Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

I had a lot of egg whites in the freezer (some of it from making recipes like this almond pie), so I decided to make angel food cake. Serious Eats argues that a gluten-free version is even better than the original because the gluten-free flours below create “a more delicate balance of starch and protein” than all-purpose wheat flour. (See here for more information about the choice of flours.)

I’ll confess immediately to using cornstarch instead of white rice flour (in a 1:1 ratio by weight), because as I was making the cake, I realized that I did not have white rice flour on hand (only brown rice flour and sweet rice flour, neither of which is a good substitute). Cornstarch is a relatively good substitute for white rice flour, though of course it’s best to use the blends specified below, and be aware that gluten-free flours are not interchangeable. I could have baked my cake a little longer, but it was really, really good! Seriously, no one would have guessed it was gluten-free – the crumb was perfect! It turns out that this works so well in large part because the protein in the egg whites gives the cake enough lift and structure that wheat flour isn’t strictly necessary. 

2 oz. (56 g) tapioca flour or arrowroot starch (about ½ cup) 

1 ½ oz. (42 g) white rice flour (about 1/3 cup) 

1 ½ oz. (42 g) cornstarch (about 1/3 cup) 

1 oz. coconut flour (about ¼ cup; 28g) 

1 tsp. (4 g) baking powder 

15 oz. (425 g) cold egg whites (about 2 cups), from 12 large eggs 

15 oz. (425 g) granulated sugar (about 2 cups) 

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 

1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 small lemon 

¼ tsp. (1 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight 

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 °F. 

Sift tapioca flour or arrowroot starch, white rice flour, cornstarch, coconut flour, and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk together until homogeneous, then sift mixture one more time to ensure total uniformity prior to mixing. 

Combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low to loosen, about 1 minute, then increase to medium-low (4 on a KitchenAid) and whip 3 minutes; the whites will be dense and dark. 

With the mixer still running, add lemon juice and salt. Immediately increase to medium (6 on a KitchenAid) and whip 3 minutes more; the meringue will be thin but foamy. Increase to medium-high (8 on a KitchenAid) and continue whipping until the meringue is glossy white and thick enough that you can see the pattern left by the wire whisk. This can take between 2 and 4 minutes, depending on the freshness of the whites and the horsepower of your mixer. When the meringue is ready, it should be soft enough to run off the wires when the whisk attachment is removed, but thick enough to mound up on itself like soft-serve in the bowl. 

Sprinkle flour blend on top and stir with a flexible spatula to roughly combine. Switch to a folding motion, scraping from the bottom up and folding through the center, until no pockets of flour remain. Scrape batter into a 10-inch aluminum tube pan (do not butter or grease pan); if you notice any small pockets of unincorporated flour, simply pause to mix them in. Bake until the cake is puffed, golden blond, and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 206°F. (I did not measure the internal temperature of my cake, but should have baked it a tad longer.) 

Invert pan onto its stilts, over the neck of a wine bottle, or onto three soda cans (I balanced my pan on a single can because I’m a rebel) and cool upside down until absolutely no trace of warmth remains, at least 2 hours. Slide an offset spatula around the sides of cake to loosen, remove the insert, and slide spatula under the bottom as well. Flip onto a serving plate, pulling gently on the sides of cake to release it from the center tube. To serve, cut with a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion and only the slightest downward pressure. In an airtight container, leftovers will keep up to a week at room temperature.

Almond Pie

Here’s a dessert from Bon Appétit, an almond pie from Spain. I didn’t like the dough recipe – it made too much, and the crust ended up being too thick for my taste; I would just use my regular recipe for a single-crust pie next time. The filling, however, is heavenly! The Engineer said he could eat this all day. 

For the crust 

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled lactose-free butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan 

2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan and countertop 

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt 

1 tsp. sugar 

4 tsp. ice water 

4 tsp. gin or vodka, or more ice water 

For the custard and assembly 

2 ½ cup (500 g) sugar 

1 cup water 

9 large egg yolks 

2 large eggs 

¼ tsp. almond extract (optional, but why would you skip it?) 

