Chocolate fair in Monsummano Terme: a sweet Tuscan event

If throughout the year the Tuscan chocolate valley's road passes from Monsummano Terme (Pistoia province), at the end of January this is more true than ever. In the weekend that runs from January 30 to February 1 2009 Monsummano welcoming Cioccolasità for the happiness of all the gluttonous.

Among the exhibitors present at the event dedicated entirely to chocolate could not miss some great masters chocolatiers whose fame has crossed national borders, I refer to Roberto Catinari and Slitti, inventor of the teaspoon of chocolate melts in the coffee when you turn the and the recent sugar tablet Lattenero which has won the Golden Tablet in 2005 for the category 'chocolate milk'.

Monsummano Terme Cioccolosità involves for an entire weekend the center, offering to visitors a path that winds along the streets and main squares of Monsummano leading to the discovery of authentic works of art with chocolate, a real pleasure for sight and palate, which can be satisfied with the tasting offered during this sweet Tuscan week-end chocolate.

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The chocolate fair in Florence: a sweet event in Tuscany

The chocolate fair in Florence is a sweet event hosted by the Fifth edition in Square Santa Croce 22-25 January 2009. There is no better way to start the new year to enjoy the specialties of artisanal chocolate prepared by master chocolatier, 30 Italians and foreigners present at this fair.

It is famous artisan firms, including several interesting realities located in Tuscany, land that has become famous in recent years in the world for its chocolate, but also in Piedmont, a region that has a tradition in the production of a very good chocolate.

Here are some names of the exhibitors at this fair chocolate: the chocolate factory Brotini San Miniato Basso (province of Pisa), the Chocolate Boutique in Florence, the Cioccolateria Signorini Pistoia, Poretti and Chocolate Chocolate Sweet and Turin.

Those who want to learn more about this Tuscan sweet event can visit the website www.fieradelcioccolato.it and go to the chocolate fair in Florence in order to try personally these goodness .

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The chestnut cake: a classical Tuscan sweet

The chestnut cake is a traditional Tuscan dessert prepared especially in autumn and winter as a base of chestnut flour. If you consider the deployment of the chestnut in Tuscany you can well understand why the castagnaccio - chestnut cake can lay claim to a centuries-old history, as evidenced by the quote made in 1553 in the Commentary of the most monstrous things and notables of Italy written by Orlando Ortensio who gives the authorship of this excellent Tuscan sweet to Pilade from Lucca.

The ingredients are very simple so that in the past chestnut cake was on the tables of the peasants, and today this sweet can be found in the Tuscan cities' bakeries where it is called Baldino, Pattona, or more commonly castagnaccio - chestnut cake preparation is always the same.

We first need to obtain a fairly liquid batter lumps and without joining the chestnut flour with milk. Add to this compound a pinch of salt, orange, pine nuts, raisins and nuts kernels in abundance, then the dough must be prepared in a baking dish (taking into account that this cake is traditionally low) oiled and sprinkled with a few sprigs rosemary to give the final touch to this very sweet scented.

Bake at 180 ° until the cake appears not sufficiently substantial, if or until toothpick back clean then you can remove the pan. To enjoy the best you have a little patience and let it rest.

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Panforte of Siena: Tuscan sweet

In these days of celebration panforte Siena makes its appearance, along with panettone, pandoro and ricciarelli, on the shelves of supermarkets and bakeries, and not only in Tuscany. The goodness of this traditional Christmas cake of Sienna is now famous throughout Italy, but how and when it is born panforte?

Old recipe books tell of secular origin that becomes miraculous in legend. On Christmas Eve it is said that a child brought as a gift to Jesus a little bread with almonds that, following the blessing of St. Joseph, was transformed into a delicious panforte.
A medieval tradition says that the gingerbread, the ancestor of panforte Siena, has been prepared for the first time by Sister Leta to remedy a problem happened in the kitchen. As it happens, a cabinet broke broke spreading inside the raw materials she used to create this new tuscan sweet... it is better to say 'not all evil comes to harm'.
Among the ingredients spices were more abundant more than nowadays, including pepper from which the name of gingerbread, held together by caramelized sugar and honey. As such goods at the time particularly valuable and expensive this cake was consumed by the wealthy classes.

Coming to the present day, the classic version of panforte is white, also called Margaret on the occasion of the visit to Siena of Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1879. The secret of success lies in panforte white wealth and goodness of its compound (an explosive mix of calories!) From 1675 that has a well-seventeen ingredients, as many as are the lands of the Palio di Siena: honey, sugar, wheat flour, walnuts, nuts, almonds, candied citron, candied orange, popone candy, candied lemon peel, cinnamon, coriander, pepper aromatic, pine nuts, cloves, water and knead for fire to cook. A sweet energy so as to have alleged aphrodisiac qualities and to be in the past been used as food 'emergency' to feed the army during the siege of Siena in Siena in 1555, unfortunately without enough to withstand the attack of the Florentine who conquered the city.

