In the kitchen of Casa Bellavista there is a large marble topped table.  When students gather around this table, it becomes the nerve center for a Casa Bellavista cooking class.  On this table, some of the finest traditional Tuscan dishes are prepared by students of Simonetta's cooking classes.  Gnocchi, ragout di carne, pasta, insalata di farro, braciola di maiale alle erbe aromatiche, petto di pollo all florentina and many other dishes are created for the eating pleasure of the students.

Against one of the walls, shelves are laidened with fresh fruits and vegetables.  Hanging on a rack against another wall is a large selection of pans and pots waiting to go to work in preparation of some of the finest Tuscan dishes students in the cooking classes will ever taste.  On the menu for this day's cooking class are: gnocchi, insalata di farro, pollo alla fiorentina and a torta for desert.

While the potatoes boil in a large pot on the stove, in preparation for making fresh gnocchi, the students are busy rolling out chicken breasts

as the first step in preparing  petto di pollo all florentina.  Once the breasts are rolled to the appropriate thickness, they are layered with fresh spinich and fontina cheese.  When the layering is complete, the breasts are rolled and placed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil in preparation for cooking.

The table is cleaned and prepared for the preparation of gnocchi which begins with the peeling of the potatoes.  After the potatoes are mashed

they are mixed with flour, eggs and salt and kneaded into a dough.  After rolling the dough into long strips it is cut in to one inch sections which are “grooved” so the gnocchi will hold the flavourful ragu sauce which has been simmering on the stove top since the cooking students diced and chopped the ragu ingredients in the early part of the class. 

The gnocchi, having been prepared, it is now time to think of the insalata.  On today’s cooking menu is Insalata di Farro.  As the farro cooks, olives, celery, tomatoes, capers and anchovies are chopped and diced. 

These ingredients will be added to the farro once it is cooked and cooled.

A fine traditional Tuscan dinner is never complete without dolce.  Today’s class menu calls for the baking of a Torta di Fruita.  Fruits are sliced and layered in a pan lined with freshly made pastry dough.  While the torta is being finalized, the ragu sauce is given its final seasoning.  The insalata ingredients are folded together. 

While the table is being set, the new “chefs” take a break and prepare to enjoy the results of their afternoon's culinary accomplishments.  After dinner, perhaps a little café or grappa...perhaps a little of each.

The experience of a cooking class at Casa Bellavista is rich with traditional Tuscan cooking.  It is an afternoon and evening the class participants will take with them and remember as their stories of “cooking Tuscan” are shared with their friends back home.

Dave Galusha
www.fototoscana.com

I met Steve Maarten when he submitted a comment on our blog. Then I was led to Inspirational Spark. The Internet is a wonderful source for finding quotes and the like, but what I like about Inspirational Spark is the organization of the material.  For example, if you were toasting at a dinner party and you wanted to thank someone, you might just visit this page on thank you quotes. My favorite was simple & sweet:
"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom." Author Unknown

Then there are those romantic quotes that we wish we could remember, but when the time comes…well sometimes we choke up. Just go to this page, pick your favorite quote, jot it down & you’re bound to make the impression you want. Here’s one of my favorites.

We like someone because. We love someone although. Henri De Montherlant

I gave up sugar in my coffee years ago. The substitute? Honey! Then I discovered honey for many other uses – glazing grilled fish, luscious on granola cereal with soy-milk and a tablespoon if I needed to calm down after a stressful day. I love honey so much that I wanted to share with you this honey site…or I should say this website on honey. http://honey.n-ergetics.com  You can read articles about honey, discover new uses for honey, learn about varieties of honey you never would have dreamed of…but most importantly you can buy honey for yourself or as a gift for others. Have at it!

I’ve been thinking about a July 4^th post and grilling out tips just does not get me there. Patriotic, summer, food and the good ole’ USA. What does all that add up to? Well, for me I found it through my favorite Congressman, Dr. Ron Paul. Ron Paul was a Republican Presidential candidate. No he did not beat McCain but he gave the status quo an eye opening run for their money. Of all things…you can buy a Ron Paul family & friends cookbook right on his website. The price is right at $10. I’m ordering mine today. Our 4^th of July food extravaganza will have to be a little late, but when I have the results, we’ll make a special post along with a toast to yes, you heard me say it…..an honest politician, Dr. Ron Paul! Happy 4th.

So what makes one item popular for a season and another item popular for another? In the cold months our Parisian menu is top seller / hands down. But in the summer it's Tuscan. I believe that the rich sauces associated with French cuisine suit us better in the colder months. Then when we want to shed those heavy clothes & drop a pound or two, attention turns to Tuscan.....a little lighter fare.

All our Tuscan menus are 20% off! That's the Tuscan 4 course dinner gift, plus Tuscan dinner gifts for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Congratulations, Thinking Of You and Thank You. Don't miss out! Check out our home page for the promo code. Bon appetit!

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So how do you think about cupcakes? I think of a fun & whimsical treat. Maybe a kid's snack. Or a quick sweet treat I might pick up at my grocery bakery. Well Tony & Malgosia Monje have another idea about cupcakes….theirs is all about a sinful gourmet dessert for us grown ups, The Ultimate Cupcake.

