September in Florence
It’s February and I am sitting in a café in the city center of Florence called Café Odeon reflecting back to when I first arrived in Italy thinking to myself “wow, I am so grateful for the life that I have been able to live” and I don’t say that lightly because I know that may not be the case for some people. My first month in Florence, or better to say, my first two weeks was just the beginning of a rollercoaster I was about to embark on. My boyfriend and I arrived in Florence on September 18th. My flat was on the 6th floor in a building next to Pitti Palace. It was small but cute and just what I needed at the time. We had a few days to kill before my chef training began on September 24th at FCAS (Florence Culinary Arts School).
Because we had a few days to kill, we decided to explore the city and take a day trip to Cinque Terra. For those familiar with the city, I was staying near Piazza della Passera so we first had to try out what was around - the café, restaurants, and gelateria that the area I was in had to offer. That little café and sandwich shop in Piazza della Passera soon became my two favorite places in the city. I mean yes there was still the overabundance of tourism but not as much as we saw getting closer to the Duomo.
The next day, we took the train to Levanto, Cinque Terra to do a five-mile hike that started in Levanto and took us into Monterroso and let me tell you, this hike had to be one of the most beautiful hikes I had ever done. It felt like we entered into almost every type of biosphere. The total time was about 2.5 – 3 hours to complete and there were times it felt like we were in the desert, in the middle of the forest and in a tropical breeze. And once we got to the top, we could see what felt like the entirety of Cinque Terra and the Gulf of Genoa. The views made every uphill haul worth it. And we even saw a little feline friend!
Because we spent most of the morning hiking, we had built up a pretty big appetite for lunch. We spent some time in Monterosso and grabbed lunch at a pizzeria on the water. It was my first time in Italy so I was romanticizing EVERYTHING. The spritz was good, the pizza was good, the views were good, everything was good and I had no complaints. Afterward, we relaxed on the nearby beach until the next train arrived for us to came back to Florence.
The next couple of days were spent getting familiar with where I was living and buying necessities for the place I was living in (cleaning supplies, groceries, etc.) until my chef training program started on September 24th.
The first day of Florence Culinary Arts School was scary and welcoming all at the same time. We were about 12 students of all different ages and backgrounds, with the majority of us from the US. We all shared one passion, our love for cooking and it was a beautiful thing to relate to a group from various ages and backgrounds with one passion. The first day was all about the syllabus, a welcome tour around Florence, and getting to know one another. The second day was when the action started.
Right off the bat, Chef Giulio got us started on how to cook a Florentine steak – which is the cut of the cow that is from the top of the shoulder blade down to the bottom of the spine. For those who love meat and you haven’t had a Florentine steak, it is one of the best cuts of meat I have ever had. You have to eat it rare otherwise it’s just not as good and if you ask to have it cooked any other way, just be prepared to be kicked out of that restaurant (not actually, but seriously it’s the best when it’s rare). Giulio organized the kitchen in a way that each of us would be paired up with someone else and make different dishes to complete a whole menu. Each menu for each day had a pasta dish, a protein dish, a few sides, and a couple desserts. During this week, which was the last week in September, we had the butchery visit, our first wine seminar, our first Italian language lessons, and an emphasis on Tuscan cuisine in the kitchen this week.
On the menu this week:
· Testaroli della Lungiana e dell’alta Val di Magra
· Salsa Pesto
· Cimalino rifatto con asparagi
· Fagioli al fiasco
· Bistecca alla Fiorentina con verdure alla griglia
· Crostini di fegatini
· Crostini lardo e rosmarino
· Crostini al pomodoro
· Zuppa di farro della garfagnana
· Pappa al pomodoro
· Stinco di vitello arrosto e gremolada
· Cantuccini di Prato
