Salsa Verde Canapés
Crostini are little appetizers that you can invent yourself depending on what’s in season and what you have in the house. Salsa verde is a tangy herby sauce often served to accompany boiled meats, but delicious in its own right.
Eggplant, tomato and basil sauce with ricotta
This simple sauce relies on good eggplants (aubergines), tasty, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a good ricotta cheese. A real treat in the autumn at our cooking school in Tuscany!
Polpettone ~ Tuscan Meatloaf
This dish is colourful, moist, flavoursome and very comforting.
Ragù ~ Rich Meat and Vegetable Sauce
There are dozens of versions of ragù which are favourites in different regions of Italy. During our cooking classes in Tuscany, we teach this Tuscan version (using not much tomato).
Tuscan Grape Harvest Cake
In Tuscany, this complex-flavoured but simple to make cake is only made for a few weeks a year, when the small, sweet, seedy red grapes are around (many are “gleaned” in the vineyards after the harvest). Use the sweetest red grapes you can.
Budino ~ Italian Crème Caramel
Traditionally a "budino" is made in a large mould, not little individual moulds. It makes for a more spectacular sight when it it served, but be careful when you turn it upside down to serve!
Custard Pie with Pine Nuts & Almonds
In this traditional Tuscan dessert the combination of rich pastry, delicate custard and toasted nuts makes for a special treat indeed.
Tiramisù
Tiramisu (literally “Pick me up”) seems to have been around for generations, but is in fact a creation from the 1970s! The version that we teach at our cooking school in Tuscany uses custard.
Panna Cotta
The secret to a good panna cotta is achieving something that sets, but is still wonderfully creamy. Experiment with agar- agar quantities since they do vary!
Herby Roast Beef
At our cooking classes in Tuscany we always have plenty of fresh herbs in the garden. It's useful to have a few pots on your kitchen window sill to jazz up any dish. The herbs really take this simple classic to another level. Completely different from any roast beef you’ve had!
White beans cooked in rosemary, tomato and balsamic vinegar
Creamy white beans in a tangy, herby tomato sauce - this is a Greek-style interpretation of the Tuscan fagioli all'uccelletto. These beans are great served hot or cold, either as an antipasto or as a side dish.
Apple Tart with Frangipane Layer
Moist, deliciously simple tart.