With rain forecast for the next few days, and as 1st November is a public holiday here in Italy, why not spend some time in the kitchen making a traditional Tuscan slice known as castagnaccio. It is very easy to make, a simple slice made with chestnut flour, pine-nuts, sultanas and rosemary and like many other traditional Tuscan recipes, it has been around for many years.  

It was originally the food of poor farmers, as chestnuts were in abundance, cheap and very nutritious. Chestnuts, known as castagne in Italian, were boiled, roasted, dried, made into flour and eaten like polenta or made into this slice. Before I share Arturo Dori’s recipe, here is a bit more information about the common chestnut.