When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to cook peposo (traditional Tuscan stew) in her old terracotta pot, and the aroma of spices and Chianti wine would fill the whole kitchen. I would run home from school, my heart racing, eager to taste that wonderful dish.

Today, after years of studying at the Italian Culinary Academy and gaining experience as a professional chef, I’ve revisited this classic Tuscan stew, bringing it to the table with my personal touch while preserving its rustic and comforting soul.

During my cooking classes in Tuscany and the private dinners I prepare in villas and B&Bs across the region, I take my guests on a journey through authentic flavors and the stories behind the recipes I loved as a child.

During my 3-day full immersion cooking experience in Tuscany, guests learn how to prepare Peposo Traditional Tuscan Stew from scratch, just like in my family kitchen.

Peposo is one of my favorite dishes: the tenderness of beef, slowly cooked with Chianti and a blend of aromatic spices, creates a perfect balance of fragrance and flavor in this

Peposo Traditional Tuscan Stew

It’s impossible not to fall in love with it: the pepper gently tickling the tongue, the aroma of cinnamon and star anise enveloping the meat, the creamy sauce embracing mashed potatoes… this Peposo Traditional Tuscan Stew is more than food; it’s an experience, a memory, an emotion.

Peposo Traditional Tuscan Stew

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) beef shank or chuck

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp (1 cucchiaio) extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small knob butter (1 noce di burro)

• 3 bay leaves, torn

• 1 sprig of sage (5-6 leaves)

• 1 tbsp (1 cucchiaio) juniper berries

• 1 tbsp (1 cucchiaio) whole black pepper

• 1 tbsp (1 cucchiaio) freshly ground black pepper

• 1 star anise

• 5 cloves, only the round heads

• 1 cinnamon stick, halved or 1 tsp (1 cucchiaino) ground cinnamon

• 3 cups (750 ml) Chianti or dry red wine

• 1 cup (250 ml) water, more if needed

• Salt to taste

• Flour for dredging the beef

• Mashed potatoes, for serving

Instructions

1. In a terracotta pot (or a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot), heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

2. Add the butter.

3. Dredge the beef in flour, shake off excess, and brown lightly on all sides in the pot.

4. Add bay leaves, sage, juniper berries, whole and ground black pepper, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Stir to combine with the meat and onion.

5. Pour in the wine and water, stir, and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly for about 2 hours or more, stirring occasionally and adding wine or water if necessary, until the meat is tender and a thick sauce forms.

7. Season with salt at the end, stir, and turn off the heat.

8. Serve hot, preferably with creamy mashed potatoes.

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For your homemade pasta

INGREDIENTS 4 people:

PROCEDURE:

Salva

Salva

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Welcome to Tuscany

As the golden Tuscan sun dips beneath the rolling hills, casting an enchanting glow over the picturesque landscape, I can’t help but reminisce about the countless culinary adventures we’ve shared in my authentic chicken cacciatore cooking class here. Tuscany, with its rich history, vibrant culture, and of course, its divine cuisine, has always been close to my heart.

Today, I want to share a piece of this magical place with you – a delicious recipe for an Authentic Chicken Cacciatore cooking class that will transport your taste buds to the heart of Italy. And that’s why I created a chicken Cacciatore Cooking class, ’cause the subject is really mouth-watering and requested.

Whether we come to your villa in Tuscany for cooking courses or private chef service, or you come to our cooking school near Lucca, Chicken is one of the most studied ingredients in the kitchen. I’m also learning about it from the Paul Bocuse Institute book that I’m currently reading.

Preface

An authentic Chicken Cacciatore, or “pollo alla cacciatora” in Italian, is a cherished and time-honored dish that hails from the heart of Italy. Its name, which translates to “hunter’s chicken,” offers a glimpse into its rustic origins. Traditionally, this dish was prepared by Italian hunters using locally available ingredients like chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs.

chicken cacciatora

The result is a delightful combination of flavors, making it a true taste of Italy. In this recipe, we’ll guide you through the preparation of an authentic Chicken Cacciatore that celebrates the rich heritage of Tuscan cuisine.

