Mad About Tuscany Blog. Follow Sioban, Australian Chef on her gourmet adventures in Cortona Italy.
Hands up gin lovers? I have an amazing fact for you - 90% of the worlds gin is made from juniper berries grown within 100km of Cortona, Tuscany. Wild juniper berries literally cover the paddocks around our home town.
So I'll soon be making my own gin, with neighbour Tina who has a still, which I can use in this panna cotta recipe as well as the odd gin and tonic (yum!)
Read MoreYou can always depend on this cake - it always turns out just right, with a zesty lemon flavour to boot. Olive oil gives it a marvellous moist texture, and it stays fresh even a day or two after cooking.
We recently harvested over 700kg of olives from Carlo's family property and they have been cold pressed into a peppery olive oil. So it's the perfect time to make the luscious Tuscan ciambellone to eat with our coffee.
Read MoreI'll always remember it fondly - finishing my first meal in Florence with a plate of biscotti and Vin Santo. It was utterly delicious and felt so authentic. I was travelling with Mum and a week later I met Carlo.
Vin Santo is a traditional Tuscan sticky (dessert wine) and I'm sure you'll be able to find a bottle in your local liquor store. You could always swap it for your favourite dessert wine - perhaps a Juniper Estate Cane Cut Riesling or Vasse Felix Cane Cut Semillon.
Many cantucci recipes use almonds but I particularly love hazelnuts in this recipe.
Read More"La Crostata Di Mele Della Mamma" or Mum's Apple Tart Recipe. This is Italian comfort food at its best. A friend arrived earlier with a basket full of freshly-picked apples so I've just prepared the pastry to make this lovely tart for dessert tonight.
I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!
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