This homey dish is so familiar to me that I never thought of presenting it as a special recipe: it is such a part of what we eat on a regular basis that I just forgot all about it. It was in referring to some notes for our upcoming Tuscan Life Dining Guide that I noticed that this is a dish that we serve and eat regularly here in Tuscany, but it seldom gets any mention. The recipe for Fried Meatballs, or Polpettine Frite, that I offer here is my own, but it was the version that I was served at da Roca Trattoria in the Sant' Ambrogio food market in Florence that inspired today's recipe.

This is a true dish of the people, and utterly delicious. When I make this for friends, they always want the recipe, and my family demands to be served Polpettine Frite often. I don't mind, for I enjoy it as much as they do, and it is easy to make.

Recipe

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup grated hard cheese, such as an aged Tuscan Pecorino, a Parmigiano Reggiano, or an aged Romano
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying; about 1/4 cup or less

To prepare the meatballs, simply place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well together. I usually do this by hand; although it is messy, I find that getting in there with my hands is the best way to get the mixture well incorporated. And, one must make the meatballs by hand, anyway!

The meatballs should be about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter, and they should be slightly flattened, and not completely round. This insures that the middle will be well done when fried. After the meat balls are all formed, you should have about 1 dozen. Set them aside and prepare the pan.

In a large frying or sauté pan, heat a tablespoon or more of the olive oil to a medium high temperature. Do not heat the pan first, but heat the oil and pan at the same time, to avoid sticking. Place the meatballs an inch or more apart, and fry until nicely brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve.

* A note on using Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying. You may have been surprised to see the recipe call for extra virgin olive oil to fry the meatballs in, but if you follow this newsletter, and my recipes in general, you have guessed by now that I use extra virgin olive oil for all my olive oil needs. I do, however, vary the quality of the oil that I use according to the cooking methods that are called for.

If I am cooking with the olive oil, I use a less expensive type, but still our extra virgin olive oil. I may buy my cooking oil in bulk, in large cans, or from barrels at a local outlet. For finishing dishes, for pouring on top of breads, or for dressing various salads, I reserve the highest quality, fruitiest tasting, freshest extra virgin Tuscan olive oils.

I feel that cooking with good extra virgin olive oil, even frying, adds a flavor and texture to foods that is unbeatable. You will find very little of other types of oil in my larder; why not use what we have been blessed with to enhance all our meals? I just save the "very best" for those dishes where it (the olive oil) will not be heated, thus changing its delicate flavor, but continue to use "the best," that is, Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for all my cooking.

There is always some confusion about the name of this ancient Tuscan city: many continue to believe that pistols, that is hand guns, originated here and that is how the city got its name. Not so. Pistoia was, for centuries, the home of metal workers who created fine knives, known as pistolese, for the city was already named. In time, the metal workers produced various daggers, then small firearms, and fine surgical implements. Pistols do indeed get there name from the town of Pistoia, and not vice versa, but the original pistols were knives, and not guns. Today's Pistoiese metal workers produce railroad cars and buses at the well known Breda works, but metal working is no longer the city's principal industry.

Nowadays, Pistoia's biggest industry is horticulture. The rich soil in Pistoia, at the base of the Apennines, has made it home to Italy's largest ornamental plant nurseries. The city is surrounding by hectare after hectare of small umbrella pines and cypresses, all planted in myriad tidy rows. It is quite a sight to approach the city by car and find oneself surrounded by these fields of small trees growing in perfect order.

History

In Roman times, the city of Pistoia was known as Pistoria. It was here that a famous coup was attempted by Catilline, a conspirator against the Roman Republic. The conspirators were defeated by Roman legions at Pistoria in 62 BC, and the city earned an unpleasant reputation that lasted for centuries. In the twelfth century, Pistoia became a comune; the powers of Lucca and Florence recognized the town as a threat and acted accordingly, attacking the city twice.

By the early quattrocento, Pistoia was known as the town that created the bitter controversy between the black and white Guelphs that so obsessed the Florentines. An ancient tale has it that two young boys from feuding Guelph factions were playing one day with wooden swords, and one boy accidentally hurt the other. When the offending boy went to the family of the hurt child to apologize, the father of the injured child hacked off the other's hand, saying, "Iron, not words, is the remedy for injury." Supposedly, this was a deciding incident in the feud that raged between the Neri and Bianchi, and brought figures such as Michelangelo and Dante into the fray.