Authentic Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
• 2 fresh sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 jar of green olives preserved in oil 12oz

Instructions:

1. Season the Chicken:
   • Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with salt and black pepper.
2. Sear the Chicken:
   • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.
   • Well, now add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and sear them until they are browned on both sides. This should take about 4-5 minutes per side. Once browned, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
3. Saute the Aromatics and Peppers:
   • So, add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the same skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
4. Add Tomatoes:
   • It’s time to pour in the diced tomatoes, and if using, the red wine. Stir to combine.
5. Season and Simmer:
   • Add now the dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir everything together.
   • Return the seared chicken to the skillet, placing the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and tomato mixture.
6. Simmer and Cook:
   • Finally, bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
   • Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
   • 5 minutes before the chicken is fully cooked, add the olives
7. Adjust the Seasoning:
   • Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed
8. Well now, at the end of a Cacciatore chicken cooking class, we serve this delicious dish:
   • Well, serve the Chicken Cacciatore as a main course with roasted potatoes or fresh salad
   • Garnish with fresh basil leaves and fresh parsley if desired.

This authentic Chicken Cacciatore is a celebration of Italian culinary traditions and is certain to transport your taste buds to the rolling hills of Italy. Buon appetito!

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Trippa cooking class in Tuscany!

Finally this dish, after 15 years of an honorable career finally someone who asks me to take such a class.

Someone who wants to learn how to make this typical Tuscan dish. Well, difficult to believe, but they called me for a bachelorette party. Do you remember the Pasta bachelorette at Dolce Vita in Tuscany Cooking School?  Well, this time the girls wanted to learn how to make tripe. So, let’s go with a trippa cooking class in Tuscany.

They then will propose it to their friends and the bride to her future husband. I can’t believe how far ahead they are! A cooking class on tripe is something that you may never taste in your country but that is really worth trying in this where I’m living: Tuscany, Italy.

What’s better than a trippa cooking class in Tuscany? Yes, I know tripe is a typical Tuscan food that impresses not to say disgusting to many. But this dish of poor cuisine actually has infinite and beneficial nutritional properties.

First of all the thinness. In fact, contrary to what you may think, tripe is a very healthy and lean dish, with few calories.

What is tripe? It’s the inside of a cow’s stomach. Tripe and lampredotto are typical and historical Tuscan foods that you’ve to taste. If you like to discover the authenticity of a country. Beyond the impression or disgust, this dish is for us exquisite. Trippa is cooked in almost all families! Furthermore, it is also much loved by young male people who, as you know, prefer meat to the current vegetarian and vegan prerogatives.

I leave you the recipe because those who come to Tuscany should still taste the tripe or the lampredotto and then change their mind.

In fact, food is knowledge and also a surprise!

INGREDIENTS

Tripe 2 pounds (1 kg)
Peeled tomatoes 2 pounds (1 kg)
White onions 2
Carrots 2
Celery 2 ribs
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (to be grated) 100 g
Salt up to taste
Black pepper to taste

TRIPPA COOKING CLASS IN TUSCANY INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the Trippa Toscana, start with the sautéed vegetables: trim and peel the carrot, cut it into strips then finely chop.

Peel and then finely chop the celery too and the onion

Pour the olive oil into a pan, then add the chopped veggies.

Take the tripe and cut it into strips: tradition would like them to be larger, but you can make them thinner for faster and easier cooking. Add it to the pan when the sautéed and well-flavored.

Let it flavor for about ten minutes, turning from time to time. Add the peeled tomatoes, break them up a bit with a wooden spoon, stir.

Cover with a lid and cook for another 20 minutes over moderate heat. Remove the lid, salt, and pepper.

Once the bowl is ready, before removing it from the heat, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and mix.

If necessary, cook again to let the sauce shrink a little, because the tripe shouldn’t be soupy. Once ready, you can plate your tripe and serve to pipe hot with crusty bread and more grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP Pleasure.

Well, here’s our Trippa Cooking Class in Tuscany…

Buon Appetito!

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Italian detox meals after the feast. I really feel the need to detoxify myself, to eat something lighter!

So let’s put aside the fatty proteins from pork and cold cuts and dedicate a little more to what is a vegetable.

There’s 1 Italian starter, 2 first courses, 2 main courses, and 2 desserts. The menus can however be interchangeable with each other!

PAPPA COL POMODORO (TYPICAL TUSCAN DISH)

Let’s not demonize carbohydrates (they help us to be energetic), cut down on sugars and fats, and enjoy our meals! This pappa is delicious and very delicate. Enjoy it!

MACKEREL AND ORANGE

Mackerel is rich in omega-3 and even facilitates cellular reproduction. Thanks to the orange in this recipe, you’ll taste a very delicious flavor; besides having a very healthy main course.

TORTA DI RICOTTA DELLA NONNA

This cake with pine nuts and ricotta, reminds my nonna and all the adventures with her. There’s also a label in the picture, dated 2013. It is an ancient cake with my grandmother’s recipe. Very soft and it won’t hurt you if you taste it in the morning at breakfast to start the day in the right way.

