Tuscan Cookbook - Recipes and Reminiscences from the Italian Cooking School

This book transports readers to the Tuscan region of Italy for the fresh and delicious recipes Stephanie and Maggie feature at their cooking schools. A tour through traditional Tuscan kitchens across the region features mouth-watering delicacies from Firenze to Siena, and beautiful photos of fresh ingredients, some finished dishes, many talented local cooks and their inspiring scenery. Every dish tells a story.

When Australian chefs Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer arrived in Tuscany to run a cooking school, they had no idea how much fun they were going to have. Their Tuscan Cookbook is the result of those magical two months. Meals revolved around basic ingredients: bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and wine. The first lesson was: "The fruit and vegetables were so fresh that they had to be used immediately: when one is surrounded by produce picked when ready to eat this is exactly what one must do!" Students and teachers alike learned to produce sumptuous meals based on what the market had that morning. One day it might be Grilled Squab with a Gratin of Squash or perhaps Herbed Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Red Onion Sauce. Another day is might be Rotolo di Spinaci preceded by an antipasto with mozzarella-stuffed zucchini flowers and marinated mussels. The accompanying photos of the dishes and Tuscan life are as tantalizing as the recipes. --Dana Van Nest