the BPC DIY post lives now on my new juice blog juices101 with the following recipes.

BPC – DIY.

Cashew nuts milk.

Parsnips pears celery juice.

Carrot apple beet ginger lemon juice.

Spicy lemonade.

Pineapple apple mint juice.

Green apple juice.

and the full video guide and demo of ‘how to buy a juicer‘.

Prosciutto, Cold Cuts & Cheese

In the middle of Florence market where you can find the best Prosciutto or Balsamic Vinegar De Modena, next to the fresh cut of Chianina or even just a simple rabbit for dinner.

Rabbit

but for the real slow-quick deal you would have to stand in this line at Nerbone.

Nerbone

a place where traditional tuscan workers food is served for the people who comes to the market, prices are very cheap and the food is very Tuscan and basic, but goes without saying fresh and delicious.

Beef Stew

not that you should skip any of the beef stews or pasta dishes

Daily Pasta

but the sandwiches are the real reason you would be here, the selection only has 2 of them to offer, one smoked and one braised beef, booth quickly dipped in their cooking liquids and served on a fresh bread, with almost nothing next to it, sound too simple, but for some reason it doesn’t seems to need anything else. perhaps a quick glass of wine to wash it off.

Smoked Beef Panini

Tandoori chicken

Following a traditional tandoori chicken sauce of :

6 tablespoons plain yogurt
7 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger (chopped)
4-6 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon red chili powder

I decided to go ahead with more of a tandoori kebab approach, using chicken breast rather than a whole chicken, and letting it cook on my stove top grill next to green peppers and red onions. finishing up the serving next to basmati rice, lemon and some extra yogurt for presentation.

Trattoria Sostanza

Trattoria Sostanza is kind of a very old school place (since 1869), a place where you sit on a wooden bench in a communal table and eat traditional Tuscan food. They do 2 seating for dinner so you prob should make reservation in advance, the food is simple and very Tuscan. was recomanded to me as the place that serves the best bistecca alla fiorentina in Florence. I guess it is more of the peter luger approach rather than the craft steak way around food, but there is still some magic in it I guess, and a lot of strait forward bold flavor.

Pasta al burro

starting with some Pasta al burro which comes with real chunk of white truffle butter, needless to say – amazing.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

very recently butchered from a real Chianina beef, nothing but pure meat and flavor cooked in this kitchen (which you should walk through in your way to the restroom) over real burning woods.

Sostanza Kitchen

I did had to add some freshness to this intense amount of beef in a form of fresh mixed salad.

Mixed Salad

and just to end it all another Tuscan dessert with fresh berries.

Sostanza Dolce

Trattoria Sabation, Just from the other side of the arno river, very authentic Tuscan spot, out side of the main tourists area, not that I had much idea of how to order or what, but everything that came after was quite superb.

Ravioli al Sugo

Skipping the antipasti by ordering first the Ravioli al Sugo

Salsiccia toscana con fagioli all'uccelletto

followed by Salsiccia toscana con fagioli alluccelletto – a Tuscan sausage with beans.

Tuscan Salad

and a green Tuscan salad, with slices of shaved fennel and carrot.

Cremsnit reteta

and a Tuscan version of Cremsnit cake for dessert.

Pizza Napoli

Though Florence isnt known for its pizza, this Neapolitan joint – il Pizzaiuolo might be a proof that after all amazing pizza can be made anywhere, or at least anywhere in Italy. and since I never been to Naples yet, it is by far the best pizza I ever had. I went with the Pizza Napoli – combination of anchovies and fresh oregano (which included 2 full fresh leafs) on a thin and edge crusty dough.

Baba Rum

for dessert I could not skip the baba au rhum which completed another amazing meal.

The Dome

Getting down from a tour at the top of the Florence Dome, something which I strongly recommended you not to do if you have any height fear, loosing your house keys fear, or any fear at all, this place is very very high. you might feel that you need some extra sugar boost, the good thing is that you are just at the right spot, a few steps away from the Dome you would find one of the best gelato in Florence – Grom, and though it is becoming some kind of a global chain their gelato is at a world standard. since I was quite panicked from the trip I had to try 2 different combination.

Cioccolato & Cassata Siciliana

The Cioccolato fondente & Cassata Siciliana. the Cassata Siciliana is a flavor that I would say should go on anyone must try list along with the Crema di GROM both feature such an amazing combination of texture, goes really great also with the Stracciatella

Crema di Grome & Stracciatella

Giolitti

While roaming the streets if Rome had a chance to come across one of the best gelato in Rome, a very old school place – Giolitti

Giolitti gelato selection

where you can find a regular outstanding selection of flavors.

Mora & Fior Di Pnna Giolitti

I choose to go with the Mora & Fior Di Pnna Giolitti, since I never tried them before I have no ref to compere but I can say that, the place and flavor were an experience as themselves.

The Bahai Temple

while my visit in Israel my family suggested making a trip to the city of Haifa to visit the Bahai temple which covers the city center from the top of the Carmel mountain to the sea. all layered with beautiful gardens (such as this cactus garden)

Cactus garden

on the way back we were recommended by a friend to stop at a small arab village called ein chood which seats next the the Israeli art village ein hood, but from the first moment you get there you feel that there is something very different in this place, there is no real road that takes you there, you have to kind of improvise your way on a very broken path till you get to the village, a place where they only had electricity installed a year and a half ago.

as you seat to the table the host brings you a can of home made tamarind juice.

Tamarind Juice

as they start telling you the way the place works. there is no menu you order from, they chef (the mother of the family) had cooked many dishes, all based on seasonal ingredients which grows on the mountain, you can ask for more from anything. than they simple start bringing the most amazing food, almost everything been cooked for 6-8 hours on small pans. beside the set of appetizers, which include a 4 different types of hummus plates, very condensed tahini salad, tabouli, fresh salad and a few eggplant recipes.

Appetizers

followed by a green peas soup.

Peas soup

than they start bringing the real stuff out. like this lamb cooked in tahini (sinaya) Jump+

Traditional Bulgarian spot on the border between Tel-Aviv and Jaffa, serving an older generation of Bulgarian immigrant and other foodies who crave a different flavor.

Kiopoolu

Lyutenitsa

for appetizers we had the Kiopoolu – a Bulgarian eggplant salad and the Lyutenitsa which is a roasted pepper dip (at first this seems to be quite sweet for me, but than I understood how well it goes with the Kebab)

Kashkaval Pane

than we had the Kashkaval Pane – peeled pepper stuffed with cheese, covered with bread crumb and lightly fried.

Lamb Stew

For main courses we shared a Bulgarian lamb stew, which with the right presentation could have been a complete fine dinning experience by itself, but the chef had no idea how good it is and served it “casalinga” style.

Bulgerian Kebab

followed by the Bulgarian kebab.