- No one loves history and the past more than Italians.

But no one loves looking forward as much as Italians.

From food production, to preserving ancient traditions to sustainability, Italians have learned to merge ancient wisdom and modern technology to create a new way of looking at food.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) - [Narrator] Funding for "Christina Cooks" is provided by FinaMill, the flavor of freshly ground spices and dried herbs with refillable, swappable pods.

Finamill.

Where cooking gets creative.

And by Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne's Specialties.

Sweetness, the way Mother Nature intended.

And by Jonathan's Spoons.

Individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand and purpose in mind.

Additional funding provided by.

- Several years ago in Philadelphia, I was lucky enough to meet two of the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life.

They were importer exporters.

They were talking about artisanal products in Tuscany, and representing small businesses, and helping people to get their products out to the world, and it was love at first sight.

It was like being stuck with a thunderbolt.

This is Roberto Fabrizi.

My dear friend.

And we're gonna make today, a very Tuscan soup, yeah?

- Yes, yes.

This is a staple of Tuscan soups.

It's called farinata pistoiese.

- Wait, wait, wait.

Farinata is the chickpea cake that my nana used to make in Naples.

- They share the same name.

- I see.

- They are completely different things.

- They're completely different.

- They are miles apart.

You know, farinata come from flour.

- Yeah.

- Farina.

So every time you have flour and you do something with the farina, with the flour, you got a farinata.

So we may have more recipe with farinata, actually.

- Ah, okay.

- So just two on the table, but more.

- Okay, just two today.

All right, so how do we start?

Because you make this soup, and I don't make it very often.

So go ahead.

What are we doing?

- Okay, okay.

So let's turn this on.

Let's put some olive oil.

- Okay.

- You know, and then we have to do the sofrito, the base.

- Right.

- Do you want onion?

- Yeah, we start with the onion.

Now, are you going to stir the onion?

- Yes.

Can I have a spoon?

(Christina and Roberto laugh) - Okay.

Now, while you saute the onion, do you want salt or no?

- Just a little pinch.

(machine whirs) It's actually, I learn from you.

One little pinch.

- That's right.

- Every ingredient.

- Now, shall I chop the carrot while you do that?

- Please.

- Okay.

- So the onion is double the quantity of celery and carrots.

- Carrot.

Why do you double the onion?

- [Roberto] Oh, the onion brings this sweetness to the recipe.

- Yep.

- But also a lot of flavor.

And, you know, celery is the one guy that we need to take care about, because often he overwhelm the other flavors.

- You know, when I was in Sicily visiting Robert's aunt, she often talked about cooking the celery separately from a dish so it didn't overwhelm the dish.

- Correct, correct.

- So I put it in?

- [Roberto] That's so correct.

Yes, please.

- Another pinch of salt?

- Yes, please.

(Christina and Roberto laugh) See, let's hear some noise - Why not?

- from the sofrito.

And also some smell.

- It already smells great.

But you know what you smell when you lean in like this, you smell the olive oil.

Like more than the onion and the celery, you smell the olive oil.

- We start with olive oil.

- Of course, of course.

- Extra virgin.

- But most people, Roberto, I know in the States it's a problem.

Most people don't think they can cook with the really good extra virgin, but of course they can.

- Why not?

- They think they have to use cheap olive oil for cooking.

- Oh, if you use cheap olive oil, you got cheap result.

- Okay.

- That's easy.

- In go the carrots.

- Good.

Okay.

(machine whirs) Perfect.

- Okay.

- So let's say we, you know, sit down a little bit.

We need to soft the sofrito a little bit.

- So the kale gets cut into small pieces.

But I noticed that you take the stem out.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's crucial for the recipe because you know, the stems have a different cooking time.

- Right.

- With the rest of the leaves.

- And this recipe's quick.

- Yes, yes.

- Okay, okay, okay.

- Kale, if you cook it for 50 minutes, it's perfect.

