First my thanks to Lisa Banchieri for coming over to London from Florence again and giving us such great cookery lessons – and whether she meant to or not – bringing with her such unbelievably good English Autumn weather!!

As a Personal Chef Lisa has worked for many of the great and the good in Tuscany, so I feel very privileged to share her skills to help me make a simple English Breakfast to eat  in our garden on Sunday morning – and it is safe to say that her scambled eggs were the highlight of the meal!

But I am learning a lot from Lisa and so, I hope, are my friends – our first session was on Thursday late afternoon when we made the menu below,  gaily washed down with lots of prosecco,  and later ate the lot – with plenty more wine accompaniment  – complete with instruction from our Sommelier Alessandro – after he had finishing playing with -she might say torturing – Calze cat!

Alessandro and Calze

Menu 6/9/12

• Fresh pasta Ravioli with courgette and parmesan  filling – so yummy – with Vermentino 2011 Poggioargentiera
• Arista con uva – Lisa own recipe for cooking pork loin encased in pancetta in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and big juicy red grapes – the grapes give sweetness to the meat and the acid in the fruit cuts though some of the grease – with Poliziano Chianti DOCG 2010
• Pannacotta – with a strawberry and sweet wine topping – with more prosecco
• all followed by Vin Santo and almond biscuits

Eileen triumphant after making the ravioli parcels

Eileen was jubilant after making her pasta parcels for our ravioli – fun to make for all the family!

Alessandro shows off his tagliatelle – which we made just for fun – so everyone took some fresh pasta home for lunch the next day

We had some spare pasta left after making ravioli so Lisa showed us how to cut tagliatelle and tagliatellini as well and everyone had a pot of fresh pasta to take home for lunch the next day!

Lisa and Sue prepare the Pork Loin – Arista

Lisa wrapped the pancetta round the pork and tied it in place with cooking string – it add even more flavour to the pork and goes deliciously crispy !!

Discussing parsley chopping

Some time was spent discussing the best way to chop fresh herbs – Lis’a advice is that it is better to go without altogether than not use fresh herbs  -so I have to chuck out those handy little tubs and go down the garden whatever the weather!!

Copious notes were taken

Copious notes were taken as always because Lisa always develops a recipe idea as she is talking to us – so most people go home with another three recipes to try out scribbled on their recipe sheets – her favourite response to “Could I try?”  is  “Why not? – and you could always add a little ….whatever little inspiration comes to her mind to make it perfect!”

Lisa in my kitchen just as we begin the lesson

08.09.12

On Saturday morning we had a second class – a lightweight meal as we knew we had a heavy party night to contend with in the evening so we cooked:-

Menu Saturday 8/9/12

• zucchine and pea risotto
• pesce in acqua pazza – fish in crazy water – assorted vegetables and olive oil medley – so delicious
• roast pesche -( peach) with a free Italian lesson thrown in on the pronunciation differences between C and CH – hopefully the next time I ask for Peach tea I wont get the usual “funny look” based on having asked for tea with fish!

2012 September Irene London Party 002

Next Tuscan Cookery class in Florence is on Wednesday 19 September – to be held at Da Pinocchio, Piazza Mercato Centrale , Firenze  from 10- 14.30 – on request we can shop in the nearby Mercato Centrale for fresh produce to use in our cooking before we start the class – please contact me for more details