Monthly Archives: August 2012

Back to Cooking Classes at Le Moulin

Hands on cooking classes with their own chef in a private kitchen is often what our guests look forward to when they come to La Forge. Just down the road at our farm, Bruno’s kitchen in 14th Century water mill (Le Moulin) is the perfect place to get together to cook. After a visit to the market in Libourne the menu was all fish this time…except for the desert. A carpaccio of tuna and cod with a parmasan topping for the sarter, red mulet on a bed of garden vegetables with egg plant, cheese then rasberries in a mint cream desert on a shortbread cookie. Everyone went home with the recipes and proud of their newly learned techniques from a “pro”: Chef Philippe Delobel.

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While the English were enjoying our home in Entre Deux Mers we were enjoying the Italians in Chianti

Zuccini flowers were my favorites until I discoverd THE most delicious spinach lasagna…at a restaurant we just happened upon — “il Pozzo” in the tiny walled village of  Monteriggioni in Chianti. As it turns out, the retaurant is quite well known, and for good reason, everything was perfect from the warm welcome (we arrived only 10 minutes before the kitchen was due to close, yet were ushered in with great warmth and never felt that we were hurried) to the creamy pana cotta desert.

“il Pozzo’s” spinach lasagna

.. their pana cotta with fresh blackberries

Locanda Casanuova and the Castello Vicchiomaggio  are my adresses for touring in the Tuscany region of Chianti where everyone’s vineyard is also an olive plantation and the landscape, even under the hot August sun, is as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined Tuscany to be:
Ulla und Thierry Besancon’s motto  at Casanuova, 20 minutes south of Florence toward Arrezo is: “La Bellezza della Semplicità.” The beauty of simplicity is a holiday without luxuriousness, but with just those pleasantries that help you relax in natural surroundings with delicious food in a home that welcomes their guests with a distinctive personal touch.  http://www.casanuova.info/
Castello Vicchiomaggio 30 minutes from Florence toward Sienne the Castello is ranked amongst Italy’s top wine producers and is also an elegant hotel that combines historic charm with modern service and facilities…like screens on the windows !   http://www.vicchiomaggio.it/

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