- Okay.

- If you over cook it, you got different flavors.

- [Christina] Does it get bitter, do you think?

- Sorry?

- Does it get bitter?

Not sweet anymore.

- No.

But you know, the freshness and the pepperness- - Goes away.

- Yeah.

It's salty, a little bit too much.

So 50 minutes for the black kale.

- So now or no, or water first?

Ah, water first.

- Let's wait a moment.

Yes, let's wait a moment.

Then.

- So you wanna sweat this some more?

- Exactly, exactly.

- Okay.

- So I guess we can put now some water.

- [Christina] Okay.

- [Roberto] So we're gaining like a vegetable stock here.

- So what Roberto's doing here is he just added enough water to cover the vegetables.

And what this does, because they're diced really small, is they'll bleed their sugars into the broth and make the soup very sweet.

If you put all your water, then your soup can taste more watery.

And I know it's soup, but you want it to be sweet, yeah.

Okay, now what?

- Exactly.

Now we gain the boiling again.

- [Christina] It's the boil, that's right.

- Yes.

- And then we put the kale.

- Exactly.

- So why do you bring it to the boil before you add the kale?

Instead of everything going in?

- We need to cut the time of cooking for black kale.

- Okay.

- Black kale is a tricky one.

You know, here in Tuscan we say that the black kale is ready to have it in the winter after the first freezing.

- Oh, really?

- So you have the plants in the fields, yes.

- Mm-hmm.

- And after the first snow or the first freeze, it soft a little bit.

- Okay.

- So the cooking time is now like 40 minutes.

- Okay.

- It's not long, but it's shorter.

- Okay.

- And that keep all the flavors inside.

- Okay.

- If you cook it too much, you lose a lot of notes.

So let's wait for the boiling.

We can.

- So that's really an interesting thing for me, because normally, we will add the greens at the very end, right.

So this maintains the flavor because black kale, which we know at home is lacinato, or dinosaur kale is- - Dinosaur?

- Dinosaur, si.

It's tougher, right?

Here, this is pretty tender.

Like, I would not cook this for as long as we do, although this soup is delicious.

So I'm not questioning, but I would not think to cook this longer.

But at home it's much more hard, tough.

- Yeah, yeah.

- So.

- So I think we are ready.

- Okay.

- Let's put- - How much?

- Three generous.

- Three generous, okay.

One more?

- Maybe four.

- Maybe four, okay.

- You know, in Pistoia, which is one of the main city here in Tuscany.

- Yeah.

- This is a very traditional soup.

And if they see the final soup, too- - Watery.

Not enough kale?

- Not enough kale, they say it need to be more black.

You need to show more (speaking in foreign language) - Wow.

- Okay.

So we are using now beans that are already cooked.

- Okay.

- So we can.

So that the soup is fast.

- Yes.

- [Christina] Now, if you were to use dried beans in this recipe, you would cook the vegetables, put the beans and the broth, and not add the kale until the beans were soft?

- We would cook separately.

- Separately, okay.

- The beans, yes.

And another big thing is on the last ingredient, which is the polenta.

We are using now the instant polenta.

- This is instant polenta.

- And you have to source very good instant polenta.

- I know.

- Not every kind of instant polenta is good.

- Some of it is terrible.

- This one, I consider this very good.

And we add this last ingredient because it cook like- - [Christina] Well, it's very, this is a lovely texture.

- [Roberto] Yes, you can feel it.

- Do you want more water before we add the polenta?

- Please.

Good eye.

And if we use a regular polenta, which cook in 40 minutes, we would use that as first ingredients.

- Ah, so if you're not using instant polenta, you would cook it earlier with the vegetables way before you put the kale in.

- Exactly.

- But you would always cook the beans separately.

- Yes, yes.

- Okay.

Ready?

- Not ready.

- Not ready.

- I want just to- - One little simmer.

- Yes.

- Okay.

Some bubbles.

