Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio is a cake made ​​with chestnut flour, a typically autumnal dish easy to prepare and very good to eat. It originated as a poor dish for the rural populations who had chestnuts as their main staple food. Today, instead, this cake is the protagonist of numerous celebrations and festivals.

Here is a recipe for 8 people.
The ingredients you need are:
-water: 750 ml
-chestnut flour: 500 gr
-walnuts: 100 gr
-pine nuts: 100 gr
-rosemary: a handful
-raisins: 80 gr
-salt: a big pinch
-extravirgin olive oil: 6 tablespoons

PREPARATION



To prepare the Castagnaccio, the first thing to do is preheat the oven at 200°, then take the raisins and put them to soak in warm water (1) ; proceed sifting the chestnut flour into a large bowl to remove possible lumps (2) and after having added a generous pinch of salt, pour gradually water in the flour (3) mixing everything with a whip until you obtain a well blended and soft batter (4).



Then squeeze and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix together with pine nuts and walnuts coarsely chopped (5) (set aside a small amount of these three ingredients that you will sprinkle on the surface of the castagnaccio before baking). Take a shallow baking tin with a diameter of 40 cm and grease it with some olive oil using a brush. Later pour the mix in the baking tin, sprinkle the castagnaccio with the ingredients set aside and with the rosemary (6), pour two more tablespoons of oil on the surface and finally bake it for 30 minutes at 200 ° until it will form a crust on the surface.

This dish is classified as a cake but it is not very sweet, it has a particular flavor that I like very much, for this reason I chose this dish. I have never prepared it, but I'd like to do it one day.

Ylenia Foschetti

Conchiglie alla vodka

VODKA SHELLS

It serves 6 people:

• 3 spoons of extra vergin olive oil
• 6 rip tomatoes peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
• 1 stick of celery thinly sliced
• 1 carot thinly sliced
• a pinch of red chili powder
• salt
• 120 ml of Vodka
• 120 ml of thick cooking cream
• 600 gr of pasta shells
• 45 gr of grated chees

Heat the oil over low heat in a pan with high sides. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, the onion, the garlic, the carrot and the chili and cook everything for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated. Add salt at your leisure.

Pour the Vodka and the cream in the sauce and continue cooking, always stirring, until the sauce will become thick, or else for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring abundant salted water to a boil in a soucepan and cook the pasta shells. Drain well and transfer them to the pan with the sauce.

Mix gently for dressing the pasta well, then put it in a preheated pot, sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese and serve.

Jacopo Orsini

Colleoli

My favorite restaurant is "Colleoli" in Colleoli. 

It isn't only a restaurant but it's a holiday farm and people also can organise ceremonies there, because the place is very beautiful. When there are wedding parties they sometimes organise buffet dinners.
It’s a restaurant where there are three big rooms and when it's summer or it's hot there is plenty of space in the garden to enjoy your meal in the open air.
The typical food of this restaurant is "Tuscan cuisine": croutons, soups..and every dish is delicious.
Prices aren't too expensive. 
Virginia

This is their website:

http://www.agriturismocolleoli.it/

Holiday Farms: il Monticino

Our final dinner at Il Monticino holiday farm

In our area there are a lot of holiday farms like Monticino, Borgo di Colleoli and Canavetro. The landskape of this area is famous all-over the world. 

The wine roads (strada del vino), the rolling hills filled with vineyards and culinary tourism are some of the most important attractions of the area. 

Holiday farms organize wine and food tasting events and guided tours on horseback and nature walks in the woods to give tourists the opportunity to appreciate our landscape. Holiday farms usually provide restaurant facilities, where traditional food is served. 

My holiday farm (il Monticino) is situated in Palaia and it is a family-run business. 

Our typical menu is the following: 

Starters

Mix of cold cuts (ham, salami)

Crostini (toasted bread) with tomato sauce and with peppers sauce

Mix of pickles,

Fried eggplant,

Pappa al pomodoro (a typical dish made with stale bread and tomato sauce). 

First courses

Pasta con ragù di coniglio (pasta with rabbit ragout)

Riso ai Funghi (rice with mushrooms)

Zuppa di pane e cavolo (traditional cabbage soup with bread and beans). 

