C2S Travels: Tuscany, Italy

Think of rolling hills and winding paths as you zip around in a little panda car. Take a pause as you breathe in the fresh air while tasting wines and basking in all that Tuscany has to offer. It was a full blown feasts for the senses and I love it!

Ms. Savory and I stayed in a charming B&B located in a tiny town known as Loro Ciuffenna. Loro Ciuffenna is not a popular destination that comes to my mind for the tourists compared to the abundance of other towns around the area. Though that lends to one being able to immerse with the locals and have a better feel of what life is like living here. I even joined the locals one evening when they were having a BBQ while watching different bands comprising of local kids playing rock music. It could be past midnight and you still see kids and families out at the main square playing while the parents and elderly sit around talking about the events happening around the world.

The best meal that I had also happened to be located right here.

The B&B that we stayed in had been there for years and it was a charming place. Located in one of the rooms were original wall paintings that took my breath away. 

Tuscany is full of towns located along the Chianti trail which runs for approximately 200 miles. We just drove around and went into any wine estate that intrigued us. It was great chatting with small independent vineyard owners as we discovered and learnt about what it takes for a wine to be labelled as a Chianti. 

The town of Brunello houses a wine museum which keeps a record of all the local Montalcino wines produced with one of many of these vintage bottles retained. An indescribable feeling washed over me as I sat on one of the benches to leafed through the records that are are pale and yellowed with age.

San Gimignano is a popular tourist spot and is great if you don't plan to travel around by car and looking for a relaxed weekend away with its abundance of restaurants and shops to explore.

The historic centre of the town of Siena was another place we explored and classified as a UNESCO world heritage site that is worth seeing.

If wines and towns are not your thing, you can also head for some high end shopping at 'The Mall' factory outlet.

We concluded our trip with a short visit in Pisa to view the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

Tips:

1. Hiring a car and zipping around is a great way to explore. The only drawback is that the driver can't really be sipping on too many wines.

2. There are many tours based in Florence which will take you on a day tour in Tuscany as another option.

3. Lots of places are shut in the afternoon with eateries shutting around 2.30pm. It is good to plan your day by exploring in the morning, have lunch, head back to the hotel for some rest before heading out again in the evening.

4. To visit Tuscany, you can either fly into Pisa and it is another 3-4 hours to Tuscany or fly into Florence (flights costs more) and it is less than an hour to get to Tuscany from there.

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Tuscany Eats: Truffles, Cantucci Vin Santo, Chianti wines and more...

I am in love...Tuscany opened its arms which I embraced and fell under its spell. Though I was only there for a few days, it was what I needed to unwind and recharged myself before work beckoned again.

As with any travels, I find myself savouring and sampling the local cuisine which was wonderfully aromatic and delicious. My best meal turned out to be the last meal on this trip, much to my dismay but let's start from the beginning.

I somehow lost some of my food pictures from this trip (devastated!), but some amazing places still deserved to be mentioned.

On the first night, we had dinner at La Torre in Loro Ciuffenna. Situated within a tower, we climbed the stairs and found ourselves in a charming restaurant.

La Torre

The crepe was refreshingly tasty and light.

Guancia di Manzo alla Toscana con Tartufo (Beef cheek with truffle) €13

Deeply rich and hearty would be how I would describe this. The truffles added an aromatic umami richness to the dish. The overall balance isn't that of a delicate finesse but of rustic density.

Tagliata di Pollo al Vin Santo con Pere saltate (Chicken tagliata with pears and sweet wine) €12

Being intrigued by the pear and sweet wine combination, I was curious and ordered this. The flavours did not seem to combine in a harmonious way as each flavour was quite distinct as you eat this. The texture of the chicken was too dry as well.

Cantucci Vin Santo (Tuscan almond biscuit and 'Vinsanto' dessert wine) €6

The Cantucci Vin Santo is a dessert from the Tuscan region. It is quite different to the regular Italian desserts that one is usually familiar with. It comprises of a glass of 'Vinsanto' dessert wine and almond biscuits on the side.

A good alternative for those who tend to shy away from sweet or creamy desserts. I really enjoyed eating the liquid soaked almond biscuit from dipping it into the wine in contrast to the crunchy and dense texture of the almond biscuit.