2 ½ cups (240 g) ground almond flour or meal 

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt 

For the crust 

Grease a 9-inch deep pie dish with unsalted butter, then lightly dust with all-purpose flour, shaking out excess. Whisk 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour in a large bowl to combine. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled lactose-free butter, cut into small pieces, and toss to coat. Working quickly and aggressively, rub and smash butter into dry ingredients with your fingers to create shaggy pieces (you want some that are flat and thin and some that are pea-size). 

Combine 4 tsp. ice water and 4 tsp. gin or vodka or more ice water in a small bowl; drizzle over flour mixture, stirring with a fork to evenly distribute. Knead dough in bowl until it starts to come together (it will still look a little dry). Turn dough out onto a surface and knead 1 or 2 more times to incorporate shaggy edges. Press into a 1"-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. 

Roll out disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼" thick. Carefully transfer to pie dish. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. Gently press into edges of dish if needed. Trim overhang so dough is flush with edges of pan. Freeze crust at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. 

For the custard and assembly 

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375 °F. Heat 2½ cups (500 g) sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium, whisking occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Transfer syrup to a small bowl and let cool. 

Meanwhile, remove crust from freezer and prick bottom in several places with a fork. Line with parchment paper or foil, leaving overhang; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until set and edges are barely golden, 13–17 minutes. Remove crust from oven and, using overhang, lift out parchment paper and pie weights. 

Whisk 9 large egg yolks and 1 large egg in a large bowl to combine. Add cooled syrup and ¼ tsp. almond extract (if using) and whisk to combine. Add 2½ cups (240 g) ground almond flour or meal and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and whisk again to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend on high until very smooth and airy, about 1 minute. Pour filling into crust. 

Lightly beat remaining 1 large egg in a small bowl and brush crust with egg. 

Reduce oven temperature to 350 °F and bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 °F and continue to bake pie until crust is deeply browned and top of filling is dark brown and set around the edges (a little jiggle in the center is okay), about 40 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool before slicing (if you cut pie while it is still warm, the slices will fall apart). The pie can be baked a day ahead; simply cover and chill.

Santorini

We went on a Mediterranean cruise in mid-June, and I am still on cloud nine about it! I will not review the whole thing, because that would bore people to tears, but I did want to say a few words about a few specific places. I’ll also drop a link that the Engineer might appreciate, stating that in fact, for a year, the ship would anchor near Venice and provide tender boats to Piazza San Marco. However, we got a notice two days before sailing that this no longer worked and that we would be docking in Trieste instead. We made the best of it, but had I known, I would have made plans to spend a day or two in Venice after the cruise and would have enjoyed Trieste while we were there instead of using it as a stepping stone for a few hours in Venice. Anyway… 

First, the most beautiful surprise was Kotor, in Montenegro. I did not know much about the city before we went, so I was very pleasantly surprised! The setting is absolutely beautiful, the city itself was interesting, and it had the bonus of having a tourist information kiosk at the gates, so we got a map with a lot of information about things to see. Plus, there are cats everywhere, so our kids were very happy. I really loved our visit there! 

Then, in Santorini, I really wanted to see the village of Oia (pronounced EE-ya), but the excursions offered by the cruise line didn’t work for me. (For example, there was a $200-per-person outing to go taste wine in Oia. Neither the Engineer nor I drink much, and we have two kids, so we weren’t about to drop $800 to go not-drink-wine in Oia!) So the Engineer found a great company called Santorini Road Trips, with whom we booked a Private Oia Panoramic Scenes tour. It was given in English by a very knowledgeable and friendly guide (shout-out to Panagiota!), and it was just the four of us on this tour. We saw all the essential things we wanted to see and then some, the tour was personalized and affordable, and I am so happy with how this trip turned out! 

