Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian

There are many Chianti region family recipes, recounted with a familiar tone that makes you feel at home. From roast beef to traditional sweets, from hare sauce to porchetta bought Saturday morning at the Greve market… .

“Il sapore dei ricordi”(“The taste of memories”), is the name of the book by the Panzano resident Sofia Rimini. It has welcoming, familiar and, at times, reassuring qualities.

“I was born and raised in Panzano”, says Sofia, “both my parents fruit and vegetable vendors. I am married and live in Greve in Chianti. I have a degree in viticulture and enology and work in a company in Panzano in Chianti that deals with enological products and laboratory wine analysis”.

Cooking is a passion, a place of memory and delicious odors. “I love to cook,” continues Sofia,”mainly to please others. I also like to read cookbooks, books about food/love relationships and recipe books”.

The decision to write this book was born here. There was another special reason: “I didn’t want to forget my nonna”s recipes and the pleasure of preparing them. I combined the best memories   of the taste and scents of my grandparents’ cooking. I wanted to write something that would always be tied to them, to gift them a memory within a memory of my family”.

“There was always magic in their kitchen. It was a place of meeting, stories, of life. Mine are ‘life’ recipes, tied to memories through a simple and homestyle narrative of the Chianti cuisine”.

“My aunt Maddy”, continues Sofia, telling us how she decided to publish the book,” contacted the publisher and financed the book, and my cousin Marianna proofread the outlines.  December 25, 2012, was a beautiful Christmas: each member of my family received the book as a Christmas present”.

“My favorite recipe? There isn”t one”, smiles Sofia, “each one has its own unique and special story. On top of the list I would put ribollita, fried cutlets, pizza, and pears with Alchermes. I certainly don’t define myself as a writer, but as a person who simply doesn’t want to forget the past; to pass it on to children and grandchildren, as my grandparents did with me”.