Viareggio Carnival & "Cenci Fritti"

 The Viareggio Carnival was established in 1873 when some of the local "signori" decided to organize a Sunday a little different from the rest, by inventing a procession of decorated floats which travelled up and down the main street of the city. On that occasion a masked protest was also organized by a number of citizens, as they were forced to pay too many taxes and as a result the chief tax collector was certainly made fun of!!

Thanksgiving in Tuscany: How would a Tuscan Cook prepare A Whole Turkey?

Roast Turkey with chestnut

Serving 8-10 persons
Ingredients: 1.2kg chestnuts - 1 turkey of about 2kg - 400gr sausages - 2 bay leaves - 1 spoon of olive oil - 1 apple - 1 sage leave - 1 glass of cognac - 1 bunch of parsley - 2 eggs - 60gr butter - stock - salt - ground pepper.
Preparation: get the turkey ready to be cooked and keep the giblets. Boil the chestnuts for 40 minutes, in salted water, with oil and bay. Peel them, sieve two thirds of them and stir the purée in a bowl, adding the chopped livers and the sausage meat (without skin).
Work this mixture very well, adding the grated apple, chopped parsley and sage, cognac, eggs (previously beaten), salt and ground pepper; spread salt and pepper inside the turkey abdominal cavity, filling it with the prepared mixture, closing again the opening very well, eventually sewing it with a thick cotton thread.
Place the prepared turkey in an oven-proof dish after being greased with some butter and bake it in a 200°C pre-heated oven for about 2 hours and a half, turning it now and again and damping it with some spoons of stock. When it is well baked, lay the turkey on the serving dish and season the chestnuts with the cooking sauce and serve them together with the turkey.