Since my childhood, I have spent most of my summers in Forte dei Marmi, a beach town on the coast of Tuscany – a tradition that we’ve carried on, even after I moved to New York twenty years ago. It remains the place where I reunite with my family in Italy every summer. My kids grew up looking forward to spending time with their nonna, uncles, aunts and cousins, riding bicycles and chilling on the beach. While their friends left for summer camp, they learned to slow down and enjoy the small things in life instead.
One big draw in Forte dei Marmi is, of course, the food. Eating is an all-day affair that starts with cappuccino and pastries and ends with a three-foot-long pizza at Cantina – a scenic outdoor restaurant in a nearby town on the hills. Trips to the supermarket are extraordinary adventures – choosing from the infinite varieties of tomatoes, local extra-virgin olive oil and freshly prepared fish carpaccio. Like many Italian destinations, Forte dei Marmi restaurants feature dishes that could hardly be replicated anywhere else: the pasta with red mullet sauce at Bagno Bruno, Annetta’s pane arabo, the pizza sandwich with melted mozzarella and fresh salad, Orlando’s stuffed focaccia and cream pie with mixed berries or Trattoria Tre Stelle’s marinated anchovies. The popular schiacciatine, little versions of focaccia made by the legendary Valé, is a must for breakfast or on the way back from the beach, and it happens to be a favorite of my son, Davide. We always packed a few on our way to the airport for our trip home, and it felt like the last taste of summer.
With the pandemic outbreak, I soon realized that my plans to reunite with my family in Forte dei Marmi this coming July would be canceled. I was trying not to think about it, but while browsing my Instagram feed, I came across a post by Aurelio Barattini, a fourth-generation chef at Antica Locanda di Sesto – a restaurant dating from the 13th century in the outskirts of Lucca, a half an hour drive from Forte, and one of my favorite destinations for homemade pasta. Aurelio, a true ambassador of Tuscan food, prepared his version of Valé’s schiacciatine for his kids and posted the recipe, inspiring me to try making them for Davide. A senior in high school, he will not only be missing his summer plans, but his much-anticipated prom and graduation, as well – and while I knew I could never replicate the taste or shape of these perfect bites of heaven, I could try, in a small way, to bring a little joy to our quarantine.
I asked him to help, and we prepared the schiacciatine following Aurelio’s recipe, with some ingredient adjustments, as I could not find 00 flour or brewer’s yeast. The result was satisfying enough to fill the craving, and I made the second batch of focaccia a little bigger – in order to stuff them with Davide’s favorite anchovies and arugula combination (this was inspired by Orlando, the other great focaccia spot mentioned above).
What’s next? My other kid, Shaun, is asking for brioche, or cornetto – an Italian version of a croissant. In quarantine days, I’ve become more audacious with my baking, something I always found a bit intimidating – so I might take on the challenge. It has been the same for my family and friends. My sisters and nieces have been sending photos of their latest culinary masterpieces, and my best friend Jacky, a father of two who never cooked before, is discovering the joys of preparing perfectly cooked haricot verts and tasty linguine al limone rivaling Frank Prisinzano’s. If there is a silver lining in this pandemic, it is that we will all become more creative and adventurous cooks.
The Recipe: Aurelio Barattini’s Schiacciatine
Ingredients:
4 cups flour (500 grams)
1 cup tepid water (I added ½ cup more)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 gr brewer’s yeast (I replaced it with ½ tablespoon instant yeast)
A pinch of granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Method:
Dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of sugar. When the yeast starts to foam (5-10 minutes), add the flour, the olive oil and mix. Continue to knead and add the salt. The dough has to be soft and elastic. Shape it into a ball, cover it with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise until it doubles in size (for about an hour). Knead it again and divide it in small 20-25 gram balls (about 1 oz). Flatten with your fingers and place them on baking sheets. Oil them and sprinkle the surface some kosher salt (both Aurelio and my kids prefer them without the salt). Let it rise for another 30 min. Bake in a preheated oven at 480°F for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.
*While schiacciatine are best served fresh out of the oven, they can be reheated the day after in the toaster.