Ristorante La Torre, via Dante Alighieri 52024 Loro Ciuffenna, Tuscany 

Osteria da Luchino

A visit to explore the town of Arezzo led us to Osteria da Luchino. The sight of a tantalising box of mushrooms at the entrance plus tables filled with locals were good indicators that this place might be what we are looking for – honest local food at reasonable prices.

It definitely was indeed and we have such a satisfying meal here.

Osteria da Luchino, Via di Beccheria, 3, 52100 Arezzo

I remembered my Tortelli Di Patate Noci E Tartufo €8 in particular. Delicious and you'll be hard pressed to find one as good as this for the price. There were quite a number of restaurants lining the town with tourist menus and we were glad that we chanced upon Osteria da Luchino.

Now onto the last meal of the trip which turned out to be our best meal. It was with a feeling of regretful irony that we only discovered it on our last night and it was always right at our doorstep (next to the B&B).

We ate at Conte Max which is owned and operated by three chefs. Each day, the three chefs take turns to work the floor while the other two reside in the kitchen. The kitchen serves up modern interpretations of the local classic dishes that just works!

For our starter, it was local meat 'sushi' degustation €10. I had no idea what sushi was doing in a local Tuscany restaurant when I first read it on the menu and it turned out to be canapé styled starters with a mixture of different combination of ingredients used. Some of it was styled to look like sushi, hence the name! It was an eye opener and only made us excited in anticipation of what we were going to get in our following dishes.

The starters and mains are amazing – stimulating both the stomach and the mind. Desserts however to my dismay, was not their strong point. I highly recommend getting yourself here when you plan a trip to Tuscany.

New Conte Max, Piazza Nannini 3, Loro Ciuffenna 

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Oxford Eats: Portabello, Gee's and Cibo

I had to travel to Oxford for work and though I didn't get a chance to really explore the colleges and its grounds, I did manage to sample my way through a few eateries.

Portabello Oxford

Smoked trout and salmon mousse

The smoked trout and salmon mousse had a slightly creamy texture which played well with the trout and salmon mix. It was lovely and clean.

Grilled herb crusted haddock fillet with sautéed baby spinach

I wasn't too enamoured by the herb crust but the haddock fillet was grilled perfectly.

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Polpo, Soho

I came to Polpo after enjoying some time soaking in the sun at the park. Again, I found myself heading here on one of those random weekends when it was a last minute plan to have dinner and it would be wishful thinking to go anywhere that is on your eat list without a booking. So where do you go? Somewhere that doest even take reservations at all of course.   

Polpo is very very dark especially at dinner time. You could barely see your food let alone take decent pictures. 

Smoked salmon, horseradish and dill crostino £4

Silky salmon on crusty crostino with the horseradish giving an added kick. What is not to like? 

Wild mushroom piadina £6

Fritto misto £7

Nice little bits of fried morsels. Same as in Da Polpo, they do this well. 

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Neapolitan Pizza in Napoli

I’m in Napoli, the place where fast food was invented. The land where pizzas originated and raved about with many pointing that it must be the air or the water that makes it so good. 

Needless to say, our travelling party has been looking forward to it and we have been limiting ourselves in having pizzas elsewhere in anticipation.  

The two places that we went to as I subsequently discovered after my trip are members of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association. In fact, they were part of the original group of founders who set this up to retain and preserve traditions, customs, quality and authenticity of the Original Neapolitan Pizza

A Neapolitan pizza is very specific, you can click here for more information.

We found ourselves at Ciro for our virgin experience of the Neapolitan pizza. Arriving early and with the heavens pouring on us, we stood with our squeaky shoes and wet umbrellas looking in at the staff going about setting up the place. A few minutes later, the doors opened and in we went. 

Without any debate, we went straight to the pizza section on the menu. 

Alla Ciro (Tomato, Mozzarella, Ham, Mushroom) €10

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Taormina Eats, Sicily

The next stop in the East was Taormina. Gorgeous place that relies heavily on tourism, it is perched high on the mountains with views of the ocean and Mount Etna. 

We stayed in a B&B that is away from the main high street which means that we had to use the local shuttle. Not too ideal but we were richly rewarded with stunning views of the ocean and Mount Etna from our room. Truly luxurious. 

