In Florence and around Tuscany, you can buy packages of [dried] herb blends at butcher shops, grocers, farmer markets and even souvenir shops. There are 2-3 varieties that consistently show up at the register, on a nearby shelf or in cute little 3 packs to take home for your friends—a little gift from your trip to Italy.

This easy little blend, I use often. I can go to any butcher, and they will have this herb blend containing 4 items:

peperoncino (c’mon you know you want to say it:  /pepper-own-CHEE-no/)
aglio /AH-lee-o/
sale /SAH lay/
prezzomolo /prets-oh-MO-lo/

For the rest of us that means: red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and parsley. Here is my idea: buy the four and mix yourself. Then you will always have on hand this classic combination of Italian herbs. I like the idea of drying my own flat-leaf Italian parsley; I would add coarse salt, dried garlic and red pepper flakes. Blend amounts to your own liking.

Oh, on the front it also hints: “Insap. Piccante per Spaghetti.” In other words: spicy mix for your spaghetti. Think red sauce or ragu; I tossed some into my shredded-carrot saute and it turned out delicious (no doubt the diced pancetta helped, too). It is nice for pizza, to top focaccia… and for gifts! Make spice packets and share them with friends (add a recipe or two for ‘use’); there is nothing better than giving your friends ideas for ‘what to make for dinner.’

Ribollita (also written Ribolita—with one ‘l’) is a classic Italian vegetable-and-bread soup (or more of a stew?). I have had it multiple times, see it regularly on cafes all over town (I am currently living in Florence, Italy). In fact, I have two favorite ’stand-up-and-eat’ lunch windows—and one of the best bowls of Ribollita I have ever eaten, came from one such window.

As with ANY Italian recipe, there are as many versions of a dish as there are cooks to cook them. I hear that recipe interpretation is the source of hotly contested debate, antiquated loyalties and age-old disagreements about which is the right recipe for lasagna, ribollita, focaccia, bolognese, ragu… This could provide popcorn-eating entertainment, vein-popping excitement or tears in your soup—depending on which camp you are in.

But seriously. I have wanted to make ribollita for some time, and finally put pen to paper cabbage in the pot. Cabbage you say? That isn’t right. It is according to most recipes; I ogled then commingled recipes from Mario Batali, Barefoot Contessa, Our Italian Table, from Sunday’s Soup, Zoe’s Cuisine, this straightforward version from RootsLiving and La Dolce Bacon (who also uses Parmesan rinds!). And in the end did what cooks do: I personalized it, stamped it, registered MY version as a trademark and called all my friends and family to ascertain their level of loyalty. Okay, that’s not true either. But don’t you just love how recipes evolve, and you can use the combined brilliance of any, all or none of them at any time? I can use what I like, skip a step, add something else, shorten—or lengthen—the cooking time, and pucker my face while trying to recount what was so special about that ‘ribollita-from-the-window.’

Today, this was my ribollita. It was fantastic. I will make it again, though I reserve the right to tweak it, change it, forget something, spice it up or down… and add whatever else is hanging nonchalantly inside my fridge.

Ribollita
1 small can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
small diced pancetta (optional)
1 small onion (a leek too, if you have one)
carrot
celery
cabbage (many use black cabbage, kale, swiss chard…) stems removed, roughly chopped
zucchini (just because I had some… though I didn’t see it in other recipes)
bay leaf (oops, forgot)
red pepper flakes, S&P and Italian herbs
(thyme if you have it)
1/3 cup basic tomato sauce (I put in 3 T tomato paste this round)
1-2 cups water
1-2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
3-4 slices rustic bread (I use my leftover focaccia)
optional: Parmesan rind

Heat oil in stockpot; over low add onions, garlic and pancetta for 5 minutes. Then add carrots, celery, zucchini, seasonings for 10 minutes. Add cabbage/kale/greens and give a good mix. Add tomato sauce/paste/canned tomatoes. Let cook 10 minutes. Puree half of white beans (I used a food mill); add puree, beans and stock/water to cover (and rind, if using). Simmer for 20 minutes. Add 1/2 inch cubes of bread (crusts removed if too hard), let simmer 10 more minutes. Ladle and serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan and a drizzle of your best olive oil (if I would have used kale or black cabbage, it would have added some fantastic color to the dish).

The Dutch in me LOVES Ribollita because it makes use of day-old bread. So efficient, responsible, ingenious. Really this could be called ‘leftover soup,’ or counter-top, kitchen-sink or fridge-raid soup. Leftover potatoes? Some extra spinach? A few stray greens or tomatoes? Toss ‘em in. Grab some table vino and call it lunch.

I used to know what this mish mash was called. In fact, I am suspicious that many cultures make their own version of this mushy yet delicious mash.

