Merrion Charles : Cookery Courses in Lunigiana, Tuscany with Maxine Clark and Massimo Baldassari.

Merrion Charles - Private Travel Consultant - Italy

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Please click here to download a brochure with further mouth watering information about Cookery Courses with Merrion, Maxine & Massimo in Lunigiana, Tuscany.

Cookery Courses

“Italy will always have the best food” Diane von Furstenberg

Merrion is passionate about all things Italian and especially the food and wine!!
Merrion’s Lunigiana cookery course is the latest exciting addition to her portfolio and she is delighted that Maxine Clark, formerly a teacher at Leith’s Cookery School in London, has agreed to join as chef on Merrion’s courses.

Maxine trained as a professional chef after gaining a degree in Fine Arts and Medieval History at St Andrews University! She fell in love with all things Italian, especially food and cooking whilst studying Italian language in Florence. Her eyes were opened to a culture that gives total respect to cooking, eating and drinking and attaching the uttmost importance to sourcing the best local produce. She has 30 years experience in all aspects of food and cooking, and is a particularly gifted teacher. She believes in a relaxed approach to food, and that cooking and eating should be a shared, fun experience. She has been teaching gourmet cookery courses in Italy for over 15 years having honed her skills working alongside several noted Italian chefs.

“Merrion and Maxine are an inspiration to be with – anyone who joins a cookery course with these two will come away feeling totally rejuvenated, inspired and in love with Italy.”

When not teaching, Maxine is a freelence cookery writer contibuting to magazines such as Waitrose Food Illustrated, Food and Travel, Italia Magazine, Delicious, Homes and Gardens, BBC Good Food and many more. She is also a food consultant, food stylist, teacher and demonstrator, and has over 15 cookery books to her name. ie Flavours of Tuscany, pub. Ryland Peters and Small.

Merrion’s cookery course is based at the impressive Castello del Aquila with its luxurious bedrooms, inspiring views, a superb kitchen and reception rooms. Here, guests can enjoy a week or more not only of excellent hands on cookery tuition but they will also have the opportunity to visit local places of interest, enjoy concerts after dinner and learn about the wines, history and culture of the region. In addition to the fabulous teaching of Maxine Clark, local chef and author Massimo Baldassari will be joining as guest chef for a day on each of the courses and clients will have the opportunity to experience his very unique and imaginative cooking as well as his bon viveur outlook on life and food.

Merrion’s cookery course is based at the impressive Castello del Aquila with its luxurious bedrooms, inspiring views, a superb kitchen and reception rooms.

Clients are invited to come as individuals and couples or to make up their own group thus providing the opportunity to create their own tailor made week with Merrion. Cookery Courses at Castello del Aquila are fun, relaxing, professional and inspirational. The very best ingredients are sourced and meals are enjoyed together as a group with the chance for even the least confident cook to come away inspired and encouraged. Lunigiana is a stunning region with the Apuan Alps and Appenines always in view – a truly hidden corner of Italy.

Recipe

Ingredients

450g (1 lb) farro/spelt/barley
(soaked for 2 hours, drained well)

1 onion, cut in half

1 carrot, peeled and halved

2 stalks celery, halved

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, bruised

225g ( 8 oz) pancetta (Italian bacon)
cut into lardons

450g (1 lb) fresh wild mushrooms (porcini/ceps, chanterelles/girolles) cleaned

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

150ml (1/4 pint) really good extra virgin
olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

12 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

450g (1 lb) rocket/rucola, washed and dried, plus extra to serve

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad of Farro, Pancetta, Wild Mushrooms, Wild Rocket and Tomatoes

Insalata di Farro, Pancetta, Funghi, Rucola e Pomodori
Serves 6

This is a gorgeous savoury salad combining the earthiness of mushrooms and farro, with the wonderful peppery bitterness of rocket. Farro is an ancient wheat wholegrain (spelt) and is undergoing a revival in Italy . When cooked it is deliciously chewy and contains less gluten than regular wheat. You could use pearl barley instead and there is a product called Eblay that would work well here. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, use big black field mushrooms sliced and mixed with a few soaked dried porcini for a similar effect.

Method

Cook the farro in a large saucepan of cold water with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and garlic cloves. Season to taste. Simmer for about 50 minutes. Remove and discard the vegetables. Drain and reserve.

Sauté the pancetta over low heat. Tip into a large bowl.

Raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms, stirring to cook evenly, then tip onto the pancetta.

Add the chopped garlic and sauté to a light brown, deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar. Add the extra virgin olive oil and sugar and season to taste, and reserve in a small bowl.

Return everything to the frying pan - the cooked farro/barley, pancetta and mushrooms, reserved dressing, tomatoes and rocket.

Toss thoroughly over the heat just to warm through and wilt the rocket.

Adjust the seasoning and arrange on a plate garnished with extra rocket piled on top.

For more information please contact Merrion on +39 0585 92098,
on her mobile +39 392 155 1464, or via email: info@merrioncharles.com.