an afternoon in certaldo

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superlatives

before beginning ihoc i had never read a blog in my life.  and even after i began chronicling my story, i still avoided reading other blogs for fear that being influenced by others’ ideas would somehow make mine less original or unique.  but now, a year and a half after sharing my days with you, i have certainly read my fair share of others’ blogs, mostly food related, and have developed preferences.  one thing that always bothers me about food writing is the tendency towards superlatives.  how can every single dish and every single bite be pure poetry?  i just get easily bored reading about people’s dinners, and how magical and sumptuous they always are.  i know, pot calling the kettle black.

and so with that out of the way, i bring you the BEST lunch, at our new FAVORITE restaurant in the whole WORLD: osteria cassia vetus. 

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arnolfo ristorante--colle di val d'elsa - siena - italy

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Truffle HUnt

dank woods, approaching musty.  a keen nose—this case, bobby, our truffle hunting hound—and years of experience—imperio, the eighty year old master, and francesco, the recipient of thirty years of his truffle hunting know-how.  after two hours of hunting for the elusive, coveted, glorified white truffle—following a dog this way and that—watching the hunter control the dog with swift hands, and control the truffles with gentle probes—the price tag on this fungi started to make a bit more sense.  one thing’s for sure, finding a small white knob buried beneath endless hectares of old growth forest is no simple task.

the pay day, however, for anyone with a nose and a mouth, is well worth the time. 

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dinner in our farmhouse at agriturismo barbialla

dinner in our farmhouse at agriturismo barbialla nuova

best.  jerry-rig.  ever.  open fire in the corner of the kitchen, and a steak sizzling on a rack, perched on a candelabra, bread toasting on top. 

it’s been quite a while now that place has taken on new meaning for me, but this meal hit home.  after a long day of wandering through an epically beautiful tuscan hill town, we returned to the farmhouse and got to cooking.

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Siena

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