As this is a tourist town, the vibe is immediately different from the previous places that we've been too and prices are slightly more expensive. That doesn't take away its charms though and walking through its winding streets, we were engulfed and enamoured by our surroundings. 

We experienced the worst and also the best culinary meal in Taormina in this Sicily trip. 

Being enticed by the name, we entered Cafe de Artist for dinner. 

Maccheroni Al Pomodoro €6

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Agrigento pit stop, Sicily

After Palermo, the next stop was a brief one at Agrigento to visit the Valley of the Temples. It is truly an amazing place; the weather was perfect to soak in the serenity and tranquillity of the place.

Stopping for only one night, we ate at two places.

For dinner it was at a restaurant called La Corte Degli Sfizi.

Overall, this place caters to the tourist. Standard fare which will not leave a mark in the memory bank.

The second place which I highly recommend is the snack bar located at the end of the main street. You would not have high expectations coming in here but boy was I delightfully surprised. I don't know the name but this is a photo of the entrance.

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Palermo Eating

I went away on holiday in Sicily and the first stop was Palermo. It was a good way to start and the people had a matter of fact friendly charm to them.

Food was also another factor and we had some good food that we enjoyed.

Canelle

This was a side street stall that we were brought to by our lovely B&B owner. These were fast food made to order. The first was Canelle which is made from chick pea flour. Freshly fried, it was soft and melting in your mouth with the crunchiness oath exterior from being deep dried. This was cooked so fresh that even having eaten it halfway, there were still steam vapours emanating. It was different to have carbs as a filling rather than meat or vegs and I was starting to feel like carb overload.

The croquettes had a light glutinous texture, almost starchy with a crispy deep fried skin. Tiny bits of mint add a refreshing and minty taste.

We had a cooked dinner of pasta with zucchini with a sprinkle of nutmeg. It was wholesome and good. Simple ingredients with a well balanced flavour that could not go wrong. The zucchini was refreshing with a slight juicy creaminess to it. Our lovely B&B owner also made us lunch, well we chipped in and it was the first time I had to handle or knew what to do with artichokes. So much effort for such a tiny amount but it was worth it!

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Da Polpo, Covent Garden

I haven't even made it to Russell Norman's third baby when in a blink of an eye, the fourth sibling is born. I finally made it to the third baby Spuntino and the next day it was Da Polpo.

It was a catch up with some food bloggers and we found ourselves heading to Da Polpo on the second day of its soft opening for lunch. I had such a great time that I dragged my workmate with me back for lunch again the next day. Below is a combination of what was eaten in the two lunches.

Pizette

Pork Shoulder & Pickled Pepper £6

I like the contrast of the pork with the pickled pepper. The base was thin and crispy which sits well and you won't feel weighed down eating this.

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Murano, Mayfair

Murano. I've always wanted to try it. Run and now owned by Angela Hartnett, the first female protégé of Gordon Ramsay. That was enough to pique my interest.

I finally made my way there for lunch one fine day and was quite excited.

Set Lunch £30

Croquettes

Appetisers

Smoked Italian tomato and basil soup, ricotta toast

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Jamie's Italian (Canary Wharf)

Jamie’s Italian opened around mid 2009 and it created a furore in the Wharf area. Being sadly deprived of good restaurants due to the economic crisis, the dockland residents were definitely looking forward to the opening of this new eating option.

I have to say that I was sadly disappointed in my first few occasions here, not just with the quality of the food but the long waiting times of a minimum of an hour initially.

With some overseas friends visiting, I was mulling over whether to bring them here, weighing my not so great experiences against the reputation of the well known chef Jamie Oliver. In all honesty, I like Jamie (who doesn’t!) and gave his place another chance.

We arrived on a rainy evening (the rare ones that Londoners are experiencing in the summer of 2010) and were promptly seated after a wait of no more than 10 minutes. The staff were all cheerful and friendly. We were all starving by this time as dinner is now past 8pm. A multitude of appetisers, mains and sides were ordered, with careful instructions given for them to all come out at the same time.

Crispy Squid (with really garlicky mayo)

Bruschetta with Devonshire spider crab with chilli, lemon and zesty mayo

Toasted bruschetta topped with Devonshire spider crab. This was delicately light in flavour with the chillis adding a bit of zing and bite! The crispy squid was quite average.

