Archive for 'Food and Wine'

  

Thursday, August 1, 2013
Casal Gheriglio
Why not learn how to cook a romantic Italian meal with your partner during your vacation in Tuscany to experience an exciting endeavour that could prove to be an aphrodisiac!

Tourist couples wishing to engage in this fun learning experience can really go anywhere in Tuscany, the home of plentiful rustic cooks, but this link (no longer available) could be perfect to both stay in and enjoy a cookery lesson. It’s called Casal Gheriglio and is one of many properties in Tuscany that can accommodate visitors and provide them with a cookery lesson in one ideal package!

Many similar properties have an owner that are accomplished chefs who provide demonstrations which can include a week long, full or half day cookery course, as well as wine, honey and olive oil tasting courses. These can be enjoyed as part of a specialised price that includes your accommodation.     Read More
Posted in: Cooking Class, Food and Wine, Villa Spotlights, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Thursday, August 1, 2013
roses
If you wish to treat your partner to a whole new level of romance, book a lavish meal for you both in what is considered to be the smallest and most romantic restaurant in Tuscany, and possibly even the world! Designed to host only two people at any one time, this cosy little venue is called ‘Peperino’ and is an ideal place to spend a lovely evening together.

It’s situated in San Minato town in the province of Pisa where there is a fantastic range of luxury villas and other holiday rentals in the area for couples to book an enjoyable stay for a few days and bask in an area of glorious scenery.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Restaurants & Cafés

  

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Fettuccine with ragù sauce
How to describe this remote restaurant in the Tuscan countryside, Murlo is one of the many hamlets that you can find off from the ancient Cassia road that leads from Siena to Rome …? SURREAL? This is probably the appropriate term to describe this place.

Perhaps because you’ll see and hear colors, sounds and smells that you thought no longer existed, immersed in a place unchanged by time and make you feel so far away from your world, but more than ever with our feet on the ground; or maybe because the place has always been managed by the legendary Brunello, with his beautiful Nigerian wife Stella.

It’s a mix between a bar, a typical Tuscan inn and a country house, where you’ll probably have lunch in the veranda among the spices planted in the garden and washed table cloths spread out in the sun to dry which Stella will collect while singing songs from her homeland ; or maybe because here you can still savor the delicious traditional homemade food served in large bowls and without too many choices (you eat what they cook for you), among which dominates the wild boar: in the ragù, roasted and in sauce – hunted and cooked by the man Brunello himself.

This is the philosophy that I’ve seen here: the concepts of “kindness, service, family atmosphere” are not contemplated, Brunello and Stella come as they are, as God made ​them. The place is, as mentioned, very special and not everyone will like it but if you’re in the area and want to feel the “Tuscan soul” you shouldn’t miss this experience.
I have to take my kids there soon.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Restaurants & Cafés

  

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Prosecco of Valdobbiadene
Chef cook Roberto at Il Silene restaurant in Pescina (Seggiano) is contacting us to inform us that on November 4, 2011 at 20.30 hrs he has organized an interesting dinner tasting program together with some very important producers of Prosecco like Teobaldo Rivella with his “Montestefano” and Loris Folladore for “Casa Coste Piane”.

Imagine, the only VALDOBBIADENE Prosecco producer working with the natural method producing a truly exceptional Prosecco and you can drink it again and again since it has this natural effervescent ! Of course the producers will attend the dinner and will be happy to reply to all your questions.

The cost will be € 80.00 per person INCLUDING WINE, reservation is required since the restaurant is not that big and there will be many …. glasses…

Contact Il Silene directly for reservations.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Restaurants & Cafés

  

Thursday, March 14, 2013
Pici for lunch
Pici is a thick type of spaghetti, you should really try to make them yourself but also the fresh type sold in the supermarkets will do the job !


For the ragù sauce you need:
olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 or 3 gloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 bay leaves
a sprig of fresh rosemary
500 gr minced beef or veal
4 x 400 gr tins of plum tomatoes
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for grating on top !

Heat a big saucepan, add the olive oil and the chopped onion and garlic and cook slowly for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, minced beef or veal and the tomatoes. Stir well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down ans simmer gently for 2 hours with lid on the pan (this is the secret: so no less than 2 hours…). In case the sauce starts to stick at any point, add a splash of hot water and stir well. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Fish out the bay leaves and rosemary sprig and after draining the past stir the Pici into the hot ragù sauce. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan… Heaven.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Recipes