BROCCOLI, SHRIMP AND TURMERIC PASTA

I love shrimp in all their ways and types. They’re so tasty and full of flavor! This pasta with broccoli, turmeric, and shrimp, will bring you directly to an Italian restaurant in Marina di Pisa, near the port; where the fishermen arrive and the fish is very fresh.

MINI VEGGIE PIES

Feeling light, detoxified, and more energetic, thanks to the mineral salts, vitamins, and antioxidants present in these vegetables. You’re going to be very satisfied with your detox meal, today.

YOGURT AND FOREST FRUIT IN A GLASS

Guys! What could be better than forest fruit accompanied by yogurt? They will surely make a creamy, rich, but at the same time light dessert.

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I do not know how to explain it, but yesterday I cooked this dish and I still think to it, its perfumes, the crunchiness of the bread, the baked gruyere flavor… well, I can not wait to taste it again. Another surprise from this soup: it’s loved “very very much” by my girls, it’s the guarantee that if a dish is a delicious one, that is for everyone!

Furthermore, as you can see from the picture, this onion soup still continues to be appreciated after many years: Ginevra is now 16 years old, but in the first picture Ginevra was 10 only 10!

The onion soup, the original French one, needs golden onions.

Ingredients:

Onions 550 gr (1Lb) usually: 2 red, 2 gold, 3 shallots, 1 white, 1 leek)

Chop the onions veeeeeeery thin and pour in a pan with 50g butter and 4 or 5 tablespoons of oil.

Salva

Salva

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Italian Aperitivo: Gougeres (French cheese puffs)

Running Cooking Classes in Tuscany often means toasting with an aperitif in your hands, together with your students.

Sometimes we toast throughout Tuscany due to my work as a traveling chef, other times we toast directly in the kitchen of the “Cuoche in Vacanza” Cooking School and B&B near Lucca.

Well, for sure we had a great Italian Aperitivo last week. It was the starter for a buffet of about 30 people. The closing of a master’s degree at the University of Genoa was celebrated.

So, the Italian Aperitivo: Gougeres is very fashionable in recent times. I have learned these french cheese puffs directly from my stepmother who is from Dijon in Burgundy where they originate. For the buffet that I prepared, I decided to accompany them with an excellent smoked salmon.

Well, in Italy, we put the Gougeres over a charcuterie board with delicious cold cuts and also precisely with the smoked salmon.

Follow the steps one by one and you will have one of the most delicious things in the world.

Buon Appetito!

GOUGERES (french cheese puffs)

INGREDIENTS

5 oz (150 gr) flour

5 oz (150 gr) groviera or emmenthal or maasdam cheese

2 oz (60 gr) butter 

1 cup  (250 ml) water

1 pinch nutmeg 

to taste salt, pepper

4 whole eggs

1 yolk for brushing

METHOD

Boil water + butter

Add the flour in one stroke and whisk well

Pour 1 egg till incorporated … proceed with one egg at a time till they’re finished.

Add 3⁄4 of the groviera and the nutmeg and mix again

Switch on the oven 392°F (200°C)

Grease a baking tray with butter (you can also use baking paper)

Spoon the pasta on the tray (help yourself with a teaspoon to expel the dough from the spoon in one move)

Spread the remaining cheese on the top

Brush (if you like) the yolk on the top before baking

Bake at 392 °F (200 °C) for 30 minutes (fan)

Important Recommendations

Before switching off the oven, check the gougeres are well baked on the bottom and touch the top that should be hard (not elastic).

Turn off the oven and let them dry and cool inside the oven, with the oven door slightly open

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A Cooking School near Lucca: this is my bet!

Certainly, I have not chosen the most suitable period  (covid, criticisms). Anyway, the enthusiasm I have in running Cooking Classes in Tuscany for foreigners in Italy continues to give me the “power”.

In addition to my job as an Itinerant Chef, I needed a permanent place, a brick’n mortar place.

And this is how Dolce Vita B&B and Cooking was born. Because of the lockdown, I exploited the spaces by building a real video studio and photographic set; I got busy with Facebook FREE live streamings and in this school, I also run online cooking classes.

I am facing the construction of an original recipe in all its expressions: writing (SEE THE RECIPE BELOW), video (RIGHT DOWN HERE), photography, and socials.

So in this post, you have all these possibilities.

Among the requested recipes could not miss the “pignoli cookies”.

PIGNOLI COOKIES THE FREE FACEBOOK LIVE STREAMING

I replicated these typically Tuscan biscuits directly from my grandmother’s recipe.

