so in an authentic way. While on a bike tour, I noticed that you could tell where they had fixed some of the ancient buildings because they used entirely different building materials. I asked my guide if he preferred this way or if he thought they should have tried to make it look like the original. Basically, he told me that he liked the former because it was more honest.

And that's what most impressed me about the food in Rome. Unlike French cooking (which is delicious in its own rite), the food in Rome didn't consist of fancy sauces. The food couldn't hide - it had to be good enough to sit on a plate by itself. Therefore, I had dishes made of the freshest ingredients, mixed simply and quickly. In one word, it was honest.

In this vein, I tasted food like amatriciana and carbanara, which start with good pasta and to that is added very simple ingredients.

Of course, the ingredients are typically pretty local. While the city is very touristy and restaurants have to cater to tourist expectations, they do try to celebrate the food of their region and the dishes that have come from that food. In Rome, that included cheeses and tomatoes, all with roma somewhere in the name.

Near the center of the city, you can find traditional shops. Here, you can find tasty wines, cured meats, and fresh pasta that are made and served by people who have been doing this their whole lives.

On another bike tour that took us out of the ancient center of the city out along the Appian Way, we stopped at what used to be a beautiful villa but had become a sheep farm. Inside, the owner had created her own cheese cave. She served us the freshest pecorino I've ever tasted as her sheep watched in the distance.

Within this layered city are layers of daily food production that we would normally associate with country living.

How civilized!

Tastecation: Paris

I apologize for my long absence. After three weeks in Europe for work and other travels, I had a bit of a hard time acclimating back to being at home. But I'm back now to tell you all about my Tastecation.

First stop, Paris.

Ahhhh, Paris. If you're on a European Tastecation, you can't miss Paris. French cooking is at the center of all things gourmet. It is famous for its complex (and delicious) sauces, based in butter, or some other delectable fatty substance, typically smothering some exquisitely prepared meat or vegetable. This has, of course, led researchers and lay (fat) Americans to wonder how those annoying French can eat such decadent food and stay so freaking thin! Perhaps it's what some speculate - the wine. Oh, the wine! How can anyone talk about France without mentioning the wine? But I digress.

All of these things are wonderful, and I did enjoy a number of classic French meals, from flambéd crêpes at Crêperie Josselin, to scrumptious crayfish and melt in your mouth soufflé at Aux Lyonnais, to classic Niçoise salad and the most amazing espresso crème brulée (and I don't like crème brulée) at Le Comptoir du Relais. My mouth waters just thinking about this wonderful weekend in Paris. Mmmhmmm.

These things are obviously an important part of a successful tastecation, but my favorite part of Paris is the marketplace culture. In sharp contrast to the complexity of most French meals, you can walk down streets where you see these amazing French dishes in their most basic forms.

Oh you lovely little, squirming crayfish. I will eat you later and suck the delicious buttery goodness off of every surface of your tiny, crustacean body.

And you, my fungal friends, don't think I won't have you sautéd with white wine and butter.

Yes, I do talk to my food. Don't judge me.

But really, you have to go to a market street. And I really mean street.

While the French also have the insanely huge super grocery stores that we have in the United States, they also have a thriving culture of specialty stores and outdoor markets. As a result, an entire street will be lined with specialty stores from meats to cheese to fresh fruits and veggies to bread and, of course, wine. This creates the same convenience of an all-in-one store, with the expertise that comes from specialization.

In addition to the brick and mortar shops are the booths of the open air markets that are only open selected times during the week (also, most of the shops are closed a couple days a week, so make sure to note the hours of your favorite). Here you can get similar food to what you find in the shops in addition to other specialty foods. My favorite is the olive booth. Beautiful and delicious.

As a result of all this specialization, you are guaranteed the best food. You will get a freshly baked baguette from the boulangerie. You can taste the housemade tapenade before purchasing. And my favorite part, you can watch the cheese monger in the fromagerie as she gently squeezes the cheese to make sure it's ripe for you.

You will also find the pride that the French have in French food. No one has to tell them to eat locally. They've been doing it for years (they probably assume that no one knows food as well as they do). And in a trip to the market, you'll see that much of the food is from different regions in France.

And seasons are important, too. When I walked into the fromagerie near my hotel, I immediately saw the sign that said "Le fromage de chèvre, c'est de saison!" Yum. Goat cheese season! We tend to think of just fruits and vegetables as having a season. But spring also brings fresh goat milk and the start of fresh goat cheese. I couldn't pass that up.

So we took our goat cheese, a fresh baguette, and a bottle of wine to the Champs de Mars for a lovely afternoon picnic.

THAT is quintessential Paris life.

And I love it.

Tastecation: Helsinki

I am currently on a business trip in Finland. I've been here a number of times, but this is definitely my favorite time of year. If you look at the trees, it seems that they're all still naked.

But look a little closer and you can see the leaves starting to push their way out toward the bright sun and blue skies.

Like Boston, the people of Helsinki have endured months of cold weather and little sunlight. Now, for the first time in months, the sun is out and is warming everything around. When this happens, the Finns do what we do in Boston - celebrate! It's not necessarily a formal celebration, but more of an extreme mood adjustment accompanied with lying about with as little clothing as possible on any surface with even the least amount of grass.

In addition to the palpable happiness throughout the country, the Finns also celebrate asparagus for a few weeks each May. During "Parsaviikot" each restaurant has various dishes added to its regular menu featuring either green or white varieties of this delectable vegetable.

However, as I perused Kauppatori, the main central market in Helsinki, I noticed that the asparagus for sale was not from Finland, but from Holland or Spain. Surprisingly, there were a number of vegetables that were from Finland ("Suomalainen" items included radishes, parsnips, peppers, and even tomatoes), but the things everyone craved, asparagus and strawberries were from other countries.

So what's the fuss with asparagus? I have to believe that this is related to everything turning green for the first time in months. It's time to celebrate life, and the asparagus is the first green thing to come out of the earth, even if it is earth that's almost a thousand miles away.

From a locavore perspective, it's a little off. But from a seasonal perspective I totally get it and I appreciate celebrating food that is in season rather than forced into season.

While asparagus seems like a national obsession from the menus in all the restaurants, there is still a lot of local food. For example, I noticed that a good deal of cheeses and meats served at the breakfast buffet at my hotel are from Finland. In addition, there are the amazing false morels.

These guys are the first on the scene in spring in Finland. Only problem, they are deadly poisonous if not cooked properly and illegal in many countries. Yikes! Okay, maybe THAT is why they celebrate with asparagus.