The following Renaissance Florence menus were indicated to us by B&B Giglio Bianco in Florence. The first is taken from the "De arte coquinaria" by the maestro de Martino di Como in 1450 while the personal chef menu is a modern take on the original.

This recipe has its origins in the Garfagnana zone of Lucca in north west Tuscany.

Farro, or triticum dicoccum, is a cereal which kept the Roman legions fed and was also used as payment for their services.

They commonly called the vegetable 'farris' which was turned into a flour to prepare their daily dish or 'pulis'.

Castagnaccio is a classic autumn sweet from the chestnut woods of Monte Amiata in south Tuscany, although slight variations can be found wherever there are chestnut woods in Italy. We ate lots of it in the cantine of Castel del Piano as part of the vino novello celebrations one December weekend.

ingredients

300g chestnut flour, 100g raisins, 50g pine nuts (or walnuts), 4 spoons of extra-virgin olive oil rosemary, salt, water.

The recipe for these common carnival fried pastry or frappe is similar across Italy, but regional dialects and slight variations have led to a handful of local names such as 'bugie', 'risole', 'manzòle' and 'fiocchetti'. In Tuscany, these doughnuts may also be called 'chiacchiere'. In Venice 'fritole'. All are delicious and typically sprinkled with icing sugar like a light layer snow on the hills of the lower Appenines at this time of year.

ingredients

250g flour, 80gr sugar, 2 eggs, caster sugar, olive oil, orange and lemon peel, sweet wine, salt to taste.

Traditional and delicious simple soup recipe with tomatoes and bread typical in Tuscany

The majority of the Italian national parks preserve a great heritage of typical food products.

It is essential to rediscover them and to make the most of them, not only to protect the local biodiversity, but also to support traditional activities and the economy of the territory in general.

This is a typical pasta dish for early Spring and Easter from the hilly Mugello territory of north east Tuscany in the province of Florence.

Cooked water' may not sound that filling, but this dish kept the hungry butteri in form while they patrolled the herds of maremmana cattle along the Tuscan coast.

Home made cappellotti paste filled with Parmesan cheese from Mugello in Tuscany

A rich alcoholic cake from Florence.

A Zuccotto is Tuscan dialect for a cardinal's skull cap and perhaps this dish was originally prepared to honor a guest at a marital festival during the Renaissance.

We did look for a recipe for 'semi freddo' having enjoyed it at a wedding in Bologna. If we come across one it will be posted here in the future.