Fun Fact: In Tuscany (and maybe other parts of Italy) people eat fresh fava beans with seasoned Pecorino cheese. They do not boil the fava beans twice, which is often a technical deterrent for people to eat these gorgeous beans, but just open up the pods and pop them into their mouths. So fun! It is interesting to learn about fava beans and their partners- it seems that different cultures like to eat them with different things. Last Spring I learned that in Damascus they eat fava beans with tarragon, because the two grow up together in the springtime. What other regions have fun fava pairings?

Last night I had a double aperitivo, but it was not that exciting because I only ate the snack at one of the places. Afterwards, Leo and I went to Pietrasanta for dinner. Botero, the Colombian painter and sculptor, has a house in the beautiful artsy town that now features modern sculptures in the centuries old piazza. Among the galleries and boutique hotels is Trattoria Betty, a place that I went to for the first time this past Winter with my father. We enjoyed a simple, yet lovely meal of zucchini timbale, apple and gorgonzola salad, grilled fish, and maccheronetti with zucchini and clams. We tried a Tuscan vermentino wine, as lately I have fallen in love with the light bodied white variety. It is originally from Sardinia, but they make it in Tuscany as well, and we wanted to try a regional vineyard. For dessert we headed to the boardwalk of Lido di Camaiore, where we enjoyed a gelato each. I had hazelnut and chocolate. The chocolate was darker than most places dare to go, and I appreciated every lick. Just another night on the Tuscan Riviera.