La Mia Dolce Vita: Life Changing Paula

The market is my favorite stop in Florence. I go every single time without fail. Paula's stand, Baroni Alimentari, is my first stop every time. She and her husband not only have one of the most beautiful stands in the market, but they have the best quality meats, cheeses, wines, olive oils, and balsamics. Not to mention her extensive salt and pepper varieties. As you can tell, I can go on for days about the food she sells. But it's not only the quality of the food that makes Baroni Alimentari worth visiting, it's the passion and knowledge Paula and her husband have for their products that makes it a whole different experience. I can ask her about any product and she knows the process in which it's made, how the animal was raised, what grapes were used, etc. We went there for lunch, and all I ask is, "What do you think I should eat?" and I have yet to be disappointed. She gave us Culatello di Zibello, a very special ham from Emiglia Romana and Lombardy. (I highly encourage you to read more about it here) It's pretty pricey, but the delicate fat melts between your fingers, a sign of the pigs leanness and quality, and the meat is perfectly salty and hearty, but not heavy. She also showed us local mozzarella that is made from a certain type of cow which makes the mozzarella more delicate and soft. That, with a little balsamic, was all we needed for lunch. Good enough for me. We sat down at the tables in the market and dug in, just eating with our fingers. At that point, we couldn't be bothered with utensils, we were starving.