I have to stop!
Eating chestnuts that is. My friend and tour guide extraordinar sent me a link to a festival being held while visiting. This festival honored the tradition of paper making, (separate blogpost) but promised to have food and my beloved chestnuts…so off I went!
Located in Villa Basilica, over the mountain heading towards Collidi and of course another hill top village itself, I arrived on time which I had been warned would be silly. It was. Only two booths were ready and everyone else was scurrying around getting prepared. I was crushed upon arrival that I had missed most , if not all, the chestnut festivals. But this website mentioned them however so I was thrilled! Sure enough, the first guy I saw was twirling a huge cage of chestnuts roasting oon what would be the only warm spot this afternoon. He seemed to have it easy , sitting drinking vino and turning the handle. Later as the crowd arrived wanting the perfect chestnut he started sweating and saying “almost ready, almost ready”. Meanwhile I strolled around until they were ready…The ladies scooped them into bags as fast as he roasted them and for only 2.50e I was smiling and my hands were warm…only one problem…This was actually an hour later.
While waiting and watching the paper maker , I spotted a chestnut pancake with ricotta cheese freshly baked right before my eyes so I had one (this was my first course), then a lovely lady was making bombolinas with sugar so I tried that too (my second course), but then four ladies taught ME how to make pasta fritta so of course once I turned it over in the hot cauldron and sprinkled with salt I HAD to try it (my third course)… Then a woman had made a cake looking thing out of chestnuts which looked good but actually was not so much (my fourth course)… Total cost for my four course crazy , erratic , no veggie or protein meal except nuts?? drumroll…6 euro…
The problem then was I could not eat more than two of my beloved roasted chestnuts! But hey, my hands were warmed with the hot bag of nuts in my pocket.
I moaned the entire drive home and then walked all around the village in hopes something in my belly would forgive me.
But seriously, I love chestnut time in Tuscany!
Making the pasta fritta…
Cake was …not as good as it looked…
YUM!
Now this guy has the life…
and to think it all started witha little spiny nut!