- Some bubbles, some steam.

- So when you make a soup like this, when you make any soup, really, remember, soup is more than just the beginning of your meal.

Soup helps digestion.

It warms the intestines so you can assimilate nutrients.

It's the most efficient way to deliver nutrients to each and every cell.

It should be a food group all by itself.

So eat soup every single day.

But when you do, make sure you're nurturing all the flavors from the ingredients so that it's sweet and satisfying.

Okay, where are we at?

It's boiling.

- Yes.

- Ready?

- We are ready.

(speaking in foreign language) Gimme a moment.

We need a whisk, yes.

- So they say you put the polenta in, like it's raining.

- Yes, very slowly.

- Very slowly otherwise you'll get lumps in your soup.

That's not good.

- You see?

- Tell me when.

- That's perfect.

(speaking in foreign language) A little bit more.

- Okay.

Enough?

- Yes.

- Okay, perfect.

- Okay.

- So now this just, we've salted it.

Now we just cook it until the polenta is thick?

- It's a matter of a couple minutes.

- Okay, perfect.

Everything is ready.

It's beautiful, it looks beautiful.

- It is, it is beautiful.

- It's like one of the most beautiful soups that I've ever eaten.

Okay.

- We are almost ready.

- It smells so great.

You smell olive oil, you smell carrots, you smell the sweetness of the carrots.

You smell the sort of, I wanna say earthiness of the kale.

You smell the polenta, it's amazing.

Really, you smell the olive oil.

You smell the olive oil.

- Yes, yes.

- Are we ready?

- Yes, we are.

- See how beautiful it is?

So now you serve it up.

(speaking in foreign language) - Yes.

- Okay, that's enough.

And then you'll finish with the olive oil, I'll finish with the pepper.

Then you finish the soup, as we finish many soups in Italy with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Just yeah, don't be shy.

Don't be shy with your extra virgin olive oil, kids.

Nourish yourselves away.

Yeah, very good.

(machine whirs) - Very, very good.

You know, in Tuscany, we are obsessed with the black pepper, we put everywhere.

- Really?

- Smell it.

- Oh, it's delicious.

It smells like Tuscany.

Mmm, this is it.

Roberto, thank you so much.

(speaking in foreign language) - Not bad?

- I just wanna eat soup.

Not bad.

(lips smack) - And there you have classic, sustainable, farinata.

(bright music) Roberto, don't you love Roberto?

(Christina laughing) - I tell ya, it's- - So like, just cooking with him and- - And not just him, it's being in Florence.

- Yeah.

But he's such a gentle soul and yeah.

Well, it is the city of love, Firenze .

- Si, si.

- So, you know.

- It is, it is, it is.

- And this dish that we're gonna make together.

- Well, we just did it.

You just did it with Roberto as a soup.

- Yes.

- Farinata soup.

- Yes.

- So.

- So farinata.

- From the south.

Okay, go ahead.

- Yeah, farinata is a soup in Tuscany, but they all in the south, we call this version that we'll be making as a cake, farinata.

- Yeah.

- But it's also called cecina and panelle, depending on the region that you're from.

- But it's all from the south.

It's all from.

- Yes.

- This version is Naples and South.

- And Puglia and Sicily.

- Puglia, Sicily.

- And it's as simple as the day is long.

If you have a cast iron- - As simple as the soup was, this is simpler.

- This is simpler.

You need a cast iron skillet.

- Hot.

- Hot.

And you need chickpea flour.

And if you want rosemary, that's the tradition, don't worry.

- And don't say you can't find chickpea flour.

It's in every supermarket.

- Every.

Good, every supermarket.

- Chickpea flour, every supermarket.

- So you take your chickpea flour.

Now, you do have to plan for this dish and the way you plan for it.

Oh, that's true.

You do have to plan for it.

- You have to be home.

- You have to let it soak.

Well, you have to be home.

You need to soak the chickpea flour for a couple of hours.