Second courses

Coniglio fritto (fried rabbit)

Trippa (tripes)

Stewed chicken

Baked pork

Desserts

Cantuccini e vin santo (almond biscuits served with sweet local wine)

Fruit pie

Espresso coffee

Castero

My favourite restaurant, Castero, is situated in the center of Quattro Strade, a small village near Pontedera. It's quite expensive but the place and the food are fantastic. When you enter in Castero in front of you there is a counter where you can take a coffee, pay the bill and reserve a table.
On your right there is a dining room for small groups and on your left there is another dining room for big groups. In the garden of the restaurant there is a big space for children. The staff is very helpful and very nice. 
The best dish is the “tagliata di maiale” (grilled pork steak), it's really good and delicious, it is cooked by one of the best chefs in the whole Valdera. I recommend this restaurant because the food is very good and the service is fantastic. 

La Via Nova in Peccioli

My favourite restaurant in Peccioli is "LA VIA NOVA". It's a beautiful place.
The dining area is small but there are many fantastic decorations, while the terrace, where you can eat in a peaceful atmosphere, is quite big.
The atmosphere is not quiet because in my village there are only two restaurants so every evening there are many people who go and eat there.
The staff is very funny and helpful and the food is traditional and delicious.
If you don't wont to spend too much this is the suitable place because the menu is very reasonably priced.

Bini Mattia

La Grotta in Buti

My favourite restaurant is "Grotta" in Buti.

It's situated near the centre.

The place is very beautiful and the dining area is really confortable and relaxing.

The waiters are very helpful and always friendly.

They have a fantastic chef; friendly,funny and charming.

The food is very good in particular "Spaghetti with seafood " and the wine in my opinion is the best of the village!!

I have recommended La Grotta to many people over the years!

La grotta Cascina

My favourite restaurant is "La Grotta" in Cascina.

It makes first and second dishes.The place is very warm and hospitable with a fantastic atmosphere.

The staff is very friendly and funny!

I love this restaurant because the dishes are very good especially the Fiorentina steak but unfortunately they don't make pizza.

IL VECCHIO MOLINO

IL VECCHIO MOLINO 

My favourite restaurant in Buti (my village), is "Il vecchio Molino" . It is very nice because it's situated along a small river, and it is surrounded by nature. I like this restaurant because I've always gone there since I was a baby, and everytime I go there, I feel like at home! The atmosfere is very welcoming with its warm colors. This restaurant is famous for its various and abundant appetizers. It's a typical Tuscan restaurant. In the week-end you can eat also pizza:) You can taste the special homemade desserts too. The price for a full meal is aroud 30,00 euro per person. It is beautiful too, because in summer you can eat outside.
My favourite dishes are: antipasti (appetizers) and pasta with scampi (prawns).

Da Andrea

"Da Andrea" is a restaurant in Marina di Cecina. The staff is helpful and fantastic! The waiters are very charming and entertaining with the customers and the chef is very professional. The dining area is nicely laid out and I love the decors because they create a romantic atmosphere. It's quite a classy restaurant, the menu presents a good choice but it's expensive. The chef prepares delicious traditional Tuscan food that is amazing! Another thing that was a pleasure is that pets are allowed in, instead of many other restaurants that don't give the same service. I fully recommend going there.

For information and details visit : www.ristorantedaandrea.net

Il Vecchio Cinema

The restaurant ‘Il vecchio cinema’ is a very comfortable place in Cascina.  The building was originally an old cinema that the current owners transformed into a brand new restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious and the waiters are very helpful and welcoming. The dining area is very big, there is room for more than 120 people. When I was there the atmosphere  was even more cheerful because while we had dinner a band was playing live music for all the guests. It was a very relaxing night. Prices are reasonable too, that is a very important thing considering the hard times we are living. I would definitely recommend everybody to have a meal at ‘Il Vecchio Cinema’. Rachele Bensi

"La Felicitá" chinese restaurant in Pontedera

This is a typical Chinese food restaurant where you can find the best Chinese dishes!
The staff is very nice, kind and helpful. The dining area is very big and it's decorated with paintings about China and also with pictures engraved in the wood. It's nicely laid out, with a lot of tables with Chinese tablecloths. The atmosphere is so relaxing. The food is very good and you can choose between a lot of types of food: vegetables, fish, meat, pasta and rice and so on.
But I don't have to tell you everything, in my opinion you should go and try it because the food is good and prices are cheap. I have recommended it to everybody and also to my friend Asia, in the picture below you can see her first Chinese dinner!
Anyway, try Chinese food and enjoy your meal :)

Giulia Cortopassi