Echoing the color of red roses and amore, roasted red peppers make a tempting centerpiece on an antipasto platter. We’ve assembled some ideas to make an inviting addition to a festive and romantic meal.Read More →
Dania Masotti, one of Montefollonico's most acclaimed chefs, is a beloved friend of Tuscan Women Cook. She has taught our guests for nearly twenty years. Among her specialties is Baccalà in Guazzetto (Salted Cod in Tomato Sauce), which we have adapted from her classic cookbook La Cucina Toscana della Chiusa. This recipe lets the quality of the ingredients shine. Serve it as a first course or one of an assortment for a traditional Christmas Eve meal, Tuscan-style.Read More →
Tuscan Women Cook enjoy an evening of merriment and delicious food at Il Botteghino in Torrita di Siena. Guests have their fill of crisp pizza including pizza tartufo e porcini. Our recipe for Truffle, Portobello and Three Cheese Pizza takes inspiration from the chefs at Il Botteghino for this seasonal crowd favorite. Sautéed portobello mushrooms, resembling the richly flavorful porcini mushrooms used in Tuscany, form a base layer. A mixture of delicate fresh mozzarella and robust Parmesan cheese offset the mushrooms. Then we tuck truffle slices under more of the cheese. The aroma of this pizza calls everyone to the table.Read More →
Granita is a dessert that originated in Sicily, most likely as a respite from the hot climate. It is made by freezing a mixture of water, sugar, and flavorings, such as orange or lemon juice, herbs, crushed almonds, or espresso or coffee, and then scraping the frozen mixture with a fork to create an icy texture. Granita is the perfect hot weather treat and is often served as a dessert or for breakfast. It's known for its unique granular texture and intense flavor.Read More →
Harry’s Bar in Venice is known for the blush pink Bellini cocktail that owner Harry Cipriani created in the 1940’s. But the restaurant’s chefs prepare many memorable dishes including a bright summer salad served in a deep bowl. The salad, which features cucumber, sweet corn, tomatoes, and avocado in a bracing red wine dressing, is a favorite of Coleen Kirnan, Tuscan Women Cook’s owner. We’ve adapted their recipe from Cipriani New York. Tip: To keep the pulp of a cut avocado from turning brown, simply rinse the cut surface under cold running water.Make this salad then serve it immediately.Read More →
A close cousin to tiramisù is Zuppa Inglese, an Italian take on British trifle that is popular in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and central Italy. This spoonable dessert consists of layers of sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked in bright red alchermes, a sweet rose and spice liqueur. One layer of cake is coated with vanilla pastry cream and the next with chocolate pastry cream. A generous dusting of cocoa powder garnishes the treat.There are several versions and much academic debate surrounding alchermes' origins. According to Giovanni Ballarini of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, the presence of alchermes suggests that the dessert was born in the Renaissance. At thatRead More →
To make these cheese-filled tortellone, find a good quality full-fat ricotta. Those labeled “basket-style” will be smooth and especially creamy. If the ricotta seems wet, place it in a colander or cheesecloth-lined strainer for 30 minutes and allow the excess moisture to drain off. Our filling includes parsley and basil too but you could add any chopped fresh herbs or chopped cooked spinach, another traditional filling. Grated lemon zest, which is optional, gives it a bright finish.Like the nonne have taught us, we knead the pasta by hand to get a feel for the dough and how much flour to use. But you can certainly useRead More →
Crostata is a simple, yet elegant Tuscan jam tart served for dessert or breakfast.Fillings change with the seasons. In a wine growing town, it might be grape jam. Some make it using blackberry jam made from wild berries harvested along the roadside. But any variety works well, from orange marmalade to blueberry preserves. The buttery dough for crostata gains richness from melted butter and egg yolks, which also give it a golden color. Light and crisp, the crust is like eating a cookie cloud. The nonnas in Montefollonico like to make crostata with apricot or wild plum jam. Tuscan Women Cook guests enjoy nonna Donatella's creation, along withRead More →
This festive dessert surprises many. It’s called salami, it looks like salami but in fact it is pure delicious chocolate studded with crunchy butter cookies. While it is often made with cocoa powder and sugar moistened with eggs, many pasticcere use quality bittersweet chocolate as well as cocoa powder when making salame di cioccolato. The melted chocolate gives this treat a richness that rivals the best truffle. That’s why our recipe uses bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder. For the butter cookies, choose a brand with a pleasant butter flavor that crumbles easily such as LU Petit Beurre, Lorna Dune or Bahlsen Leibniz Butter Cookies.A splash of fortified wine such asRead More →