In addition to panforte Margherita (or white), you can enjoy the panforte black, chocolate, not to be confused with Cecco cake, Christmas cake senese less common but no less delicious. If you're undecided between the brands that produce the panforte what I recommend is Flavors, in my opinion, the best ever.

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New Year's Eve in the square in Pisa

The New Year's Eve in the square in Pisa doubles and even quadruple to celebrate the arrival of 2009, four shows will indeed take place in the evening of December 31 in four of the Tuscan city squares: Square Garibaldi, Square San Paolo all'Orto, Square Gambacorti Chiara and Logge the benches.
The event called Last of the year Carnival will interlace culinary journeys to entertainment shows and music of every genre, from Blues to Rock, from Jazz to Reggae, Ska from the Latin American dances, to culminate in the traditional toast Midnight. of the New Year festival in Pisa, or rather the holidays, attended by some local center as the Bazeel, the Leningradcafé, the Borderline and Metamusic Agency. Here is the program of the evening in the four squares in Pisa.

Square Garibaldi. The New Year celebration begins at 8 p.m. with an aperitif - dinner-based on products from Tuscany, organized by Bazeel, continues to 9 p.m. with Latin American dances performed by the A-Team, a group of animation of Pisa.
At 11 p.m. Blues Band Nick Beccattini start play, the concert will not only blues but also rock, funk and soul, and it breaks to celebrate midnight according to the tradition with classical taste of zampone, lentils and sparkling. We danced into the night to pace dela Latin American music.

Square San Paolo all'Orto. The evening of 31 December starts at 9 p.m. with a dinner based on Tuscan soup and enters into full swing at 11.30 p.m. with a concert by Ray Daytona, surf punk band established itself in Italy.
The New Year celebration continues in the streets to music with a DJ Set After Show with Dome La Muerte Lady Maina and ending at night.

Square Chiara Gambacorti. The program of the festival for the New Year in Square Gambacorti provides a concert reggae, performing Vibes Working Group, winner of the 2008 Ciampi for the best cover. The show will start at 11 p.m. and for two hours this square resound of reggae music, ragga muffin and dance hall style.

Logge dei banchi. The program of the celebration of New Year has not only musical performances. At 7.30 p.m. a musical cocktail will animate the evening until 10.30 p.m., when the concert will begin, the Chiasso Mozzo Noir Folk Punk Band performing. These singers come from Pisa and their music has roots in rock and popular authors.
The comedy of Antonio Calandrino, eclectic actor movie theater and presenter of the evening, will accompany at the stroke of midnight, he will recite passages of his last show "The I God will." in conclusion of the evening the music ska & rocksteady de 'La Ghenga'.

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In Siena watching the stars of the New Year

Only 4 days, 8 hours, 9 minutes at the stroke of midnight of the new year, in newspapers, on television and radio astrologers communicate forecasts of 2009, strictly divided sign for sign. While waiting to find out what was in store for us next year, I want to suggest you an appointment with the stars, quiet, I do not to submit to yet another horoscope, the sky that I invite you to observe is that 'astronomical'.

Not quite on a New Year's Day but on 3 January 2009 in Siena the Observatory's Astrofili Senesi will be open to the public; at 21:30 you can watch by telescope the stars and nebulae that 'live' the northern hemisphere and for once the show will not take place Under the Tuscan Sun, but it will be the Tuscan sky itself. The astronomical station of Siena Palmiero Capannoli is located near Port Laterina, if you arrive in Siena by train it is necessary to take a bus to reach Independence Square and here take another bus /(n 54) which stops at Port Laterina, while if you come by car you can park in route Bastianini and route of the Nuovo Asilo.

Now it only remains to hope that the night is clear and therefore the maximum visibility and check the weather forecast ... and that the stars are with you!

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Kinzica de' Sismondi, who was she?

How many live or know some of Pisa will know that one of the historical neighborhoods that had divided the Tuscan city was called Kinzica (for those who are handy was more or less up to via San Martino). Its name derives from that of a woman lived in Pisa in the Middle Ages and still remembered here as an heroin, especially at events such as the Maritime Republics' race involving Amalfi, Venice, Genoa and Pisa course.

During the costume parade before the person that has the shoes of Kinzica dei Sismondi arrives on horseback, accompanied by six maids and a palfrey, and accompanied by eight drummers and four bishops. Who was Kinzica treated with such a great importance? The answer probably lies in a historical episode that has become over time a legendary alone.

Around 1004-1005, when the events took place, the pirates threatened the city of Pisa at a time when it was defenseless. Their plan was sent in smoke from Kinzica de' Sismondi that sounded the bells and awakened the inhabitants so that the people rejected the invaders. A few added that she fought in first person for the defense of the city. In any case, the result was an overwhelming victory and everlasting memory of Kinzica Sismondi in the collective memory of the city.

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