We met the guide at the top of the cable car in Fira. If you do something similar, keep in mind that you will need to factor in a few things before booking your start time. The cruise line used tender boats to take passengers to shore, and we had to book tickets to reserve our departure. They started handing out the tickets at 7:30am, so I got in line at 6:00am and was the fifth one there. I got tickets for the 7th boat, since boats 1 through 6 were reserved for elite passengers. Then, once you’re on shore, there will be a line-up for the cable car, so plan for that too! The first tender boat left our cruise ship at 1:30pm, and we made it to the top of the hill around 2:45pm for our 3-hour tour. Keep in mind that there will be a line-up for the cable car on the way down as well – walking down should take about 45 minutes, but we didn’t attempt it, given how tired our youngest was. 

We also really enjoyed Dubrovnik, and were glad that we booked a panoramic tour. This allowed us to have beautiful views of the city, then a self-guided walk in the historic center and a return on a shuttle that went by every 20 minutes. You couldn’t get to the views from the city on foot, but depending on the number of people in your party, a cab might be doable (I didn’t check the bus routes).

Egg Roll in a Bowl

So apparently, “egg roll in a bowl” is a thing, consisting of the ingredients you would find in an egg roll (plus any variations you see fit), but served in a bowl instead of in a wrapper. It’s highly customizable, and this version from Pinch of Yum was super fast thanks to bagged coleslaw mix, so I liked this! It was also very child-friendly. I used regular rice this time, but you could use Right Rice or whatever keto substitute you like. I served it to look like a Buddha bowl, but of course you can mix everything up. And even though it’s only 1 pound of meat, we got more than 4 servings out of it. 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated 

1 tsp. Chinese five-spice 

2 Tbsp. soy sauce 

chili paste, to taste 

1 lb. ground pork 

5-6 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix 

3 large carrots, diagonally sliced 

rice and green onions, for serving 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant. 

Add the five-spice, soy sauce, chili paste, and pork. Break apart until the meat is browned and cooked through. 

Add the coleslaw mix and carrots. Toss until the vegetables are tender-crisp. 

Serve over rice, with green onions (and hot sauce for those who like it).

Disaster Cake with Black Pepper Icing

 

I tore out this devil’s food cake with black pepper boiled icing from Bon Appétit ages ago, mainly because I liked the flavor combo – a 7-minute-icing with black pepper on a chocolate cake, what’s not to love? Plus, the Fox *loves* putting pepper (and salt) on all his foods, so this was right up his alley. 

I did change the cake recipe a little bit in that I omitted the cacao nibs and ground coffee, but still, I can tell you that this cake recipe does NOT work. The layers baked up way too thin, but the texture was not great either, and I question the wisdom of using two pans instead of three here (in the sense that I don’t think it would entirely solve the issue). It fell apart as I was unmolding it, of course, and my notes show that I ended up calling this a complete disaster of a cake. Of course, by then, I had invested a large chunk of the day into this project, so I didn’t want to have no dessert to show for it… I ended up using spatulas to transfer the equivalent of two layers onto the serving plate, spackled together with the filling (honestly, a chocolate buttercream would have been both more pleasant and easier to make that this). I iced the whole thing with the boiled black pepper icing to make it look nice. And I literally called it “disaster cake with black pepper icing” when I served it! 

The verdict: the black pepper icing is top-notch! We all loved it (including the Fox, who normally doesn’t like icing), and I would definitely use it to top my favorite chocolate cake (say, this one). None of us really cared for the cake (again, including the Fox, even though he is typically more into cake than frosting!). I’m giving you the recipe as it was originally printed simply because I did not test anything else, but be warned that I’m not actually recommending the cake of the filling, just the icing! 