Prawn Linguine (Pan fried garlicky prawns with tomatoes, chilli, rocket and fennel)

Grilled Angus Sirloin steak (From Tillyfour farm in Aberdeen, chargrilled and served pink with grilled flat mushrooms, dressed peppery watercress and flat-leaf parsley)

The linguine was al dente and combined quite nicely with the rustic and flavoursome sauce.

Grilled chicken (Half a lovely free-range,boned, marinated and chargrilled, with a warm tomato, olive, chilli and caper sauce)

South coast fritto misto (Crispy fried fresh fish of the day, served with zesty Italian tartare sauce and fresh lemon)

The steak and grilled chicken was nicely cooked and was enjoyed very much by the foodies who ordered them.

The Fritto Misto was quite a strange one. The crispy fried noodles was not anticipated and reminded me of those Chinese take aways when you ordered noodles and they give you this instead. This is definitely not a dish to order again.

I also had the shell roasted brixham scallops (Grilled king scallops with crispy pancetta, served on fresh tomato salsa with crunchy shaved fennel and lemon salad). Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of my own dish!

Scallops was juicy and combined very well with the tomato salsa to give the right texture and balance. However, 6 scallops are all you get so for the big appetites people, order a second mains.

Posh chips (truffle oil and parmesan)

Freshly fried and hot chips melting with the parmesan cheese in your mouth, the aroma of the truffle oil dancing with your senses. A different take to the normal chips and positively welcome.

Tiramisu (Classic Italian coffee flavoured trifle with mascarpone and chocolate)

Ultimate Chocolate Raspberry and Amaretto Brownie with Bourbom vanilla ice cream

We were quite stuffed but could not resist dessert. Especially when we see brownies with bourbon. Nothing like some alcohol, even if it’s only in the ice cream! No alcohol in the tiramisu which is a no no for me but it is otherwise still delicious. Those who like citrus flavours will like this as shavings of citrus was added. Moist and yummy.

The chocolate raspberry and amaretto brownie had more of a cake exterior with a dense and moist interior. The Bourbon vanilla ice cream was good, wish they had more and I would just plonk the ice cream on the brownie next time for an ultimate indulgence.

I was pleasantly surprised and finally my experience at Jamie’s has done a turnaround into a positive one. Left with happy tummies.

Jamie's Italian
Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place, London E14 5RB

0203 002 5252

http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/

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Made in Italy (Nov 09)

Am back in Sydney for a quick trip and one of the first places that I HAD to go was definitely Made in Italy. I have been craving their Italian cuisine (especially the tiramisu) for many many months now.

Made in Italy has expanded again! They have now moved their dining area to the new building across the road. The original restaurant is now a take away place.

Looked around the new restaurant and this is what comes to mind “Very simple décor yet spanky!” First thing I did walking in was to check their dessert display. My name has been mentally tagged onto one of those tiramusi cups!

We made our orders and waited to dig in.

Capricciosa pizza (Tomato, cheese, ham, Italian sausage, mushroom, garlic and chilli toppings)

The base is really thin and breaks like a cracker giving a nice crunch. I have not had a good thin pizza base like this in a long time. The chilli gives a bit of a bite to the pizza.

Polpette tagliatelle (veal meatballs, garlic, chilli in a napoletana sauce, pecorino romano)

Fresh ingredients combined to create the Polpette. Simple yet delicious.


The highlight of the dinner was definitely the desserts glistening behind the glass counter, waiting and taunting the customers.

Ricotta cheesecake. This leans towards being a savoury dessert with raisins mix in that have been soaked in rum. The cheesecake by itself is a little hard and dry but the side of cream complements it well.

Ultimate bliss. The combination of the mascarpone cheese with the biscotti and rum and coffee, Aaaaaah!!!

No words to describe, somehow the proportion of each ingredient is just right to give the creaminess without being overly rich. Even after travelling Italy and parts of the world this past year, I still find the tiramisu from here the best.

 
 
Total Score ~ 21.5/25

[Taste - 9 (10) , Presentation - 4 (5), Service - 4 (5), Value for Money - 4.5(5)]

 
Please check their website for more details.

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