I have been making it for a few months, prefer it consumer slightly warm or at room temp, drizzled with my best olive oil and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. It makes a great vegetable side, compliments bread, can replace mashed potatoes if you are aiming for low-cal and is super nutritious. But what to call it?

Italian mish-mash
1-2 red onions
1 head of garlic
1 eggplant
2-3 tomatoes
olive oil
salt
Italian herbs
tomato paste, TT
Serve topped with: Parmesan cheese, olive oil

Quickly cut the onions, tomatoes and eggplant into chunks. Think large dice, rough chop (I cut the tomatoes and onions into rough 8ths). Toss into casserole dish, toss in a few cloves of garlic—still in skins—lube all with oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and herbs. Roast anywhere from 1 hour to 1 1/2 ore even 2 hours (feel free to give it an occasional toss), and temp from 250-325. Depends on your timing. Remove garlic skins, roughly smoosh ingredients together. Add tomato paste as needed/preferred (I usually put in 1-2 T), stir to blend.

Do you make some version of a mish-mash?

So I sent an email with inadequate Italian (I used Google translator), to an Agriturismo in the Maremma region of Tuscany. (I am planning a Tuscan road trip with my family: 6 days of driving around to see everything an adolescent boy would want to see: Etruscan caves, Napoleon’s castle, a mining museum full of gemstones, hot sulfur hot springs, Leonardo da Vinci’s house and San Galgano where there really IS a sword in the stone).

Anyway, we need places to stay along the way and since it is off-season, we can get better deals (there goes the Dutch in me). Who cares if it is freezing outside? The hot springs are warm! Since I don’t know how smoothly ferrying off of Elba will go, I am planning for a late arrival at an Agriturismo near Saturnia (hot springs) and Soverno (Etruscan caves). They sent me back an email, explaining that we could reserve dinner—which would of course be served with their Morellino di Scansano.

Morellino di Scansano?

Little did I know. Maremma is the wine region in southern Tuscany. And here I have been focusing on Montalcino, Montepulciano and Chianti wines… Morellino here I come!

But seriously. There are hoards of sites and rich information about specific wines. And, well, I have a specific wine. So here is what I gathered (and some fantastic wine sites):

The cliff notes: think coastal—this Tuscan wine has the influences of the Sea. Morellino is Maremma’s name for Sangiovese grapes. It boasts DOCG status (to earn that stamp, they must be 85% sangiovese).

• from the site www.intowine.com, an overview of Morellino di Scansano, Maremma wines, etc.
• the ItalianMade site is very well organized, includes wonderful wine-region maps and classic Italian food pairings (and recipes!).
• this is not the first time the Italian Wine Blog – Wine90 crossed my plate screen; worthy of a visit if you want to learn more about Italian wines.
• a history of the region, wine, DOCG and more… from Poggio al Toro—winemakers of this said wine.

I would sooner buy a dish than a new scarf, or a hand-held, battery powered, cordless, triple speed, multi-attachment blender than say, new makeup or jewelry. My cash flies out of my pocket when I see glassware that I must have, but I can walk right past clothing stores and perfumeries. Good wine or a manicure? Time and again: an upgrade on a bottle of wine.

But seriously. We all have our weaknesses, the things we save for—or fail to save because of.

Mine is kitchen accessories. In fact, it might be best if I don’t go into that ceramic shop… though you never can browse too many of them. After all, a girl can never have too many small, olive-pit or salt holding bowls… right? And really, since I am living in Tuscany, I should come back with some tokens of my stay here; and ceramics are classic.

I don’t actually want my kitchen bursting with Italian ceramics; I know myself—I would tire of them and need new white square plates or boutique teaspoons or something vintage from Anthropologie. Can you believe that price on that gorgeous apron? I would have to buy that new set of bowls to match the new paint I just put on my kitchen walls. But I do need would like some. So I made the executive decision (not a problem, since I am the owner/chairwoman and sole member of the executive board of kitchen accouterments) ahem, to buy a few pieces.

I bought a sangria pitcher or three, 3-4 tiny little creamers and now I am buying ‘just a few’ small, olive oil dipping bowls. They are inexpensive and everywhere. So if one catches my eye on a random tour of a tiny hilltop city: I will buy it. And 3 euros later I have a big smile and a warm heart. It really doesn’t take much, does it? I mean, really.

How fun! I thought I had already posted this ‘easy app.’ My sister in law brought it to a holiday party and all it took was a bowl of crackers for this appetizer to gain notoriety among guests. Not much to say (this, coming from the talker?!); all you need is goat cheese (room temperature, spread onto plate), pesto (make your own or buy your favorite) and lightly toasted pine nuts.

Even kids will dig (yep, literally, just keep the tonka trucks at bay—that goat cheese would be impossible to clean out of the tires!) this preamble. It is simple, approachable and ‘what you see is what you get.’ My favorite part of this appetizer is eating it; a close second? My kiddos can assemble it.