The medieval settlement of Arcidosso lies on the slopes of Monte Amiata about 2 ½ hours north of Rome. As you arrival the village, you notice its outstanding feature; the tower of the Aldobrondeschi Castle built in 896. The settlement itself nestles next to the castle walls, as if still seeking safety from the fortress of its feudal lords, the Aldobrondeschi family. A small village, populated mostly by farmers and artisans, most Arcidosso residents can trace their ancestry back to the first villagers who populated these hills. While an absorbing night life and the bustle of city living won't be found in this ancient peasant village, there's one thing that draws visitors consistently from all over the globe; its outstanding traditional Tuscan food and wine.
At the base of every good dish stands its humble beginnings; its produce. Tuscany is blessed with numerous micro-climates, healthy soil, and long growing seasons, and the food produced on this soil is determined the best by Italian chefs. From the long, dry, hot coasts and hills of La Maremma, where some of the finest olives, grapes and cattle are grown, to the vast, beautiful sunflower fields grown for oil, to the chianini cattle produced for it's tender, lean beef, the sheep dotting the hillsides, and it's fresh, organically grown vegetables, the Tuscan chef uses seasonal, locally produced, and fresh ingredients to furnish simple, delicious, healthy and satisfying fare. Many of the recipes used today are as old as the Tuscan hills themselves, each generation of chefs adding his or her own regional twist, house preference, and, as in Florence, even contemporary elegance to their favorite dishes.
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One such chef is Carlo Innocenti, owner and Grand Chef of Casa Inncoenti and the Trattoria at La Locanda del Prete. After traveling the world teaching Tuscan cooking through out Europe, retired into his family's ancestral home, Casa Innocenti, in Arcidosso. Built adjoining the Aldobrondeschi castle, this first-rate medieval home has three stories, with four guest rooms overlooking the Piazza, the castle, and Carlo's own garden, where he grows his tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and oregano. Not ready to stop sharing his love of Tuscan cooking, he offers cooking classes to guests from nearby the globe in his home and his trattoria at La Locanda del Prete is a favorite among Arcidosso locals.
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Carlo's love of cooking is only surpassed by his love of hosting. "Friends, like wine, enhance with age." He says often, pouring his visitor a glass in his garden over antipasto. Carlo provides his guests with daily guided excursions, as well as a daily cooking course, for his guests over a 6 night stay. "Tuscany is my heart, my soul, it's who I am," he says, "I want others to see why I am so proud of my Toscana."
A typical day for Carlo begins at 4:30 am, when he goes out to the local store to be the first to pick the finest examples of Tuscan produce. It would appear as if he were a celebrity, with farmers waving from tractors and shop-keepers peeking out the doors of their shops to shout a hearty "Buon giorno! Carlo!", but you soon learn that this is the innate hospitality and friendliness of native Tuscans. A uncomplicated inquiry about a proscuitto will have the shopkeeper explaining to you the history of proscuitto, how it is made, the best proscuitto he ever tasted and where he was when he tried it. This will often engage the other shoppers in a discourse and absorbing seminar about the attractiveness of a good prosciutto, and where you can find the best. Everything in Tuscany is a topic of discussion, and you study why Carlo leaves his home so early! And you feel sorry for the other guests who chose to sleep in and missed this astounding opening to sample Tuscan settlement life. Carlo makes a stop at the pasticceria, a Tuscan pastry shop where the aroma of freshly baking sweet and savory pastries makes one's mouth water. He chooses tasty Tuscan Pastries for the typical morning breakfast, including Tuscan breads, honey, fruit preserves, and a tasty savory bread baked with Tuscan prosciutto, cheese and tomatoes.
Returning to house, Carlo barely misses a beat as he sets out to make the morning coffee, "Would you like a microscopic 'corretto'?" Carlo asks with a wink, contribution you a splash of the Tuscan digestive liqueur Grappa to "correct" your espresso. Before you get shocked at the idea of drinking before 7 am, that tiny splash of Grappa is guaranteed to open up your appetite and makes the whole world taste better.
After a satisfying morning meal, Carlo prepares the group for the first of five guided excursions. He accompanies his guests to varied locales throughout Tuscany, including the wine towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino, and Pienza, where the finest Pecorino cheeses are made in a tradition using sheep's milk that has remained unchanged for centuries. The sheep of Pienza graze freely, and the varied herbs which grow wild on the hillside lend flavor to their milk, and therefore the cheeses. Pecorino cheese is made in Pienza by outside the cheese in ashes and olive oil for ripening, the result, an amazing, smoky, tasty cheese that can be soft, medium or hard depending on the formula and ripening time used. Try the softer pecorino aged with black truffles, Marzolino al Tartufo, shaved over pasta and salads, or place a slice over your steak under the broiler instead of truffle butters. Or, the harder, well aged Pienza Morchiato as a table cheese instead of Parmesan. The flavor of Pienza's pecorino cheese is so enticing, that school children are often found walking right past the sweet shops to spend their pocket money on chunks of pecorino cheese!
Tuscan cooking has something for everyone, from the hard core carnivore to the vegetarian. Simple, delicious, and of course recreated, everyone visiting Tuscany should try to attend a cooking course, whether a week long affair at Casa Innocenti, where you can come to be immersed in local flavors, customs, and house and settlement life, or a few hours somewhere close to your villa. Tuscany is paramount for its wines and olive oils, and it should be paramount for it's cooking as well. This region that takes so much pride in it's food and wines has so many astounding culinary experiences to offer, it would be a shame to miss out on the fun.
La Cucina Povera Toscana - Cooking in TuscanyChambord Raspberry Liqueur Subsitute.M4V Video Clips. Duration : 1.80 Mins.We use St George Spirits Framboise as our Chambord substitute at Aroma Thyme. It is a way better product, trust us.
Tags: chambord, St George Spirits
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