Cooking class at Fortezza de' Cortesi!!

An experience of savours, flavours, consistence, you will be aware of the essential secrets of cooking, giving you all right instruments to share them with your friends and amaze your guests during your genuine Italian dinner.

I will show you the organic row ingredients we mostly use for our recipes; we ‘ll pick aromatic herbs and vegetables directly from our garden in our organic farm, then I’ll give you some basic information on our self produced saffron DOP and extra virgin olive oil, so that you will have no difficulties to choose the right ingredients from the shelves once back home.

Come and stay with us!!!! ask for more info to: info@fortezzacortesi.com

Saffron special dessert recipe from San Gimignano

Saffron is used in the kitchen for recipes ranging from appetizers to desserts. Here's a delicious pie, "grabbed" from the chefs of our Restaurant Dulcisinfundo of San Gimignano. It is pretty easy, very tasty and got a great final look. Only a few days ago I explained the recipe during my cooking class and it was success!
here is the Ricotta Pie with saffron recipe for 6 people:

Ingredients:
400 g ricotta cheese
250 gr flour
4 eggs
100 gr sugar
1 cup milk
1 / 2 cup sunflower oil
24 g sachet yeast
lemon peel
butter
1 packet of saffron and a half of pure DOP San Gimignano from 0.10 gr
6 stencils impulse

description:
Crush the saffron in a mortar and add it to the previously warmed up milk. Mix well eggs and sugar. Stir in ricotta, lemon peel, oil and milk with saffron. Stir well being careful not to remove the compound. Sift flour with baking powder and mix thoroughly.
Grease and flour the stampini. Pour the mixture in the molds and bake at 180 C° degrees for 40 minutes.
Take out the pies from oven, let them cool, remove cakes from the molds and serve sprinkled with powdered sugar. Decorate as desired.

Saffron in the kitchen

There are several recipes in which saffron can be used. From appetizers to desserts, its peculiar flavor due to the presence of the elements that compose the picrocrocina and its scent made up of active ingredient safranal joined to the beautiful yellow gold color given by crocin, makes it one of the most unusual and versatile spice.

The Romans used it to prepare dishes for cooking game and aromatic wines. Arabs for cakes and breads. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance it was used for the preparation of "crayons" spices and meat pies, breads, soups, cakes savory, vegetables and legumes in meats and cheeses, fruit and cakes.

Today, appreciated by the best international chefs including those in the restaurant "Dulcis in Fundo", San Gimignano, is used for preparing countless recipes and creative cooking.

Saffron, San Gimignano exceptional taste

Together with art, culture, towers, wine, San Gimignano is proud of another antic traditional product: Saffron.

Since ancient times, Saffron has always been considered a symbol of material and spiritual wealth, probably because of its warm color that recalls gold. The clothes of the Egyptian priests, the curtains wrapping mummies, the veils of brides in ancient Rome, the robes of the Assyrians and Babylonians king, wedding dresses of medieval women to that of the Dalai Lama were all dyed using saffron.

In San Gimignano the tradition of its use dates back to medieval times, when the cultivation of this precious flower, crocus, extended throughout the territory surrounding the town. During the flowering, lilac/purple fields struck the traveler eyes along the Via Francigena pilgrimage. Introduced by the first crusaders, saffron found in San Gimignano, ideal conditions for a huge development.

A few years ago some willing producers, among them "Fortezza de 'Cortesi, encouraged by the Region of Tuscany, ARSIA Agricolture Authority and the Municipality, re-started the recovery path of production of this precious spice. After a testing phase, carried out for the first time under international yardsticks, have come to obtaining the Denomination of Origin (PDO). Laboratory tests conducted on the product gave surprising results and gave to The Saffron Dop of San Gimignano the most prestigious category in the world. Cultivated, harvested and processed entirely by hand according to biological criteria, is packed while keeping intact the stigmas to protection from counterfeiting.