For the filling 

3 ½ oz. bittersweet chocolate (60%-64% cacao), chopped 

¼ tsp. kosher salt 

1 cup lactose-free cream, divided 

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin 

2 Tbsp. sugar, divided 

3 large egg yolks 

½ cup lactose-free crème fraîche or sour cream 

For the cake 

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 large egg 

1 large egg white 

½ cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 

½ cup + 1 Tbsp. cake flour 

¾ tsp. baking soda 

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar 

6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

½ tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

½ cup + 2 Tbsp. lactose-free buttermilk substitute 

2 Tbsp. cacao nibs 

1 Tbsp. finely ground espresso beans 

For the black pepper icing 

1 cup sugar, divided 

¼ tsp. kosher salt 

3 large egg whites, at room temperature 

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

For the filling 

Combine chocolate and salt in a large bowl; place a fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside. Pour 1 tablespoon cream into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring remaining cream and 1 tablespoon sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk yolks and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture; return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly and your finger leaves a path on the back of a spoon when drawn across, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Add gelatin mixture to cream mixture; stir to dissolve. Pour through prepared strainer into chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in crème fraîche. Using an electric mixer, beat filling until well blended, about 2 minutes. Press a sheet of plastic wrap onto surface of filling; chill overnight. 

For the cake 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Coat the bottom and sides of three 9" cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds. 

Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg and egg white. Gradually whisk in ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water; whisk until smooth. In a separate medium bowl, whisk both flours and next 2 ingredients. 

Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat cocoa mixture into butter mixture. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in cocoa nibs and ground espresso. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. 

Bake cakes until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, about 17 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans set on wire racks for 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove pans and let cakes cool completely. 

Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Stir filling to loosen. Spread half of filling (about 1 cup) over cake in an even layer. (The note at the end of the original recipe says to let it set fully before adding the next layer of cake, though you wonder why that’s not in the instructions.) Place second cake layer on top of filling. Spread remaining filling over in an even layer. Place remaining cake layer on top. Chill cake for 1 hour. 

For the black pepper icing 

Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Attach a candy thermometer to side of a small saucepan; add remaining sugar and ½ cup water to pan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down side with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 240 °F, about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed until frothy. With machine running, gradually add reserved sugar and salt from small bowl. 

Gradually add hot syrup from saucepan to egg whites, beating at medium-high speed and allowing syrup to drizzle down sides of bowl. Continue beating whites until stiff and cool, about 20 minutes. Add pepper; beat until well blended. 

Immediately spoon topping onto cake. Smooth over top and sides. Working quickly, swirl icing decoratively. (Cake can be iced 1 day ahead. Cover with a cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. To brûlée the icing, use a kitchen torch to toast icing in spots.)

Tacos au poulet effiloché avec sauce mole

Bon, j’ai eu quelques recettes qui ne valaient pas tout un billet. Poivrons farcis au chèvre et au bacon, champignons glacés à l’érable de Geneviève O’Gleman, poulet curcuma et lime avec salsa de graines de citrouille et crudo de pamplemousse, steak sur plaque avec patates douces et oignons verts, potage à la courge et au plantain… 

Mais là, ces tacos au poulet effiloché avec sauce mole étaient bons et jolis en plus! 

Pour les légumes marinés à la lime 

1 tasse de chou rouge coupé en fines lanières 

1 tasse de carottes coupées en fine julienne 

2 c. à soupe de jus de lime 

½ c. à thé de cumin moulu 

½ c. à thé de coriandre moulue 

sel et poivre, au goût 

Dans un bol, mélanger le chou rouge et les carottes, le jus de lime, le cumin et la coriandre. Saler et poivrer. Mélanger pour bien enrober les ingrédients et laisser reposer 15 minutes à la température ambiante. (Les légumes marinés se conserveront jusqu’à 3 jours au réfrigérateur.) 

Pour les tacos 

1 lb. de poitrines de poulet désossées, la peau enlevée 

1 c. à soupe d’huile végétale 

1 petit oignon, haché 

2 gousses d’ail, hachées 

1 piment jalapeño frais ou 2 piments anchos réhydratés, épépiné(s) et haché(s) (facultatif) 

1 c. à soupe d’assaisonnement au chili 

1 c. à thé de coriandre moulue 

1 c. à thé de cannelle moulue 

1 c. à thé d’origan séché 

1 ½ tasse de coulis de tomate (passata) 

