'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.
