Italy. The inspiration leaving my Long White Cloud home, aka Aoteoroa, aka New Zealand. It was also the second European country I ever visited (the first being the Czech Republic where the allure of beer and dancing architecture was simply too strong to resist) and more than I ever thought it would be.
Disclaimer: We were invited guests of Bookings For You but my (very many) thoughts are only ever mine, and my appetite raring as I wrote up our day simply attests to how much I enjoyed their cuisine.
What I never thought I would end up doing is finding myself, Amy, Keri, Emma and a gathering of other bloggers enjoying a slice or two of Italian cuisine down the leafy lanes of lanes of suburban Surrey, but find them we did. Invited down to a day of cuisine masterclasses by the team at Bookings For You (a company sharing 350 personally visited, luxurious holiday rentals in Italy, including the Italian Lakes, Tuscany, Umbria & Puglia, and in Southern France), we thoroughly enjoyed watching – and occasionally helping – the Giovannini family whip up a feast of epic proportions.
The Giovannini family drove the ingredients for our four-course feast all the way over from their beautiful farmhouse – the Country Relais & Spa Le Capanne in Volterra, Tuscany (also home to silver screen villains, the Volturi in the Twilight saga) one of the amazing holiday rentals that Bookings For You shares.
With their pastry shop Dolceria del Corso in Volterra in their family for three generations, Giancarlo Giovannini and his wife Fabiola, son Dario and his wife Vera know more than a thing or two about exquisite Italian cuisine, following the Tuscan traditions of simplicity and gorgeous ingredients.
(Vegetarians & vegans, look away for the next image.)
From extra virgin olive oil pressed from their own grove of olive trees, to the thigh of boar that had roamed their 100+ year old farmhouse grounds, every dish they handmade and shared with us was full of passion, incredible flavour and lashings of heritage.
(Keep scrolling for the 3 Bruschetta/Crostini recipes we enjoyed; Toscana, al Pomodoro & Crostini con Fegatini – chicken liver crostini.)
Our appetites were more than sated by the feast before us; from helping them make handmade ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta, to watching them expertly twist the steaming strands of pici pasta, drizzled in olive oil and topped with parsley, mint, basil, garlic, egg and pecorino cheese.
The joy of blogger friends? “Hey, Amy, can you please turn out your wrist so that I can get your tattoo in the photo? Thanks!”
Utter gourmet afternoon bliss.
Before we knew it, they unveiled the slow roasted wild boar, having made lots of incisions and filling them with a mixture of rosemary, sage, garlic and some lard. The meat was then seasoned, drizzled in olive oil, tied and scattered with sharp black olives.
But wait, there was more.
Classic tiramisu that American expat Vera created practically in front of her Mother-in-law was our first dessert.
Then, from this…
…to this…
… we witnessed the Giovannini family’s signature creation of Millefoglie Crema Chantilly e Frutti di Bosco, a cream covered extravaganza of cake and fruit. These are often made at local weddings, constructed in front of the mesmerised wedding party – in lieu of heavy fruit cake – and often the bride and groom have a go at helping to decorate.
But, now, the best bit: their traditional recipes for heavenly Bruschetta and Crostini.
From the traditional Toscana Bruschetta…
- Tuscan country break bread
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Slice and toast the bread to a golden colour.
- Take a whole garlic clove and simply rub it along the warm bread.
- Drizzle liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Amy's awesome tip to peel garlic is to pop the cloves into a tupperware container and shake them - no smelly hands necessary.
- Tuscan country break (sliced and baked)
- Tomatoes (diced)
- Onions (minced)
- Garlic (minced)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tuscan country break (sliced and baked)
- 300 grams chicken liver
- 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6 sage leaves
- 500g butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fry chicken livers with the garlic, sage and olive oil.
- Halfway through add a glass of wine similar to that of Vinsanto or a sweet white wine.
- Once cooked blitz the chicken with about 25 grams of butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread.
What is your favourite Italian dish?
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