...that while going around in Florence you may happen to meet a flower so very often?
No, I'm not talking about vegetation. This flower's petals are carved out of stone or painted in vivid colours on the walls of ancient buildings. It's the "lily", the symbol of Florence since the early existance of the city. Everybody calls it "lily", though.....Can you keep a secret? In facts it's no lily at all. It's not the white lily that grows in gardens. It's an iris, the same one that grows wild on the lovely hills around Florence. On our city crest the "lily" is red, a colour that is not available in nature. Purple instead is the most common colour we can find. If you happen to come to Florence in May you'll find that the whole city is totally surrounded with a wonderful layer of purple flowers.
... that the real recipe or RIBOLLITA is certified by a notary act?
The real recipe of ribollita (the most celebrated tuscan soup) was certified by a notary act on may 24, 2001, by the Florence Delegation of Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Here you can find the recipe:
RIBOLLITA - BREAD AND VEGETABLE SOUP
400 grams/ 1 lb of whole wheat bread at least 2 days old
400grams of dry cannellini beans
1/2 Savoy cabbage (cavolo verza) finely chopped
1 brunch (400 grams) black cabbage (without ribs and well washed) cut into pieces
A small bunch of swiss chard (bietola) (400 grams)
2 medium potatoes
Tomato paste 1 spoon
1 red onion and 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 sticks of celery
2 carrots
A spring of thyme
8 tablespoon of extra vergin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cook the dry beans (after having soaked them overnight) for 1 hour in 2 liters of cold water in a large heavy pot. Set aside 1/4of the cooked beans. Puree the remaining 3/4 of the beans, using a food mill or sieve and then return the bean puree to the cooking broth. Sauté the garlic and onion with the chopped celery and carrots over a low flame, and then add the other vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the pureed beans and stock. Simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, stirring well. A few minutes before removing from the heat add the remaining whole beans. Cut the bread in thin slices and add to the soup. Stir and remove from the heat.
Let the soup rest overnight.
Re-boilt it (ri-bollita), adding salt and pepper to taste and water as needed.
Serve with a trikle of extra virgin olive oil and... BUON APPETITO!
... that in Florence bread is saltless ?
Baker shops offer a large amount of different types of bread, of course, with salt, or without, but the typical Tuscan bread is saltless, perfect if enjoyed with the spicy sausages of the region. There are excellent bakers in Florence where you can stop for a quick lunch: for 3 euros you can have a delicious panino or a piece of hot pizza just taken out of the oven. And you can even find some small tables where to sit and soft drinks from the fridge. Where? Two suggestions: The baker down via de' Cerchi, among the charming narrow roads in the medieval quarter, or “Pugi” present in various spots of the city, including the shop on St Mark's Square, often crowded with students from the nearby university.