You know you have a good thing when celebrities like Rosie O'Donnell quickly embrace your product. Well, I respect Rosie's opinion but wanted to evaluate these new fangled cupcakes for myself.  Tony was kind enough to send along a dozen to our GourmetStation R&D center. Fed Ex delivered around Noon and the cupcakes were still nice & cold with both packaging and product in tact. Fortunately we'd just finished lunch so the cupcakes served as an uplifting Friday afternoon dessert. The first thing I noticed was the amount of icing. Most cupcakes might smear a little of this gooey gold on top but not Ultimate Cupcakes. The icing was piled as high as you might expect on a piece of cake at a 5 star restaurant. The relationship of icing to cake is very important mind you - too much or too little icing and the experience is....well, just not right. It was obvious that quality ingredients are used in these cupcakes because of the creamy rich flavors.

I enjoyed dark chocolate, but you may also purchase vanilla, strawberry, red velvet, pumpkin and lemon poppy seed. Prices are a reasonable $33 per dozen. When I say reasonable, you will know what I mean when you try these cupcakes. They rival any gourmet dessert out there.

Right now the cupcakes are only available in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area. But Tony is hard at work to develop a mail order business that will service the entire US. Thanks Tony & Malgosia for putting a new gourmet spin on an old favorite.

Ultimate Cupcake

Order By Phone: 817-881-7444

Tasting the local seafood can be one of the greatest pleasures of a
seaside vacation in France.  When Parisians rent efficiency apartments
for August, they normally prepare most meals at their apartments.  However,
one restaurant splurge usually finds its way into the vacation budget,
and more than likely that will include a plate of mussels and fries, known
here as ‘moules-frites.’

Before I au paired in France, the only mussels I had tasted were the
huge New Zealand variety.  French mussels are much smaller (especially the
farmed mussels) – and almost sweet.  Because they are smaller they also
tend to be much less chewy.  So, what I’m saying is, if you didn’t like
mussels back in the US, try these out – at least once.

Even though ‘moules-frites’ is often offered as a starter, don’t be
fooled.  The servings are huge.  You get a huge bowl and normally a
bucket
to discard the shells.  Some restaurants like the one we chose in
Courseulles, Normandie offered ‘all you can eat’ mussels.

As with all popular dishes, people develop their own strategies for
enjoying this dish.  The purists will order ‘moules marinieres’.  In
this case, mussels are boiled with a dash of white wine and shallots.  Or you
can try the ‘moules a la crème’ which is a standard choice at most
Norman seaside resorts.  Our restaurant had several other options including
curry flavored mussels and Roquefort mussels. The method remains the same.
You receive a steaming bowl of mussels with plenty of  marinade.  You
can either go straight to the attack, devouring one mussel after another
or – fastidiously extract all your mussels from their shells and make
yourself a soup of sorts.  If you do this, you might want to go for the ‘moules a
la crème’.

As for all those etiquette lessons about not dunking your bread in the
sauce – well you can leave this chapter of the book in your suitcase.  I
learned that the best way to eat mussels is by emptying one of the
shells. Turn the empty shell into your utensil and squeeze it like a pair of
tweezers to extract the rest of the mussels in record time.

I think one of the reasons French people love this dish is partly
because it’s tactile.  This is a dish you can climb into with both hands.
Normally a towelette is served alongside.  On the Atlantic coast,
another great dish is ‘mouclade’.  This is a gratin of mussels.  The mussels are
shelled and served piping hot in a gratinee.  You can use your fork for
this, but it won’t be as much fun as ‘moules-frites’.
Apart from being delicious and filling,  ‘moules-frites’ is often one of
the most reasonably priced resort meals you’ll find in France.

Chris Card Fuller

www.parislogue.com

GourmetStation, the leading national merchant for gourmet dinner gifts, upscale gourmet meals and fine food gifts, announced the introduction of their new Americana menu for Father's Day 2008.

(PRWEB) May 30, 2008 -- Gourmet dinner gifts are not just for Moms these days. With Father's Day just around the corner, GourmetStation has been busy developing it's 2nd Americana menu designed for Dads and the gentlemen of the household.

This brand new Americana 3 course dinner for two features handmade appetizers such as gorgonzola puffs and artichoke and parmesan bites. Four new entrees from field and stream have been developed starting with lamb top sirloin in apricot sauce, lemon dill baked salmon, beef tips in burgundy wine sauce and Dutch Pennsylvania stuffed chicken. The gourmet dinner gift is topped off with another new item, apple spice cheesecake. The Father's Day gift is priced at $69.99 plus free 2nd day shipping.

"After the huge success of our first Americana dinner gift in 2007, we knew we must develop more menus that would appeal to men" says Donna Lynes-Miller, founder and President of GourmetStation, " We thoroughly enjoyed developing this new Americana menu just in time for Father's Day 2008" Lynes-Miller went on to comment.

