IL COSIMINO

The wood-burning oven was open, waiting for the bread ritual.

It had been preheated with bundles of fragrant wood (scotchbroom, juniper, oak) and thoroughly cleaned out. Zia Tosca, my mother's sister, and Zio Piero her husband, used a long wooden peel to push the loaves of bread into the oven, and my aunt made a Doughman for me with bits of charcoal for eyes.
The oven was closed. And we waited.

While we waited, the kitchen filled with the unforgettable smell of baking bread which finally emerged from the oven, steaming hot, crusty and beautiful, as I happily feasted on my Doughman.

I re-live this ritual every time I prepare the Cosmino, my version of a traditional Florentine meatloaf, named in honour of the christening of Cosimo de' Medici, where it was served for the first time. The beef is ground and seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, thyme, onion, garlic, and a touch of egg.
The mixture is kneaded at length, like Aunt Tosca did with her dough, and put into the oven just like bread.
Then the wait, while the kitchens swells with rich aromas, until finally the Cosimino emerges, golden brown and steaming hot.
And that is how it should be served, accompanied with some Mostarda Mediterranean to magnify the Tuscan flavors.

Please note: vacuum packed and refridgerated, the Cosimino stays fresh for fifteen days. Reheat it for 15 minutes, wrapped in alluminum foil, at 140?C. It will be as good as just out of the oven!