Archive for 'Products & Specialities'

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish that is said to have been invented in Naples in the mid-20th century. The name literally means "spaghetti in the style of a prostitute" in Italian but don't get too carried away! While the etymology of the name once linked the dish to courtesans of old who were said to favour it as it was quick to make in between appointments, or because it smelled good enough to lure clients in from the street, neither of these two stories seem particularly convincing.

If you are dining in Italy, you probably have a list of certain dishes that you want to try and you should do while you have the chance! Italian cuisine has travelled all over the world and is readily accessible almost everywhere and, yet, there is a difference between Italian food in Italy and abroad. Of course, sometimes, you can find highly authentic and excellent Italian restaurants abroad but there is nothing quite like enjoying Italian classics in Italy and you'll often find that they taste entirely different – if not much better!

One classic Italian dish that you will, most likely, be familiar with is panna cotta. Panna cotta, meaning literally, “cooked cream”, is a dessert made of sweetened cream that is thickened with gelatin, molded into shape and flavoured with the likes of rum, coffee and vanilla. It is often served with a coulis of berries, or a sauce of caramel or chocolate and may be covered with fruit or with liqueurs.

If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and are spending time exploring the city, you are bound to work up quite the appetite, darting from attraction to attraction. While there may be an endless list of restaurants, cafes, bars, pizzerias and delis to check out, there is one place, in particular, that we recommend; the Mercato Centrale.

The brainchild of Umberto Montano and Claudio Cardini, the Mercato Centrale is a covered market in the historic San Lorenzo neighbourhood that was opened in the Spring of 2014, on the 140th anniversary of the iron and glass building in which is is located. The building in question was erected in 1874 and was designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who was also the designer of the San Ambrogio market and the more famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan.

Italy and food are pretty synonymous, right? Most people who have found a vacation rental in Italy and are planning their trip will be researching galleries, museums and attractions to visit but they are likely to also be impatiently awaiting all of the delicious meals that they have in store. While there are countless foods to be tried while in Italy, not to mention local specialities, there are some foods that are must and should not be missed while there. Even foods you may have tried plenty of times before can taste completely different in Italy and in a very, very good way.

1. Pizza

Pizza is an obvious choice but an important one. I am not a crazy pizza fan, personally, but there really is something completely different about the pizza in Italy. It's lighter and crispier and just tastier, overall.

Gelato has a long history and important cultural presence in Italy. There is even a Gelato Festival, which began in Florence in April and is currently make a tour around Italy and Europe. It is currently in Milan and will move on to England, Poland and Germany before returning to Florence once more in September for the Gelato Finals. If you are an ice-cream aficionado, be sure to find a holiday rental in Florence and make your way to the finals this September!