About GourmetStation - www.gourmetstation.com
GourmetStation delivers a delicious in-home dining experience complete with the flavor of travel to an exciting cultural destination. The online retailer offers the unique opportunity to give or receive a unique gourmet food gifts to mark a life-cycle occasion or just to take a night off from cooking. GourmetStation offers multiple regional menu options including Parisian, Tuscan, Cajun, Fusion, Americana as well a Romance menu and seasonal menus like Thanksgiving dinner delivered, Christmas dinner delivered, and Valentine dinner delivered. The wide variety of destination themed food gifts is designed to spark the imagination of both the giver and receiver. Each chef-inspired gourmet dinner is intended to provide a dining experience similar to that of its regional inspiration.

Internationally themed three and four course gourmet meals, and soup gifts are delivered anywhere in the United States. Deep-chilled gourmet dinners and gourmet soups require only 30 minutes preparation. Some dinner gifts include European blend coffee or organic tea, after-dinner candy, floating candle and matches. Prices for gourmet dinner gifts and soup gifts start at $49.99 plus shipping. Gourmet gift certificates, including Dinner of the Month certificates, Dessert of the Month certificates and Soup of the Month certificates are ideal for birthdays and anniversaries. For more information, visit www.GourmetStation.com or call 1-888-944-9794.

When I was a kid I used to pray for a new vegetable….anything other than the English peas served in our school cafeteria. I didn’t realize it, but I was suffering from an early stage of “food burnout.” And as we get older, food burnout gets worse!  Well, I’ve got a remedy for this ailment…..Wagyu beefsteaks.

I already know your first question – what’s “Wagyu”?  Wagyu refers to Japanese beef cattle – “wa” means Japanese style and “gyu” means cattle. So let’s start with Japanese Kobe beef, the legendary highly marbleized beef that can cost upwards of $300 a pound. Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle but in order to be labeled Kobe, the meat must originate in Kobe Japan where it graded and tested to rigorous standards. With Japanese land constraints and price pressures, Wagyu cattle are now being raised in America and Australia. So essentially Wagyu is Kobe-style beef with all it’s wonderful eating quality only produced in a region that allows for more reasonable prices. Now that’s a formula for a gourmet.

Wagyu beef is valued because of the intense marbling that translates to a buttery, succulent taste and tenderness. There are more monounsaturated fats that melt at room temperature making Wagyu beef appropriate for a lower cholesterol diet. Slices of raw Wagyu beef are sometimes served sashimi- style but most Americans prefer it gently seared, like tuna, so that the meat is crisp on the outside and rare on the inside. Here are some key tips in preparing your Wagyu delicacy – bon appetit!

1. 1^st Rule – Do not grill Wagyu steaks – grilling can ruin the Wagyu taste experience.
2. Allow the steak to reach room temperature before cooking
3. Heat a non-stick griddle-type pan on high and add liberal pinches of rock or sea salt to the hot pan before adding the steak. (The sizzle of the salt combined with marbling fat produces a mouth watering caramelized crust. Wagyu steaks have their own natural coating so do not add butter or oil to the pan that can introduce flavors and mask the Wagyu taste.)
4. Sear steak on both sides for 2 minutes each then reduce heat to medium low.
5. Allow steak to finish cooking under reduced heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally.
6. Serve on a pre-warmed plate.
7. Enjoy!

In the early days of GourmetStation it seemed that most of our dinner gifts were sent to the ladies of the household…especially on special occasions like Mother’s Day. After all, the ladies of the house have cooked for many of us for many years. Then one day someone suggested that GourmetStation needed more “guy food.” In concept “guy food” seemed like a good idea, but how to make meat and potatoes gourmet was the big challenge.

2007 was a year filled with new product development…a whole new menu line was designed for….well, “guys.” Since other GourmetStation menus center around exotic regions known for their cuisine, we decided to develop the new menu around authentic American cuisine. The first attempt was Father’s Day 2007 - our Americana 4 course dinner gift for two and it was an immediate success. We selected New England clam chowder and rustic beef & mushroom soup for starters. While the Big Sky Beef Ribs and Glazed Pork Chops are the most popular entrees, many of our new male gift recipients ventured to try Pecan Encrusted Trout and Manchester Quail.

So how do we top the success of the Father’s Day 2007 Americana menu? With an all new Father’s Day 2008 Americana Menu – 3 delicious courses featuring 4 new entrees, a new dessert and free shipping. Chef’s pick for this delicious menu is below. If you have one of those Dad’s who has it all and you’re seeking a unique experience, give Dad dinners from field, sky & steam – true Americana fare.

Chef’s Pick – New Father’s Day 2008 Americana Menu

Handmade Appetizers: Gorgonzola & Cranberry Pastry & Artichoke Hearts
Entrée 1: Beef Tips - Tender beef slow cooked in a rich burgundy wine sauce
Entrée 2: Lemon Dill Salmon - Generous salmon fillet with beurre blanc dill sauce
Dessert: Apple Spice Cheesecake

GourmetStation is your trusted merchant for food gifts for Father's Day including gourmet dinner gifts, meals delivered and a line up of Father's Day gift certificates that allow Dad to select his favorite menu and convenient delivery location.