½ tasse de bouillon de poulet à teneur réduite en sel 

3 c. à soupe de raisins secs 

3 c. à soupe d’amandes effilées 

1 oz. de chocolat noir 70%, haché 

8 tortillas de maïs ou de blé de 6 po (15 cm), chaudes 

1 petit oignon rouge, coupé en tranches fines 

¼ tasse de fromage féta sans lactose émietté 

3 c. à soupe de coriandre fraîche hachée grossièrement 

quartiers de lime (facultatif) 

sel et poivre, au goût 

Saler et poivrer les poitrines de poulet. Les mettre dans une grande casserole et couvrir d’eau. Porter à ébullition à feu moyen-vif. Réduire le feu à moyen-doux et laisser mijoter de 10 à 15 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le poulet ait perdu sa teinte rosée à l’intérieur. Déposer le poulet sur une planche à découper et laisser reposer 5 minutes avant de l’effilocher à l’aide de deux fourchettes. 

Entre-temps, dans une autre casserole, chauffer l’huile à feu moyen. Ajouter l’oignon, l’ail et le piment, si désiré, et cuire, en brassant de temps à autre, de 8 à 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils aient ramolli. Ajouter l’assaisonnement au chili, la coriandre, la cannelle et l’origan, et poursuivre la cuisson 30 secondes en brassant. Ajouter le coulis de tomates, le bouillon, les raisins secs et les amandes. Saler et porter à ébullition. Réduire le feu et laisser mijoter 10 minutes. Retirer la casserole du feu, ajouter le chocolat et mélanger jusqu’à ce qu’il ait fondu. Au mélangeur, réduire la sauce en purée lisse. 

Dans un bol de service, bien mélanger le poulet effiloché et la sauce mole. (Le poulet mole se conservera jusqu’à 2 jours au réfrigérateur ou jusqu’à 3 mois au congélateur.) Servir le poulet mole avec les tortillas chaudes, les légumes marinés, l’oignon, le féta et les quartiers de lime, si désiré.

Tart Cherry Chocolate Tart

I made this tart to use up the cherries in the freezer, but I liked it so much that I will have to make it again! The name seems a bit redundant, but “tart” is used in two ways here – to refer both to tart cherries and to the dessert itself. 

I had to use vegan whipping cream, so I made a few modifications, which are written in parentheses below. If you want to make the tart gluten-free, simply use this crust instead and proceed with the recipe. 

For the cherry jam 

6 oz. (1 heaping cup) pitted tart cherries (fresh or frozen) 

¼ cup peeled and finely grated granny smith apple 

½ cup granulated sugar 

For the crust 

1 ½ cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (from about 7 oz. cookies) 

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt 

5 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, cut into chunks 

2 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 

For the chocolate filling 

7 oz good quality dark chocolate (60-75%), finely chopped 

1 ¼ cup lactose-free whipping cream, divided

¼ cup lactose-free butter, cut into chunks 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

For the jam 

Pulse cherries and apple briefly in a food processor until cut into mostly pea-sized chunks (do not purée). If using frozen cherries, no need to thaw them first, just throw them right in the food processor. 

Combine chopped cherries and sugar in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until very thick and jam-like. Be sure to stir fairly regularly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and let cool. (Jam can be made a few days ahead of time; refrigerate until ready to use). 

For the crust 

Finely chop wafer cookies in a food processor. Add sugar and salt and pulse to incorporate. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter for 30 seconds or until mostly melted. Add chopped chocolate and stir; the residual heat of the butter will begin to melt the chocolate. As needed, microwave the butter and chocolate mixture in 15 second intervals at half power, stirring well after each interval, until chocolate is just melted. Pour into cookie crumb mixture and fold until incorporated and crumbs are evenly moistened. 

Dump into a 13.75-by-4.5-inch rectangle or a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Press firmly onto bottom and up the sides (use a tamper or a small flat-bottomed glass to help if necessary). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm. 

For the filling 

Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. The more finely you can chop this chocolate the better. 

