Prego Dishers, I returned last night from Italy where I attended the week-long Ecco la Cocina cooking course and culinary tour in Tuscany. Our trusty group of eight ate and drank our way through the Chianti region. Highlights of the trip included visits to wine cellars large and small and castles big and tall. Along the way we picked saffron from fields around San Gimignano, dined at fabulous restaurants in Siena, and drank Brunellos in Montalcino. I ate my weight in burrata.
And we cooked: our hands-on lessons took place in ancient mill that has been somewhat converted into a romantic kitchen where Italian-American chef, Gina Stipo, taught us how to prepare the regional and seasonal dishes of Tuscany. We spent the last three days in Rome where we discovered some amazing taste sensations. As soon as my brain catches up to my body, I will spill all of the cannellini beans. Until then, enjoy some food porn after the jump.
These pictures were taken during ONE meal at Sira e Remino in San Gusme. Bruschetta pomodoro; pappardelle with meat ragu; a tasting of three pecorinos; pici pasta; plate of pig including salami with fennel, prosciutto, and pancetta ; traditional Tuscan steak “cooked” raw.
