A sumptuous escape to the sensual culinary flavors of the Italian countryside,
with more than a hundred recipes for the home cook. In a wild, undiscovered
corner of Tuscany called Maremma, boars roam the hillsides, olive trees stand
like sentries, and fennel perfumes the air. This landscape yields its own
cuisine—rustic dishes that let their seasonal ingredients shine through. There
is no better place to learn the secrets of this cuisine than the Castello di
Vicarello. This twelfth century fairy-tale castle is now an exclusive resort
where the proprietor, Aurora Berti, prepares meals based on the garden. Here,
Aurora presents the many recipes she has developed over the past decade by
sharing with local peasant women and drawing from her own family’s traditions.
Organized by season, this charming cookbook immerses the reader in the daily
rhythms of the land. The dishes are accompanied by sidebars and photos that
convey the story of this place: pruning the vineyards in winter, picking
asparagus in spring, drying tomatoes for sauce in summer, and hunting porcini
in fall. The recipes burst with flavor while remaining simple: black kale
crostini, radicchio and walnut salad, carbonara with favas, roast pork with
apples, peach crostata. My Tuscan Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from the Castello
di Vicarello is the next best thing to taking a trip to this magical country.
"Damn good stuff comes out of this cucina."--GQ "Travel like royalty this
season [at] southern Tuscany's Castello di Vicarello."--Vogue "This castle is
exactly where Rapunzel should be letting down her hair. It's amazing--unusual
and full of character."--Tatler "Heaven!" --The New York Times Travel Magazine
"If I have only one life to live, let me live a good part of it at the
Castello di Vicarello."--Richard David Story, editor-in-chief, Departures
"Castello di Vicarello offers some of the most spectacular food in Italy,
thanks to Aurora Baccheschi Berti. Lovingly prepared with local ingredients,
Aurora's dishes succeed in transporting her guests to the perfect state of
bliss."--Julian Niccolini, Managing Partner, The Four Seasons Restaurant, New
York "We still talk about the fried zucchini flowers, and the dark cured ham
made from boars reared on the estate. I quickly realized the only proper
answer to 'What would you like for lunch' was 'Whatever you would like to
cook!'"--Ed Smith, The Times, London Read more