ExtraLucca 2015

The Extra Virgin Olive Oil has come to town, within the walls of Villa Bottini, in two days of meetings involving all lovers of good food. Meetings with experts and nutritionists, challenges and cooking demonstrations by chefs, who use the extra virgin preparing their best dishes.

An Easter cake: the Pasimata from Garfagnana

The term pasimata has two possible derivations: from Latin pasimatum means “bread baked in the ashes,” or the Byzantine pasimet“unleavened bread”. It is a typical Easter bread of the Lucca area, which can be prepared in different ways.
According to tradition, is prepared the day before Easter and, together with the eggs contained in a little basket, is brought to the morning Mass, to receive the blessing.

Beans in the “fiasco”

Unce upon a time people used to put the bottle in the corner of the fireplace. The beans, soaked in water, cooked so slowly, keepingall their flavor. Cooked over a flame, in special flasks of tempered glass, a little EVOoil, a sage leaf and a clove of garlic, beans are an excellent side dish. If accompanied by leafy vegetables “rehearse in the pan“, a tasty and healthy dish, suitable for everyone.

Barga, Befana and befanini

They are the typical Christmas cookies of the holidays tradition, they were given away in small bags to the boys and girls of the villages who went round singing “Befanate” door to door in the evening of January 5 went to announce the Epiphany,

Today “befanini” are prepared in many regions of Italy during the Christmas period and there is no breakfast or snack where they can miss.

Carnival!

A group of boys of Viareggio, regular costumers of the Casino’s cafe, one day decided to organize  a parade of carriages festively decorated in the Via Regia, to celebrate the last day of Carnival. It was February 24 of 1873. Since then, the parades have continued to change and grow up to become what they are today: parades of colossal foats of papier-mache, a riot of color, music, dance, that form what since long time is considered the largest carnival in Europe.

St. Biagio, throat, taste… tordelli

S

an Biagio is the co–patron of Pietrasanta, a municipality in the high Versilia.

He is officially the protector of the throat, since he miraculously saved a child who was in danger of drowning with a fishbone in his throat. In many places of Italy, on February 3, the day dedicated to he Saint, after the liturgical celebration is practice the blessing of the throats of the faithful, and this also happens in Pietrasanta, in the Cathedral of San Martino, which exhibits, for the occasion, his relics.

Alderico and the cured meat of Family Triglia

Gombitelli is a small village between Camaiore and Lucca, just 20 kilometers from the city, a really pristine, rich in history and tradition. One among them its tongue. Gombitelli is in fact a ‘linguistic island’ where they speak an original dialect of Nordic origine, probably led by a group of German blacksmiths took to Italy with Charles V. The inhabitants learned the German language and gave birth to a very specifically idiom, even today spoke by the eldest of the country.

“CentovolteForte”: anniversary beer

“Year 1914: Forte, this was the name it was known, came up with the navicello docking accuracy and put on top of the pier, end with a Bowline knot (la Gassa d’Amante), which was quickly fixed to the bollard . As its anchor was stable, the (left sail (la Mancina) began promptly at work, starting to lift loads with apparent agility, contradicted only by the creaking of ropes under tension.