Riccardo and Bea -7th Jan.
We are invited to the home of our tall, Italian friends, Riccardo and Bea in Florence, near Porta al Prato and get to see their one month old baby, Edoardo, who's very sweet (and nearly one metre tall already!) We christen their new pizza maker and have a fun evening.
Alberto and Nadia - 12th Jan.
Our good friends Alberto and Nadia have invited us round Alberto's for drinks and cenci (a traditional Italian Easter cake) and a look at their holiday photos from a recent trip to India. They have also invited Nadia's boss, Veronica and husband, Nicola (a man's name in Italy) surprise surprise he's into '70's progressive rock music, still we have an enjoyable evening...
Santo and Anna Maria - 18th Jan.
One of my students, Dentist, Santo from Calabria, has invited Annette and I out for a meal with him and his wife, Anna Maria. We meet up at Porta Romana and he drives us in his new VW Tuareg SUV. The plan was to go to Angelino's, but it's closed. So we settle on Trattoria Dante. he treats us to a big slap up fish meal. Annette gets on well with Anna Maria and we have a good laugh.
Silverio and Jane - 2 Feb.
Our landlord Silverio, together with ex partner, Jane have invited us out for a meal. First choice 'Fuor'd'acqua' is off as they've just had a bad experience a week earlier, so we try another of their favourites, 'il Guscio' in Via dell'Orto. They have some great wines by the glass and Silverio lets me choose a bottle of 1998 Cortaccio from Villa Caffaiggio, (one of my otrher student, Stefano Chioccioli's creations) which is stupendous! The food is superb too, Silverio is on first name terms with the manager, who brings out a bottle of Spumante and a nice dessert wine for us... definitely a return venue!
Nadia and Alberto 10 &12th Feb.
A Nadia and Alberto double header, on the Friday evening we go Salsa dancing with them in Antella and afterwards an early morning cappuccino at all-night bar, Pauletti... we feel almost like youngsters!
On the Sunday we have invited them round to our house for a curry, just to try and bring some holiday flavours back to them... I've raided my local Indian shop and surprised myself with making only my second Indian curry ever! We have an enjoyable evening and they are left awestruck by my new DVD of dancing sensations, the Nickolas Brothers. Alberto burns me a couple of CDs and lends me his drill so I can put up our new curtain rails and IKEA light... what a guy!
Davide and Rossana - 11th Feb.
Yet another student who wants to take us out to dinner! In Italy it's a sign of friendship, so things are looking good for us! My relatively new students, 'Milanese' Davide, his Florentine wife, Rossana and thgeir six-year old son Lorenzo. We meet up at their house in Castello and go for a bizarre aperitivo at the famous Caffe delle Fornaci in Sesto Fiorentino for coffee! Their speciality is the 'Café Fornacino' which has white chocolate shavings on the top... Wow! Their son Lorenzo is very well-behaved and spends the evening glued to his Gameboy!
We move on to the restaurant of choice, Ulivo Rosso... It's high up in the hills of Monte Morello and has a wonderful sun terrace (great for the summer) We are given complimentary starters and prosecco while choosing our orders. Again I'm allowed to choose the wine! A 1999 Broccato from Dievole, which is a Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot blend. I start with a truffle tagliatelle and Davide and me share a bistecca alla Fiorentina. At this point the owner turns up and surprise surprise is on friendly terms with Davide and Rossana. She brings us another bottle of wine, a white label 1998 from I Balzini... it turns out at the end that she has charged them for it! We finish with an array of chocolate desserts for a woondergul evening of feasting...
Riccardo and Bea - 18th Feb.
Carnival season is well and truly underway and we have invited Riccardo and Bea back to dinner at our house. They arrive (Edoardo -less) which turns out to be a good move as they can relax more.
I've made my legend... wait for it! ... dary melanzane alla parmigianaand have matched it with one of Stefano Chioccioli's 2000 Brunellos from Fanti. We move onto Annette's sea bream fish platter with another of Stefano's gems, a 2002 Terre Alta from Livio Felluga which is sensational! 8One of the best white wines in Italy!) we finish with Bea's cream and nutella cake and match it with my dessert wine a 'Khamma' Pantelleria from Salvatore Murano... Probably the three best wines I've ever opened at a meal... What can I say... Good wine, food and friends... what a combination!
(Original Journal entry 18/2/06)