(This paragraph is written for people using dairy cream. I’ve found vegan cream to react differently to heat, so my instructions are in parentheses at the end of this paragraph – skip to those if you are using vegan cream as well.) Heat ¾ cup of cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to bubble; do not let it fully boil) Pour warm cream over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds, then begin to gently whisk, making small concentric circles in the center of the bowl, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add butter, 1 chunk at a time, whisking slowly until incorporated before adding the next chunk. Stir in vanilla. (In my case, I started by melting the chocolate in a double boiler, then added ½ cup of vegan cream and stirred everything together, adding the butter and vanilla as instructed. In the next step, I whipped ¾ cup of vegan cream.) 

In a clean bowl, vigorously whisk remaining ½ cup cream until it forms soft mounds (you’re looking for a slightly softer consistency than typical whipped cream). Fold into melted chocolate mixture until smooth and no white streaks remain. 

To assemble, spread jam in an even layer in the bottom of chilled crust. Pour chocolate mixture over top and spread into an even layer. Place in the refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, lift out of tart pan using removable bottom and slice into serving sized pieces.

Florence

We went on a wonderful trip to Europe in early June, and I decided I’d write a bit about it. In part to write down some memories, but in part also because I am the kind of anxious person who feels better having a step-by-step procedure of an upcoming unknown situation, so I know that this information can help others plan their trips better as well. Note that this post contains some affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase using one of those links, I will get a very small commission at no extra cost to you. I’m only recommending things that I own myself and that I’m happy I bought! 

A few words about travelling in Florence… 

 - While I did use my Italian (I can figure out a few useful sentences thanks to a course I took in university and 105 days of DuoLingo to refresh my memory), the vast majority of people with whom we interacted spoke English well enough that speaking Italian is not strictly necessary. Museums also have English placards and signs. 

- Even though most stores take credit cards, you will still need some cash on hand, especially if you take cabs or if your hotel requires you to pay the tourist tax up front. 

 - We have a cellphone plan with T-Mobile that covered text messages and data transfers while we were in Europe, which was very useful. (Pro tip: Download WhatsApp to make phone calls using your data plan!) I had created some Google Maps and downloaded them on my phone before going, but was disappointed to see that the pins and itineraries I had created often did not show up on my phone, which made the whole thing somewhat useless. 

 - Note that most attractions (museums, churches, etc.) do not allow backpacks and only allow small or medium-sized purses, and there typically aren’t cloakrooms or lockers available, so I purchased this Travelon anti-theft cross-body bag that was big enough to carry my usual stuff, plus passports, water and sunscreen, etc., while still being small enough to be allowed. It was very useful during this trip and a great investment! You’ll also have to go through metal detectors and security at most attractions. Water bottles must not exceed 16 fluid ounces. And keep in mind that churches are still places of worship, so you can’t just waltz in wearing spaghetti straps, short-shorts or flip-flops. 

- Most restaurants with a printed menu have little numbers after each dish, like footnotes, from 1 to 14. When you look at the end of the menu, each number corresponds to an allergen like nuts, mustard, wheat, or seafood. Number 7 was the one for dairy, including lactose. I am not sure how cross-contact is handled in the kitchen, and it probably varies by restaurant, but this shows that at least allergies are taken seriously. 

- Trains are easy to navigate. Note that if you purchase a ticket for a specific day/time in advance, all you need is your ticket and ID and you’re good to go. If you purchase a paper ticket at the kiosk on the day of your trip, you need to validate your ticket in one of the little green machines, meaning insert the ticket into it so that it gets stamped with a date and time. This basically lets the onboard controller know that you are using the ticket just this once and are not planning on defrauding the train company. To get on or off the train, press on the button to open the doors (this is not automatic). 

- For peace of mind, we used SafetyTats on the kids to make sure they had our phone number visibly on them. We ended up sticking the tats on their clothes instead of their skin, and the stickers were resistant enough that we could stick the same one on several different shirts on consecutive days, yet they remained easy to peel off. I highly recommend them! You can also get them on Amazon. 

- If you have kids between the ages of 4 and 12, I can’t recommend MiFolds enough to keep them safe in a car. It folds up very small, so it’s ideal for travelling when you can’t lug their car seat around. 

- Buy an electrical adapter/converter like this multitasking model with USB ports. So, on to accommodations! 