Pistoia's reputation as a bad town with bad people was cemented, and lasted for quite a time. This did not, however, harm the city much, as it stopped fighting with its neighbors and prospered by the quarrels of others, turning out weapons at its many metalworks.

Perhaps because it is rather close to the wonders of Florence, Pistoia is often overlooked by visitors to Tuscany. This is a shame, for the town's historic center is as well-preserved as any, and offers a wealth of history, architecture and art to visitors.

Because the town is largely surrounded by industrial outskirts, and parking in the center is very difficult to find, it is suggested that tourists make the trip to Pistoia by train. The city lies on the Lucca - Firenze line, and is very easy to reach from either town. From Santa Maria Novella station in Florence, about 30 trains a day make the 45 minute trip to Pistoia. There are nearly an equal number from Lucca. The Pistoia train station is placed just outside the diamond-shaped city walls that date from the 1500s, and it is a very short and easy walk to the heart of the centro storico.

Once inside the ancient city, the Piazza del Duomo is a perfect place to start one's explorations. This is where Pistoia's largest celebration takes place, the Giostra dell'Orso, or Joust of the Bear, each July 25. The event began in the 14th century, and much of the pageantry remains the same.

Cattedrale San Zeno

But there is, of course, much more to the Piazza del Duomo everyday of the year. The large cathedral, dedicated to San Zeno, was begun in the 12th century. The structure is remarkable for its unique combination of Pisan Romanesque and Florentine Renaissance elements. A terracotta relief by Andrea della Robbia sits over the cathedral's entrance and shows the Virgin surrounded by a host of angels. Inside, visitors should be sure to seek out the baptismal font by Benedetto da Maiano; the tomb of Cino da Pistoia; and the cathedral's greatest treasure, the St. James Chapel, which contains an amazing silver altar that was worked on for centuries; Brunelleschi himself added two half figures to its many images. There are wonderful medieval frescoes in the ancient crypt of the cathedral, and numerous other features make a visit well worth the time.

Next door to the cathedral stands the brick and striped Palazzo dei Vescovi, where you will find the tourist information office. There is an archaeological museum in the Palazzo's basement that contains Etruscan findings and the foundations of Pistoia's original cathedral, as well as some Roman artifacts and an outstanding reliquary.

Also in the Piazza Duomo stand the Museo Civico, with a wonderful collection of paintings from the Pistoiese school. The Ospedale del Ceppo is yet another building calling for attention in the piazza, and it is best known for its arcaded porch and della Robbia works that both echo those of the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Firenze.

Not least of the wonders of Piazza del Duomo is the Battistero, also featuring those distinctive Pistoian stripes of bands of dark green and white. Inside there are lovely carved marbles by da Como that date from a much earlier incarnation of the Baptistry.

Beyond Piazza del Duomo

Paul Hoffman, in his book Cento Citta, has this to say about a visit to the center of medieval Pistoia: "Above all, the number and magnificence of churches will strike a stroller in Pistoia. Among them is the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Umilita (Our Lady of Humility), west of the cathedral, with a dome by Giorgio Vasari, the sixteenth-century architect, painter, and art historian. The Church of Sant' Andrea in the northwest of the city is a twelfth-century edifice in the Pisan style with an unfinished facade. The columned pulpit in the interior with bas-reliefs of biblical episodes in one of the major works by Giovanni Pisano, of the Pisan dynasty of sculptures. San Bartolomeo in the east of Pistoia is a Romanesque church, also with a remarkable pulpit, dating from 1250."

Do keep in mind that Pistoia's center is small and easily walkable. All the churches mentioned by Hoffman, as well as the intriguing frescoes at the church of San Francesco al Prato, in the Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi, can be visited on foot. The small Piazza San Leone, south of Piazza del Duomo, reflects the Lombard history of Pistoia in its squat buildings, and should also be visited for the nearby church of San Giovanni Fuoricivitas which is said to have more green and white stripes than any other church in the world. A little further south lies San Domenico which is also lovely.

I would be remiss in counting the wonders of Pistoia if I did not mention the Capella del Tau. This ancient chapel was served by an order of monks that cared for the sick and wore the Greek Tau on their robes. Sadly, it fell to the hands of private owners, and was nearly lost because its treasures were white washed over. A decent restoration has revealed a fresco cycle of remarkable beauty by Niccolo di Tommaso.

For the casual visitor, Pistoia offers a good selection of reasonably priced restaurants and cafes. Strolling her streets can be a rewarding way to spend a day out in Tuscany, and we urge you to join the ranks of those few who have discovered this ancient gem.