They’re so expensive in the United States (they told me you pay about 40 dollars per kg!). But hey can also be very affordable according to my recipe; you don’t even need to buy almond paste, you can make it without problems and very quickly.

You absolutely have to try this recipe that is not only easy and fast but I assure you it is really delicious and that is why it is still a great success among my customers and students in Tuscany.

If you try it let me know.

If you don’t want to use cupcake liners you can try making these as regular cookies.

Just make the ball a little bigger than I did and you will see that you will have excellent regular biscuits.

Buon appetito to everyone and see you for the next recipe!

PIGNOLI COOKIES RECIPE

BY ERIKA ELIA (WWW.COOKINGCLASSESINTUSCANY.NET)

INGREDIENTS:

3,6 oz (100 gr) confectioner’s sugar 

1 tsp honey

3,6 oz (100 gr) peeled almonds

3,6 oz (100gr) pine nuts

1 egg white

TOOLS: mini cupcake liners https://amzn.to/3g8YkDb​ mini muffin tin (optional) https://amzn.to/3gbNaO3

METHOD:

1. For the ALMOND PASTE: blend the almonds in the blender; you’ll get a fine flour.

2. Mix the icing sugar with honey, almond flour, and egg white. As you get a dough, give it the shape of a ball and cover it with plastic wrap. You can put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the next day.

3. Preheat the oven at 360 °F (180 °C)

4. Remove the dough from the fridge. Take 1 teaspoon of dough at a time and make a ball rolling the dough by hands.

5. Pass the balls in the pine nuts, pressing them well with your hands to make them well combined.

6. Arrange the pignoli cookies on a baking sheet OR a Muffin tray, inside small cupcake liners.

7. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned.

8. Let them cool completely.

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To make easy bread with sourdough has always been a dream for many of my students.

Thanks to online cooking classes, this year many students have learned how to create sourdough yeast from Zero.

Can’t wait to meet all of you in person at my Dolce Vita in Tuscany Cooking School, maybe right in the kitchen from where I shoot my classes.

Well, now is the time to start baking. We will make some good ones together, from Focaccia to Bread, to all that wonderful universe that revolves around sourdough (yeast).

Only 4 ingredients to change the world: water, flour, yeast, and salt … and then to these you can add every detail that comes out of our imagination.

Making bread, however, is not at all easy. Furthermore, the procedure is very complex.

It is precisely for this reason that I have decided to come and help you with this fantastic, easy, and fast recipe.

In fact, while we wait for our sourdough yeast, (just created) to gain strength every day, we can try our hand at this experiment. I assure you that the taste is very good and it is also very very convenient as preparation because you can decide to do it in the evening for working it in the morning.

Very important tips:

1. use the freshly refreshed yeast (so that at least 4 hours have passed since the last refreshment, but no more than 12 hours).
2. it is a highly hydrated procedure, so flour the bowl in which you will leave the dough to rise very well.
3. since it is sourdough (mother yeast), you will have to wait at least 6-10 hours (time depends on a multitude of factors) before it is properly leavened. 

TRICK to understand when the dough has risen:

1. bubbles are visible in or just below the surface; the dough has tripled in volume.
2. The bread gains strength and flavor also thanks to the folding operation. For this bread it is sufficient to proceed with the wallet folds, closing the openings each time with the fingertips. Make the folds first on the long side and then on the short side of the dough.

To make easy bread with sourdough, but with active dry yeast as well

Facilitation on my part (of those that I happened to read a few times). In fact, next to the quantity of sourdough yeast, I put the right amount of yeast for bread making. In this way, you can make excellent bread even without mother yeast, perhaps halving the rising times.

EASY BREAD  WITH SOURDOUGH (IN A POT)

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Focaccia Pugliese online cooking class is my last live stream. In fact, I’m making many Italian and Tuscan recipes directly from the kitchen of my Cooking School and B&B in Tuscany.

Someone prefers Watching a Video

Well, as a chef, I can say that many people prefer watching a video, then stop each step and follow the procedure. Furthermore, in this way, you can easily understand the “right way” to handle an ingredient. So, watching a video means that you can notice many suggestions and tricks that you are not able to understand just reading a recipe. At which level of the oven to bake, for example, and how long. Well, often this is not written in a recipe, but watching a video you can’t forget it. So you know how much is important, right?

Some others prefer reading and print the recipe

On the other hand, some others prefer to read and print the recipes. They want to bring a paper with them, maybe near the stove, without thinking of watching too far from where they’re cooking.

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