Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence

by Emiko Davies

'Florentine is a book that appeals both to my sense of nostalgia and my appetite. It's a beautiful book, with gorgeous pictures of Florence, and snatches of Florentine life, but is far from being a coffee-table book: the recipes take you there just as evocatively. Nigella Lawson

Stroll through the streets of Florence with the 2020 edition of Emiko Davies' award-winning Florentine. This new format cookbook beautifully packages Emiko's recipes, photographs and insights, each informed by her experience of Tuscany's capital over more than a decade. As well, it includes new neighborhood itineraries—from 24 Hours in Florence, to Day Trips Outside the City Centre, to Best Bistecca and Pastry Shops, to Shopping for Cook's Tools.

Emiko's recipes transport readers to the piazzas of Florence. From her torta di mele—a reassuringly nonna-esque apple cake—to ravioli pera e ricotta,mouthwateringly buttery pear and ricotta ravioloni—she shares an enchanting culinary tour of the city. Visit pastry shops bustling with espresso-sippers, hole-in-the-wall wine bars, busy food vans and lunchtime trattorias, and learn how and why the people of Florence remain so proudly attached to their unchanging cuisine.

It's a cuisine that tells the unique story of its city, dish by dish. From the morning ritual of la pasticceria (the pastry shop) and il forno (the bakery), the tantalizing fresh produce of il mercato (the market) and il maccellaio (the butcher) through to the romance of la trattoria.

With a nod to Florence's rich history, Florentine offers traditional dishes beloved in homes across the region too, including schiacciata fiorentina (orange and vanilla cake), apricot jam crostata (apricot jam pie), piselli alla fiorentina (peas cooked in tomato sauce) and cinghiale con le olive (stewed wild boar with olives). Seasons and long-held food traditions play an important role in the Tuscan kitchen and this is reflected in every Florentine menu, bakery window or market stall.

A Japanese-Australian who lives in the hills of Tuscany with her Italian sommelier husband and their family, Emiko says that one of the things she has come to appreciate is that there is no such thing as Italian cuisine; rather, Florentine is about offering readers a local's perspective on one of the country's 20 regional cuisines. In this case, the one that has won her heart.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Regula Ysewijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something good for everyone in this book, rice gelato, cornetti and Pandiramerino for those with a sweet tooth, meaty sauces and braises for the carnivore, and plenty of vegetable dishes. The book is also beautiful, with food photography by Laura Bamford and photo’s of Florence by the author Emiko. Emiko takes you on a journey through Florence like no other book on Florence has ever done, although I admit I haven’t read any others I’m sure it must be true. It is definitely the first book which looks at Florentine food primarily. Recipes are easy to follow and well explained. I might be biased because Emiko is a good friend, but that also gives me the insight knowledge that she worked very hard on this book.

[Dree · Rating 4 out of 5]

p 65 Pane Toscana. Unsalted bread--and that means exactly what the recipe says. It is bland. The recipe works up great, and makes a large loaf--too large for an unsalted loaf. Half of mine will likely end up a s bread crumbs. Which is fine, it will still be used! Made to go with the Carabaccia.

p 97 Frittata di Finocchi. This recipe worked perfectly, though I should have popped it under the broiler for a minute or 2. I used too much fennel becqause my store had 2/3 pound bulbs, not 1 pound and I didn't want a piece of fennel in the fridge. Tasted very/overly sweet to me, but I will definitely be adding fennel to my frittata arsenal. Maybe with onion or zucchini or mushrooms?

p 140 Carabaccia. Onion soup. Meant to have eggs poached in it, I stirred them in so everyone here would eat it. I may add a whole egg to leftovers just for myself! I will also toast a piece of the pane toscana and put it in the bottom of the bowl. Good, but I am so sloppy eatig onion soup!

p 199 Arista di Maiale. I used a 3-pound boneless pork loin because I already had it (and I don't even know where to get the specified cut?). I still made a cut to "stuff" it. This was delicious. The herb mix reminds me of something--my grandmother's roasts? Might be great as stuffed thick pork chops too. Wil definitely be doing this or a modified version again. Added a bunch of potatoes under the pork. Made on Halloween and a trick-or-treater complimented the smell and wanted to know what it was!

[Carol Bonigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Very interesting. Great tidbits of of history and culture. My reason for not giving it 5 stars is not really the books fault… it’s florentine foods fault. I’ve made about 8 recipes from the book so far and all are quiet bland. I spoke with several Italians (from various regions) who said of course it’s bland. That area is bland. People can argue with me all they want but I think this food is best reserved for summer when produce is at its absolute peak.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any cook who loves Italian cuisine, Florence, or both, would benefit from having this in their collection. Davies brings Florence and its shops alive in this cookbook, with accessible and well tested recipes that showcase how Italian food is so much more than pasta. The photography is equally beautiful and moving.

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes, essays about Florentine food culture & history, lovely photography, and an excellent book design (never underestimate the power of a design that draws the eye to it) make for a winning cooking and baking book.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy and delightful read! In the midst of trying out the recipes but so far they have been easy to follow.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tried three of the recipes, two were slam-dunks, one was a dud. Not too bad for such a pretty book.

[Karen Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing book about faraway places and things to devour and want after

[Aasinathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the city guide specially ! Food stories have always intrigued and recipes look so delicious !

[Giulia Scarpaleggia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emiko’s writing is something you would never stop reading. Her descriptions of Florentine markets and bustling streets of Florence remind me of Elizabeth David’s best passages about Italy and France, one of our shared love.
Florentine has also an unusual structure, as Emiko brings you with her, chatting, along Florence and the book chapters, exploring food and scenes of La Pasticceria (The Pastry Shop), Il Forno (The Bakery), Il Mercato (The Market), La Trattoria (The Trattoria), Il Macellaio (The Butcher) and In giro (Out and about). Every chapter presents the typical food you would find in a Florentine trattoria or market.
Besides this, how not to mention the stunning photos which complement her writing. You will discover the most fascinating corners of Florence, making of Florentine the perfect book for some armchair travel.
Emiko is one of my references for Tuscan cooking. Her recipes are authentic, genuine and depict a real table in a real Tuscan home.
Every recipe is very similar to the food I cook at home, yet not the same. This is probably one of the best signs of the authenticity of her book, as if you are a loyal reader of her blog, or mine, you have already realized how Tuscany is fragmented into small areas with distinct food traditions which differ just on herbs, spices or even just the name of a recipe.

[Sammm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm... In case anyone is wondering, my copy is actually in ebook format, but it did say "eISBN: 9781743790038", so I'm marking this edition.

I will officially thoroughly read this in 2017; I flipped through it, and it looks pretty decent. I'm putting the rating up because I really want this to at least be nominated in 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards for "Food & Cookbooks"; so anyone who does read cookbooks, please consider checking this one out? xD

My hopeful candidates for 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards "Food & Cookbooks" category:

(In book title's alphabetical order)

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice cookbook. Recipes are fairly well known, but they are very well written up. Photography is up to par and I loved the structure of the book - by "source" (cake shop, bakery, trattoria, market, butchers) rather by course.

[Ivanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures on this gorgeous book make me crave for visiting and tasting Florence, some of the recipes are very simple (panini with spinach and brie as an example) and some I will try for sure like gnuddi, panzanella, chickpea flat bread.

[David John Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Word Brilliant

Also the recipes and are laid out with a feeling of love and also where I have been it is wonderful city