In this food and wine journey of "Italia a Morsi", Tuscany cannot be missed, a land of unique villages and landscapes. Montepulciano, a historic village nestled in the hills of Siena, is the protagonist of this episode, unique for its historical and artistic beauties and its traditional flavors.
Montepulciano is a medieval gem surrounded by vineyards and hills.
In the episode filmed in Montepulciano, Chiara Maci met Barbara, originally from Rome but with family roots deeply intertwined with Montepulciano.
Located within the characteristic medieval village, which climbs the hill adorned with towers and bell towers and enclosed by three rings of walls, the home of our Cesarina Barbara captures the essence of this charming atmosphere. Additionally, in her home, there is a beautiful cellar "hidden" where several bottles of typical local wine age, which Barbara also relies on to enhance her traditional recipes.
Barbara's passion for cooking was written into her destiny from the very beginning and blossomed when, just over a decade ago, she decided to return to live in her childhood home, that of her grandmother Emilia. Barbara's grandmother was considered the "cook of the village". For this reason, her recipe books are treasured by the people of Montepulciano who still today follow and praise her wonderful recipes, like Anna, who sells the Mantuan cake baked following the secrets of Grandma Emilia in her bakery.
Also, her meeting with Raffaello, her husband, who always filled the house with guests to feed, "pushed" her to become more passionate about cooking and sparked in her the desire to rediscover traditional recipes from the region.
"How do I make my cooking so flavorful? Thanks to a touch of chili pepper and the tone of the wine from my cellar." - Barbara
Recipes from the episode:
- Pappa al Pomodoro
- Fried Polenta with Cinta Senese Lard and Aged Pecorino
- Pici Pasta with Aglione (Garlic Tomato Sauce)
- Roasted Rabbit
- Tuscan Kale with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Chili Pepper
Cooking classes and food tours by Cesarine in Tuscany
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L'Italia a Morsi
"Italia a Morsi" is a culinary television program airing since January 16, 2019. In each episode, Chiara Maci visits an Italian location in search of its culinary traditions: in the first part of the episode, the food blogger and host explores the city and meets local producers; in the second part, she goes to the home of a Cesarina who prepares typical dishes of her area and serves them in her home restaurant.