Читать книгу Trekking in the Apennines. The Grande Escursione Appenninica онлайн

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Polenta, a thick corn porridge that goes well with stews, may be available; leftover pieces are sometimes fried. Towards the end of the trek near Tuscany’s border with Liguria, you’ll encounter testaroli al pesto, simple pasta squares prepared from a batter cooked on a griddle, then softened in hot water prior to serving, and accompanied by an aromatic sauce of olive oil, basil, pine nuts, parmigiano and pecorino cheeses.

Country-style minestrone is a thick flavoursome soup with tons of vegetables, otherwise there’s zuppa di ceci, chick pea soup, or the traditional home-style Tuscan staple zuppa di farro with spelt, a nutty-tasting type of wheat. Zuppa di porcini made with mushrooms is a must-taste.

The second course is almost exclusively meat. One standard is the renowned fiorentina, a mammoth T-bone steak; the locals boast it has to weigh at least one kilo to earn the name. Then there’s lamb which is delicious as crumbed fried cutlets, agnello fritto. Game (selvaggina) is common, possibly boar (cinghiale), pigeon (piccione) or rabbit (coniglio). Cheeses are concentrated on the amazing range of tangy pecorino from sheep, but there are other cow’s milk treats such as rich pungent formaggio di fosso, which has been buried in straw and is often served with honey.