I knew of a Quebecker who, with his wife, owns rooms for rent in Florence, in an unbeatable location and at competitive rates. Their bed and breakfast was fully booked for the dates we wanted, so we rented the amazing Giotto suite instead and *loved* it! The building is easily accessible from the airport by taxi (roughly €25) and by train (it is near Santa Maria Novella Station). Plus, it is all walking distance to the centro storico, which is where most of the tourist attractions are located. The view from the bedroom window was right on the Duomo, and I spent countless times just staring at it in awe. It was amazing! Plus, this suite gave us room to spread out, we saved some money by using our own kitchenette for breakfast, and we had a washing machine. We were living the dream! 

We were jetlagged upon arrival, but spent the afternoon walking to the Duomo and visiting Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. We made our way to the Mercato Centrale hoping to buy dinner, but we ended up only buying pastries and purchasing the rest of our essentials at the grocery store down the street from our lodging. 

The next day, we walked to the Galleria dell’Accademia (literally around the block!) to see Michelangelo’s David. I bought our tickets online in advance – it’s a bit more expensive (there is a €4 booking fee per person), but then you get a guaranteed timeslot in which to enter the museum; otherwise, you’d have to stand in line and hope they aren’t already sold out for the day, which just seems like a bad plan to me. Even though the confirmation email said to go collect the tickets at the booth before getting in line to enter, it turned out we actually had to get right in line at our appointed ticket time and get the tickets directly at the entrance. I had printed out the email confirmation and was not asked for identification beyond that, though by law we still have to carry our passports with us. Anyway, the main attraction is in a large room near the entrance, and it is well worth the visit! We didn’t spend too much time in that museum because we had a busy day ahead, but I loved what I saw. 

We then walked south, to and through Piazza della Signoria, where there is a copy of the statue of David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. We continued to the Gallerie degli Uffizi for more museum time. (I promised the kids that was the only museum day, and I have no regrets even though they were bored to tears by the end.) Just as with the Galleria dell’Accademia, we purchased our tickets in advance for a specific time, though this museum did have a place to pick up the tickets before entering (marked by number 3, near the river bank on the south end). You could easily spend hours and hours in this museum – it probably has the highest concentration of famous works of art I’ve seen, culminating in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. (We basically told our kids it had works by all the Ninja Turtles, but even that is under-selling it!) 

Just outside the museum, you can get a great view of the Ponte Vecchio. While we did cross it, we didn’t go much further, because the kids, especially the Fox, were tired of walking. If that isn’t a problem for you, I recommend making your way to the Boboli Gardens, the Rose Garden, or the Piazzale Michelangelo for views of the city. You could also visit any of the palaces formerly owned by the Medicis and many more modern museums. 

On our third and last day, we took a day trip to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower. (There are other things to see in Pisa if you are so inclined, pardon the pun, but we had reached the quota of museums and history that we could shove down the kids’ throats without a mutiny. The Cathedral, Baptistery, and museum could be your cup of tea too!) The owners of our lodging had confirmed that it was better to book our train or bus tickets in advance, and I’m glad I did. We opted for the train, in large part because it is easy to navigate and because the kids were really excited at the idea of finally travelling by train! I looked up the information on TrenItalia, which is very easy to use even without the app. I made sure to select the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence (since that was the one near our hotel) and the San Rossore station in Pisa (since that’s the one that is walking distance to the tower), using only direct routes (no transfers to worry about). It was only €54 for the four of us, roundtrip. The train takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get there, and we spent a few hours there mid-day, which was enough to walk around, get our fill of the tower from the outside, and have lunch in a nearby restaurant before making our way back to Florence. (We didn’t realize that it was once again possible for visitors to climb up the tower. We had a backpack and were on a schedule, so it was not to be for us, but you can also buy a ticket in advance for a specific timeslot; keep that in mind for your visit.) 

I absolutely loved Florence, and my trip in general! The kids didn’t appreciate it as much as I did, or perhaps they appreciated different aspects of it, but if my own European travels at their age is any indication, they’ll look back on it with gratitude and good memories later on.