Soup's on and it's taking me back to Italy

When the weather gets damp and cold like it has been in San Francisco lately, I make soup. The variations are endless, of course. Yet today, I channeled a winter visit to Panzano, a charming village in the Chianti Classico wine region of Italy, where I enjoyed a fabulous lunch with Giovanni Capelli.  Call it flavor nostalgia, I just had to make a giant pot of Tuscan Ribolitto.

I was introduced to him by my friend Judy Francini, the most generous Tuscan resource in the universe. I remember telling Judy I thought he was the Tuscan version of James Beard. A true Renaissance man,-- he grew, produced and cooked the most innovative as well as traditional Tuscan food and products. Giovanni made salsa di mosto, a Balsamic-like vinegar, aged for 12 years in a variety of wooden casks.  I remember one particular summer he went crazy with peppers and turned out little jars of fiery hot pepper sauce called "salsa inferno". He also made lemon-infused virgin olive oil, hard-to resist rose petal vinegar, Grappa di Chianti Classico Riserva, Liqueur di Limone, and Amaro plus his gutsy Chianti wines which paired perfectly with the food from his farmhouse trattoria, Trattoria del Montagliari.

One of the last times I had lunch with him, it was a cold and rainy day, kind of like this San Francisco day. He made me a delicious and heartwarming bowl of ribollita, a peasant soup made of leftover vegetables, bread and cannellini beans, with flavors that multiply each time it's rewarmed.  The aroma was mesmorizing and when he drizzled the top with his fruity virgin olive oil, I thought I'd gone to heaven.

Now, as I drizzle the oil and grate some Parmiggiano Reggiano onto the bowls, I remember the moment I said  "Pour me a glass of your red wine, would you Giovanni?"

I hope you like my version of his Ribollita recipe.

Buon appetito!

Joanne