I LIVE IN A SPECIAL PLACE IN SAN GIMIGNANO COUNTRY

This morning while I was walking along the old path around my house I was thinking how happy I am to be living in this special location, which is for me the most beautiful place in the world.

Every place has its own unique identity. These rare characteristics that we can find in no other place on earth is what droves me to this charming spot. Here, during the Renaissance great intellectuals, artists and politics of that time were hosted by Paolo Cortesi distinguished humanist, secretary of the pope Giulio II and professor at the University of Siena. He was the owner of this cultural center named Castrum Cortesianum. Here Pope Alessandro III, Pope Giulio II, Angelo Poliziano, I Medici, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and many others personalities spent part of their time talking about literature, art, politics, architecture; here there was a private library for public use; here Paolo Cortesi also wrote and printed his most important book “De Cardinalatu”, a book dedicated to the role of cardinal-senator, a typical figure of the Papal States to pluck it out between the '400 and '500. The text is one of the cornerstones of humanistic literature.

Every time I caress these walls full of history and culture I feel a special energy.
What good vibrations and great sense of peace all around .....!

Many greetings of a very happy holiday season with a special home made “Panettone”!

Look what a wonderful chocolate "Panettone" cake in the shape of crib gave me my friend Roberta! Thanks my dear, you really are an exceptional pastry chef maitre! You are all invited to a...virtual taste! Happy holidays and best wishes!!

What a beautiful october!

During this period, a pleasant contrast to Fortezza de 'Cortesi: Rose and olives in the garden!

Relaxing holiday, our philosophy.

First, you must be on the mood. It is a rustic romantic place. Everything is very simple, but, as one once said, simplicity is the last degree of elegance. By the price you pay, you must think you are paying to see how paradise looks like, not for a mini bar full of sugar and alcohol.....

Today I want to say thank you to one of our kind customers who posted this comment on the most popular travel community on Internet. These words perfectly interpret the philosophy and the nature of our offer: a place where the silence, the history, the sense of peace are everywhere in a spacious environment for a few guests, where time is suspended to allow them to regenerate.

Today Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup (Pappa col Pomodoro)!

Here’s for you a typical classic Tuscan dish “tomato bread soup”. Please never propose it in the wintertime, the freshness of ripe tomatoes and scented basil are essential for the successful outcome of this recipe ideal for hot summer days. Ingredients for 4 people: 250 g Tuscan -style white stale bread 600 g ripe tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic a stalk of fresh sage a nice bunch of basil extra virgin olive oil salt pepper 1 onion 1 carrot celery q.b. parsley q.b. water q.b. First of all prepare the tomato sauce. In a large pan sauté the 2 cloves of garlic gently in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Join onion, carrot, celery and parsley previously cut. As soon as the lot turns golden, toss the peeled tomatoes and a nice bunch of basil, all roughly chopped. Bring to the boil for a moment then sieve the lot, add the water and boil in again with salt and pepper. Cut the bread with the 2 other cloves of garlic, put it in a clay pan on the flame with abundant extra virgin olive oil, the sage, a little pepper, salt and water. Try to chop the bread a little more meanwhile the water is boiling. Add water as soon as it dries up and go up until the bread is completely moistened and chopped. Join now 4 ½ cups or more of tomato sauce (the soup should be brightly red-coloured and the sauce abundant). Leave to simmer slowly for 1 hour or more until the bread is mashed in the sauce. The soup should prove fairly thick so add more water only if necessary.

ORGANIC STROWBERRIES DELICIOUS FRUITS OF MY GARDEN

Surely all of you know and love strawberries jam. It's delightful on toast, bread, and the ideal ingredient for special tarts. From May till October I prepare it with strawberries and lemons collected in my organic garden. All my family appreciate it and also my guests like it for breakfast.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
1kg fresh strawberries hulled and washed
the juice and peel of a fresh organic lemon
1kg granulated sugar


Cut strawberries into big pieces and put them in a large bowl along with the lemon juice and peel - cut in the small pieces - and the sugar. Cover and put in the fridge for 12 hours.
Put the mixture into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, skimming from time to time. Increase heat to high and bring it to a full roiling boil while stirring constantly for quite 10 minutes. Reduce heat and continue to boil it for 10 minutes. To control if the jam has the right consistency
test it by pouring a couple of drops of it into one plate, if done the jam should thicken almost immediately.
Finally, pour the hot jam into sterilized jars and close and place them upside down until fully cool down.

Pasta and peas, a simple and tasty Italian dish.

Here for you a photo of my organic garden's peas, they are finally ready to be collected. I want to share with you my personal simple recipe. It’s a quick and easy dish for all the family.

Penne and fresh peas

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh shelled peas
2 slices of prosciutto, dinced
5 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
4oo gr penne pasta


In a large saucepan, sauté the dinced prosciutto and onion in the olive oil over low heat, until the onions are translucent, it takes about 10 minutes.
Then, join peas and just 1 minute later the vegetable broth with salt. Continue cooking over medium heat till peas are tender.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente; drain and add the peas mixture. stir in and….enjoy a simple tasty Mediterranean diet dish.