Make Tuscan Pasta with Chianti

by mark Lloyd
(Honolulu)

My dad was called on a 40-year old bet; "If I remain married to you for 40 years, you have to rent us a villa in Tuscany!" Good ole Mom would not let it go. And so it was.
An 1857 era , 5 bedroom villa with pool in Lucca, just 5 miles from Pisa in Tuscany was the spot. Lucca, a gift from Napolean to his sister 100 years ago, is a walled city, full of restaurants, oenotecas, cafes, and of course shops of all sorts. But the lives of the 2,000 inhabitants revolves in the Piazzas.
A piazza is merely a square, a large courtyard surrounded by these same shops and cafes. Walking this cobblestone town is very Disney-esque; all charm. Extremely safe, the one danger you could possibly run into is a speeding Vespa rider confidently zipping down a six-foot wide road (less than two feet from your shopping bags) but the locals don't even wince.
You should pre-reserve a Homemade Tuscan dinner at your Villa as we did. Two local foodies, very casual, and very accomplished school mate girlfriends for over 30 years will come to you house, teach you to make pasta and local dishes; they will serve, pair with inexpensive local wines, and clean up afterward. We loved their visit so much we had them come back for our final night as encore.
The favorite of all guests was Chicken; browned thighs and wings in Olive oil, garlic and four handfulls of rosemary,thyme, sage. Add a cup of white wine (Italian, no oak), cup of Chicken broth and pour in the olive oil until the chicken is nearly submerged. Cover and slow cook for 45 minutes to and hour without boiling. Half way through the simmer add a big cup of rustic green olives (no pimento stuffed; real olives with seeds) and 2 lemons sliced to discs. Simple and amazingly great! Serve with Chianti. If you need any more info just send a comment.
Be Italian one night soon. Eat, drink and love life. You owe it to yourself