Monday, November 3, 2008

A foodnote to Ciao Time

One of my readers expressed an interest in preparing ribollita, which sounds like a great idea to me. Unfortunately, though it is simple, it takes time to prepare properly. The name means "reboiled," as in "boiled again on the second day," and is said to best eaten no earlier than the third day. Ideally, it should be thick enough to eat with a fork. Here's a link to what sounds to me like a very tasty version:

http://www.divinacucina.com/code/ribollita.html

Another local favorite takes guts to eat. Tripe, as in intestines, are big here, as in popular - in soups, sandwiches and salads. Locals also eat pigeon, which I won't, as I'm among those who think of that bird as a rat with wings, and I don't do rat. There's even a local delicacy that is made of rooster's combs and tongues and private parts. I'm not surprised not to have heard of it before. I haven't seen it on any menu, but am not likely to seek out a restaurant that offers it. Some things are best left to the locals.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting the link to that recipe. In reading the directions, you're right - it's a 3 day process to make it, but that's fine; I have time on my hands....

Unknown said...

Not to pick nits (a tasty treat in simian circles) but tripe is the 1st or 2d stomach of a cow. Intestines are used as sausage casings.

Unknown said...
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