It’s 10.30am and steam carrying the smell of onions, beans, cabbage and braised meat escapes from the kitchen in the corner of box 37 on Testaccio market. In the small kitchen is Leonardo Cioni, a tall chef from San Giovanni Valdarno, midway between Florence and Arezzo, who, for the past three-and-a-half years, has run box 37 as Sicché Roba Toscana, which roughly translates as “therefore Tuscan stuff”. The escaping steam is effective advertising, leading eyes to the blackboard above the counter to discover exactly what is going on in the back.
Always on the menu is lampredotto. The fourth stomach of the cow and the most tender, delicate tripe, lampredotto looks like a damp dishcloth crossed with a heavily ruffled shirt. It is prepared by simmering it in broth made from onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, parsley and basil for about an hour and a half, then seasoned with salt and pepper, and served in a roll, maybe with a spoonful of salsa verde. Also made daily by Leo, and many times over, are trays of torta di ceci, a baked chickpea flour pancake much like farinata that is sandwiched in a flatbread called schiaccia, which can also be filled with salumi or cheese. The rest of the menu changes daily, but always includes a bean dish, at least one legume and vegetable soup (often thickened with polenta or bread), some sort of long-braised stew and maybe a ragu.