And you whisk it with some water.

Over there, please, baby.

And you see how it's gotten really foamy.

You don't want to immediately pour this into the skillet.

This will cause you to become musical.

But if you let this just sort of settle, - It'll thicken- - For a couple of hours, it thickens and becomes this.

- Like pancake batter.

- This creamy.

Look how nice that is.

- Like pancake batter, yeah.

- Look at that.

- Yeah.

- I could do this all day, just this, but probably shouldn't.

Okay, so my love, a ton of olive oil in there.

- And rosemary.

- I'm gonna take some rosemary.

Now, when you use fresh rosemary, you can just take it off the little stem and you can either chop it or use it whole.

I don't recommend using dried rosemary in this dish because this dish goes in the oven, and they turn into little sticks.

The flavor's there, but it's like eating a lovely soft chickpea cake with sticks in it.

So you can put that oil in it.

So how do you prefer the rosemary, amore?

Do you want it whole or chopped?

Amore, that would be you.

- I don't want to burn myself in the oil.

- Okay.

- I think chop it.

- Chop it?

- Chop it.

Chop it a little bit.

(knife chopping) And this oil is ready.

- So it's just about a tablespoon of rosemary to about two cups of chickpea flour.

Then we add to this, some salt (machine whirs) and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

So like one, two.

This is not a heavily measured dish.

Then you whisk it and the oil really helps to loosen the farinata some more.

It helps to loosen the chickpea flour.

And this dish is pure, unadulterated protein.

There's so little carb energy in this because it's chickpeas, but it's a protein dish.

Now, with the skillet really hot, the oil is doing something called dancing, which means you're seeing little patterns in the oil.

Stand back.

Hear that?

Oh, yeah.

(skillet rattling) Now, to make this dish really effectively, you need to preheat your oven to 500 degrees, as high as it'll go.

And then as soon as you do this and you see the oil start to gather around the edge like this, it goes into the oven for about 26 minutes.

- Right.

- After 26 minutes, it comes out of the oven, you flip it out.

- Voila.

- And you have this beautiful texture on the top.

This one's cooled.

And you have what's called farinata lace on the bottom.

And this is how you know it's cooked perfectly.

- What's interesting is the way they eat this in Italy.

- Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's great.

- What's really interesting is the way they eat this in Italy.

They generally, will serve this on a baguette.

So on a piece of, they'll slice a baguette and- - Or focaccia.

- Or focaccia bread and slice this and put it on the bread and eat it as a sandwich.

And you can put some tomatoes on it.

You can- - Yep.

Or eat it just as street food.

- Yep.

- When you make a farinata though, and you are going to serve it, you need to garnish it with really beautiful olive oil.

You need to invest the money in getting really good oil so.

- Speaking of- - People ask me all the time, how do you know that?

- A day doesn't go by, we don't get an email, a telephone call, where do I get- - How do you know?

- A good oil, how do I pick a good olive oil?

So.

- So.

- Shall we?

- Yeah.

We're going back to Firenze to talk to the experts who can tell you exactly what you're looking for to get authentic, extra virgin olive oil.

(speaking in foreign language) - Let's go.

(bright music) - [Christina] Hello.

How are you, how are you?

- Welcome again.

- I'm so happy to be in Firenze.

- So good to see you.

- How's everything in Toscana with my two friends who I've known for?

It seems forever, right?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- I don't know how many?

(speaking in foreign language) 10 or 12 years.

- Yes.

- So what I would like you to explain to my viewers, what you do, why you do it, quickly, and then focus on olive oil because there's so much information, always not true, about olive oil.

So first of all, tell me about why you do what you do.

- Okay.

(speaking in foreign language) - You know, we are involved in a large project on promotion in a food product of Tuscany.

So these are the main activity in this period.

And we work on food Tuscany because we have a lot of high quality product from Tuscany, like extra virgin oil.

This is the last project we work on at this moment.

