The Renaissance cuisine, while maintaining the medieval inspiration, almost theatrical presentations enhanced with the combination of sweet and salty. Italy boasts Renaissance cooks most ‘famous and talented of Europe leading Italian cuisine at very high heights of sophistication and prestige.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is, in this period, a wide spread of roasts, cakes, pies crust and spread the use of a light sauce made ​​from fruit and herbs, comes a real passion for offal and entrails of animals for slaughter and poultry. Start a wider use of milk and dairy products, butter, lard buys equal importance, it is much appreciated and are introduced to the cream cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dates from this century, the habit of wrapping meat in a crust of bread. The power of the poor, as usual, is simple and consists of bread, vegetables, jams and fruit, sometimes an egg can enrich the dinner plate but it is often only when it is fried. When the bread is hard theydo the breadcrumbs, a soup made ​​with stale bread crumbs, egg, parmesan, nutmeg and salt.

The bread is often lacking and it is  often  offered during festivals and weddings, but also in the case of death of famous people they used to distribute to the poor so that they could have a good memory of those who had failed.

Before leaving for Florence to go to dinner at Lorenzo’s  … oh yes Lorenzo de ‘Medici, called the Magnificent … politician, writer, ruler of Florence in 1469, a character of great depth and charm and value

 

 

 

we informed about the manners of the time:

- Of course not talk when your mouth is full

- Wipe your mouth before drinking

- Do not clean your teeth with your knife and make sounds …

When you are invited very important , at this time , wear a nice dress.

And here we are , finally , at the table with Lorenzo , of course the furniture has great opulence and pomp , vases, candlesticks , silverware were chosen for their artistic value and the table was set up with the collaboration of artists and craftsmen ( as was often the case at the time)

 

 

 

 

 

 

It starts with a mess of herbs rich in eggs , spices and saffron , ginger and fresh butte

r , all cooked in a box of pasta and sprinkled with sugar and pine nuts (back to the sweet-salty combination … ).After they served the panunto , just bread anointed , anointed in butter with cheese on top and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Around the table there are several service agents, real professionals … there was, in fact, a hierarchy: the COOK, (usually of humble origins) was the man who  chopped and sliced meat, cutting was considered an art, there are different ways to cut the meat (birds, peacocks, turkeys, pheasants), so like fruit and fish. The man who served wines and the SCALCO that selected the cooks and servants, restock the pantry, organize a banquet to the smallest detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dinner continues with a feast of rabbits, pheasants and a sumptuous duck in plum sauce. Do not miss some of the sweet …  A rice cake, followed by a dessert made with a cream composed of melon pulp mixed with egg, cheese and sugar, cinnamon, cloves .The peculiarity is that the cake is cooked on the grill, which is also put on the lid so that also receives heat from above.

 

There comes a tray of pancakes and finally the Renaissance cake with cream “shrew” (lemon cream) and almonds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There comes a tray of pancakes and finally the Renaissance cake with cream” shrew” (lemon cream) and almonds.

I’ll be back by this detour Renaissance rolling from the hills of Fiesole to 2013 … of course tonight not only good coffee in my house but also a maalox formy stomach! The prox!