Phil Cecchettini (Page 4)

A highlight for our guests each week is dinner at La Botte Piena in Montefollonico (now Osmosi in Montepulciano) where the food is as creative and inspired as the talented chefs who prepare each course. We have so much faith in their staff that we tell guests to take a seat at the table with open minds and a hunger for something unexpected. We never have any idea what they will serve. It is the only dinner during the entire week that is totally spontaneous. La Botte Piena never disappoints. Every detail, from their ultra-modern tableware to their expert wine pairings, wows. Owners Elena and Simone succeedRead More →

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  This recipe is inspired by Lara Vinciarelli's tartufi al cioccolato served at our wine tasting lunch at Tenimenti Andreucci.Marzipan is a delectable mixture of ground almonds and sugar, like edible modeling clay. It’s especially popular in and around Naples and on the island of Sicily where it's formed into realistic miniature fruits.The combination of marzipan and dark chocolate is a natural. The rich toasted notes of good-quality bitter chocolate balance the sweet almond flavors. When spiked with a little espresso coffee, you’ve got a sophisticated candy made from very few ingredients. And best of all, there is no baking required.For best results, wear disposableRead More →

Abundant fresh herbs are the hallmark of Dania Masotti’s garden (orto). Here they amplify the flavor of a quality farm raised chicken. Dania, a famed chef has retired. But memories of her inventive Tuscan Women Cook classes linger with our guests. A favorite teacher, she is known for transforming classic peasant dishes into elegant renditions that retain their soulful quality. In this recipe, Dania browns then gently simmers a cut-up chicken in a sofritto of spring onions, carrots and celery. She tosses in a generous handful of fresh herbs from her garden. She uses what is available, often a mixture of rosemary, sage, thyme plus parsley, whichRead More →

One of our guests’ favorite memories is watching nonna Ada Bernardini and her daughter Antonella stuff and fry bowls of zucchini blossoms at Agriturismo Belagaggio. Crowded in the busy kitchen, they savor them piping hot with icy flutes of Prosecco. Nonna Ada uses fresh ricotta cheese and spinach in this recipe.  She fills and gently twists the blossoms shut before sliding them into bubbling hot oil. The oil bathes the blossoms and the cheese immediately begins to soften. When you make this recipe, watch the petals of the flowers crisp.Read More →

This simple salad highlights the quality of your tomatoes. Use whatever herbs you have in your garden that are fresh and tender. Carpet the fresh tomatoes with a generous layer of these herbs. Serve with crusty bread and red wine.Read More →

We are grateful that this season, the Bernardini’s of Agriturismo Belagaggio shared their recipe for zucchini zuppa. When making this recipe, select tender, small to medium size zucchini. They have the brightest flavor. Cut all the vegetables into ¼-inch-size pieces. Small pieces help the vegetables cook evenly. Be sure to cook the vegetables until they are uniformly tender. To get a creamy purée, use a high-powered blender or food processor.Enhance the taste of this bowl of pale green velvet with a grating of Parmesan cheese. Herb or Parmesan croutons would contrast nicely too. Or reserve a half cup of the cooked vegetables to sprinkle on topRead More →

Cheesecake is an ancient part of Italian culinary tradition. Roman statesman Cato mentioned cheesecake in his second century B.C.E. De Re Rustica according to Alan Davidson in The Oxford Companion to Italian Food. It was a baked cake of cheese sweetened with honey and flavored with spices and dried fruit that Roman soldiers ate. Today, Rome’s torta alla ricotta sets the standard. Lighter than the New York style variety, Roman cheesecake derives richness from cream and a slight tang from freshly made ricotta cheese.Because of the soft consistency in its filling, cheesecake requires some type of crust. In the United States, we’re familiar with crushedRead More →

Olive oil cakes come in many forms. Light sponge cakes in which a small amount of olive oil helps tenderize the crumb or moist and slightly dense cakes where oil acts as a liquid fat to enrich the batter. What these cakes share are a few common elements, olive oil, a flavoring usually from citrus fruit, sugar and flour or a starch. In Tuscany, you’ll find such cakes perfumed with lemon or orange juice or a combination of the two. Grated zest too. Milk or yogurt might be added to moisten the dry ingredients or a sweet wine such as vin santo in its place.Read More →

Cooks and our Tuscan Women Cook nonne make focaccia their own, scattering spiny rosemary leaves, paper-thin slices of red onion, black and green olives, or cooked bitter greens over their dough. Some add rosemary, fennel, and other spices to the dough. In season, fresh zucchini blossoms may adorn the dough as well as any seasonal herbs including fennel fronds, marjoram, and oregano. During the grape harvest, cooks in the region prepare schiacciata con l’uva, a grape-filled sweet tort and focaccia’s cousin. It’s a not-to-be-missed treat when you visit in the fall.This recipe is from nonna Lara of Tenimenti Andreucci.Read More →