- Is the goal to just create awareness of these products or to get people to come to Tuscany, to ship from Tuscany?

What's the- - Both, actually.

- Okay, so you want people to come?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- As soon as you get closer to Tuscany and all the tradition, all the fields, you know better what we're talking about.

- Okay.

- It's not a matter of, you know, promoting just products, it's also promoting the Tuscan lifestyle.

- Okay.

- Which is- - Pour coffee?

- Yeah, please, please.

I start for coffee.

- Okay.

- So in Tuscany we have these five certified extra virgin olive oil certified with European certification that are PGI and PDO.

- Okay, explain what PGI and PDO.

- Yes, this is crucial.

PGI and PDO are both geographical indication.

- Okay.

- So geographical production that are made as the tradition.

- Okay.

- And also in the place of the production.

That is a little bit tricky.

- So the olives are picked at the farm, pressed at the farm.

- Exactly.

- Into oil - Or very close to the farm.

- Yeah, yeah.

- You know, every of these five certified olive oil, that is the whole certification in Tuscany is to harvest and press within 24 hours up to 48.

But nobody does it.

All the Tuscan producer, they just want to rush to the mill because if you harvest and just press the oil, you got the best quality.

So it's- - So the acidity is naturally low if you press within 24 hours.

- Exactly, exactly.

- Okay, so.

Now.

- But we have five different- - Certifications.

- Certifications of extra virgin oil because the region, the Tuscan region is not so high, but- - Right.

- We have specific geographic area where it's possible to find different variety, different cultivar of- - So Fosco, tell me something.

You have 86 olive varieties.

- Yes.

- Does everybody have this many or is Italy unique that it has 86 varieties?

- It's Tuscany for- - Wow.

- It's the best I think.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Probably in Europe, the most important region for this.

So a lot of different varieties.

- So Tuscan oil has the option of 86 varieties of olives.

Most people have two or three or four.

So when you're looking for olive oil, we say in America you wanna look for what's called an estate oil.

And while many countries produce estate oils, I will confess that I am prejudiced toward Tuscan oil.

I think that it's the best in the world.

So when you can find it, that's what you should be using in your kitchen.

Thank you so much.

- Yeah.

Thank you for the coffees.

- Thank you for having us.

I know, my coffee is cold.

(bright music) What has food to do with hate?

Let's turn to the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine to find out.

When our livers, our largest gland can no longer metabolize the foods we eat, not cleanse us of toxins, it becomes hot.

It can develop fatty liver syndrome.

But worse than that, since it governs the emotions of impatience, irritability, and anger, we become impatient and cranky.

If left unchecked, we become enraged and explode easily.

Look around the world and you'll see it for yourself.

Science has discovered that how an animal is killed creates the nutrition of that meat.

If killed when it's calm, the nutrients are more concentrated than a factory-farmed animal where more cortisol is produced, and we eat that along with its fear before it dies.

Yikes.

When we eat vegetable nutrition, plants, plant protein, good fats, you know, real food, our bodies respond to that life-giving food differently than food that's ultra processed or terrorized.

Spiritual sects that skip meat, do it to create a spirit of non-violence and compassion, and good karma from not taking a life to support their own.

So how do we begin to fight hate and rage?

Ditch ultra processed foods and embrace the world of real plant-based food, and yes, cooking to create an even temper and a kind compassionate nature.

So think about that and I'll see you next time on "Christina Cooks."

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) - [Narrator] Funding for Christina Cooks is provided by FinaMill, the flavor of freshly ground, spices and dried herbs with refillable swappable pods.

Finamill.

Where cooking gets creative.

And by Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne's Specialties.

Sweetness, the way Mother Nature intended.

And by Jonathan's Spoons.

Individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand and purpose in mind.

Additional funding provided by.

You can find today's recipes and learn more by visiting our website at christinacooks.com.

And by following Christina on social media.

(gentle music)