Contributed by Lorenzo Hess and Lucas di Cerbo (Bowdoin College, ’23)
posted on April 3, 2021 by
Dante 3-layer Anniversary Cake
posted on April 1, 2021 by
“Dario Cecchini on Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’”
“For many visitors to Tuscany, their first taste of Dante’s verses came with their first taste of bistecca alla Fiorentina, crowded around the boisterous restaurant tables of local butcher Dario Cecchini. In Panzano in Chianti, surrounded by art and memory, Dario recites Dante by heart, towering over the modest shop display of carefully chosen cuts. There is a verse for every moment, from love to crisis, and the energy that comes with a celebration of life.” [. . .] –Marisa Garreffa, The Florentine, March 24, 2021.
posted on March 30, 2021 by
Suzanne Branciforte, “Dante’s March”
“[. . .] According to most scholars, Dante is referring to Vernaccia delle Cinque Terre from Liguria (sorry, Tuscans from San Gimignano!) Perhaps he became familiar with this wine during his stay in Lunigiana, in the first part of his exile from Florence.
“It is in that very same Lunigiana where Dante lived that Cantine Lvnae di Bosoni created a spectacular red wine in Dante’s honor. Verba Dantis, a blend of two native Ligurian grape varieties, Massaretta and Pollera Nera, is a full-bodied red wine reminding us of Dante’s intense and passionate personality.” –From “Dante’s March,” Suzanne Branciforte’s Italian Grapevine (March 30, 2021)
Read the full blogpost, which lists a number of wines commissioned to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the sommo poeta‘s death, here.
Contributed by Suzanne Branciforte
posted on March 30, 2021 by
9 di Dante’s Inferno Vermouth
“Inspired by Dante’s La Divina Comedia and his journey through Hell, this Vermouth di Torino Superiore defies the traditional boundaries of Italian Rosso Vermouths. Blended from equal parts Dolcetto Red and Cortese White Piedmont wines, we have developed this orginial recipe to deliver a modern an intriguing taste. You will be seduced by its intense ruby red colour and its fruity nose with hints of red berries, cherry and orange. Its bold personality will provide a rich and full bodied experience with well balanced herbal and citrus notes and a fresh and mildly bitter finish.” –Description from the 9 di Dante website
See also Suzanne Branciforte’s blogpost “Dante’s March” (March 30, 2021).
posted on March 6, 2021 by
Magnum X Dante– Limited edition ice cream pops inspired by the Comedy
Limited edition ice cream pops made in honor of the 700th anniversary od Dante’s death. Purgatorio pop arriving in May-June, and Paradiso pop in July-August.
“Magnum, la più alta espressione del piacere nel mondo del gelato, celebra Dante con un omaggio alla sua Divina Commedia, la più alta espressione d’arte della storia della letteratura italiana. A 700 anni dalla morte del Sommo Poeta, arrivano tre limited edition dedicate alle tre cantiche Dantesche, per vivere un’esperienza coinvolgente e sorprendente. Un viaggio che inizia dal gusto intrigante dell’inferno, per poi assaporare la dimensione multi-sensoriale del purgatorio e raggiungere il suo apice con il piacere puro e delicato del paradiso.” —Magnum
Contributed by Brandon Essary
posted on March 4, 2021 by
“L’Inferno in scatola: 5 giochi da tavolo a tema dantesco”
“Probabilmente Dante Alighieri non lo avrebbe mai immaginato, ma a 700 anni dalla sua morte (datata 1321) esiste un filone di giochi da tavolo ispirati all’opera immortale del poeta fiorentino.
“È il caso di Dante Alighieri: Comedia – Inferno, che permette ai giocatori di accompagnare Dante e Virgilio tra le perdute genti, attraverso i cerchi dell’Inferno, in un gioco di carte semplice da spiegare e con un regolamento originale di draft a spirale. Collezionare incontri permette di guadagnare punti, ma attenzione a cadere in tentazione: prendere troppe copie uguali della stessa carta impedirà di fare punti. L’idea è del game designer Federico Latini, prodotta dalla casa editrice Sir Chester Cobblepot, italiana con sede a Ravenna, nonostante il nome british. La Comedia – Inferno è un gioco di carte adatto a tutti e bello anche da vedere, perché illustrato con le indimenticabili incisioni di Gustave Doré. Al momento è possibile preordinare una copia qui. Si tratta di una speciale edizione limitata (solo 700 copie e stanno finendo rapidamente), edita da Top Hat Games e disponibile in primavera. In futuro è possibile ci siano altre edizioni, ma per ora questa è l’unica confermata.” [, , ,] –Luca Francescangeli, Wired.IT, January 12, 2021.
posted on March 3, 2021 by
Dante and Beatrice, Florence, Italy
“Typical Tuscan restaurant in the heart of Florence both for our history and for our position.” [. . .] —Dante and Beatrice.
To find more about this restaurant visit the website here.
posted on February 24, 2021 by
Dante’s New Pop Up: The Snow Lodge in Aspen
“New York City-based bar and restaurant Dante has taken over The Snow Lodge in Aspen for the winter season. Located at the base of Ajax Mountain, Dante at The Snow Lodge delivers the ultimate après-ski experience, featuring a chic, retro ski-designed restaurant and outdoor patio with scenic seating and fire pits, as well as live music, shops and wellness programming. ‘You couldn’t ask for a better spot when you come off the mountain for a cocktail,’ says Dante’s co-owner Linden Pride. Breakfast and lunch and an après-ski cocktail hour menu mirrors the offerings at their downtown two New York City locations, with all available for take-out and delivery through the Dante App. ‘We developed a dedicated menu of hot cocktails for outdoor dining with drinks such as our Hot Smoked Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Spiked Coffee and more,’ says Pride. ‘We’ve also brought over our most popular dishes like our pappardelle all’ragu with wild boar, which is perfect after a big day of skiing.'” [. . .] –Natasha Wolff, Dujour.
posted on January 30, 2021 by
Anthony Bourdain in Tuscany
In Season 3, Episode 15 of No Reservations (2007), there are many references to Dante and Inferno.
Contributed by Brendan Keefe
posted on January 28, 2021 by
The Inferno Steak
“I decided to create my own hellish steak recipe. I immediately drew inspiration from outside of the culinary world: the first part of the 14th century poem, Divine Comedy. Also known as Inferno, this part was written by Dante Alighieri to document the descent into hell. That descent began at the gates of hell, which bore an inscription that ended with the words: ‘Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”, or ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’ That sounded like a fitting beginning for a hellish steak recipe. After passing through the gates, Dante made his way through nine circles of suffering — Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery — with each circle representing a gradual increase in wickedness.“The nine circles got me to thinking. Many people think of eating chiles as a kind of suffering … with the heat and piquancy causing sweating and discomfort. I decided to use nine different chiles to represent the nine circles of suffering, with each subsequent chile being more ‘wicked’ (or spicier) than the last.” [. . .] —Chef Bolek, January 2, 2013.
