Amber Guinness is a passionate cook
It all started with a tiny ad in the newspaper: "run-down farmhouse on a hill, 30 minutes south of Siena". In her first cookbook, Amber Guinness explains how this became the Arniano painting school, where creativity and good food take center stage.
"I was never a trained chef and still am not. But I have cooked all my life in all kinds of circumstances. Cooking, like painting or drawing, is one of those practices that you get exponentially better at through intensive practice." This is how Amber Guinness describes herself.
"Tuscany. A feast for all the senses" is her first cookbook. The Florence-based chef, author and journalist was born in London to the Guinness brewing family and grew up in Tuscany. In 1989, her parents Jasper and Camilla bought a "run-down farmhouse 30 minutes south of Siena" according to a newspaper advertisement, put their 12-week-old daughter Amber in a basket and moved into the dilapidated ruin. The dilapidated farmhouse from the 18th century had a roof and windows, but that was it. No electricity, no water ... How it became the Arniano Painting School in 2014 commands the utmost respect. In between were Amber's years of childhood on the permanent building site, studying and earning money in Edinburgh. The grief after his father's death in 2011 was so deep that Arniano was orphaned for three years.
These first pages of the cookbook, soberly titled "An Introduction", are a must-read because Amber Guinness' words reflect the warmth and light of Tuscany, immerse us in the stunning landscape, share a touching life story and make us understand why Arniano means "an undeniable sense of home" to Amber. Tuscany" has been published by ars vivendi with tried and tested Mediterranean recipes, picturesque landscape photography and William Roper-Curzon's dynamic nature paintings. That is what makes this book so special: the combination of art and cuisine. While Roper-Curzon teaches oil painting during the week-long international painting courses, Amber Guinness enjoys her role as hostess and is completely in her element in the kitchen. She spoils her guests with carefully selected menus.
In the large recipe section of the book, the author not only reveals her best recipes, which truly celebrate Italian cuisine. They are also suitable for a larger group of guests and are uncomplicated. The focus is on seasonal and regional ingredients. Guinness also gives lots of tips on basic ingredients, preparation and cooking as well as preparation and menu planning.
The secret of happy hosts
Anyone who often has guests is well advised to read this cookbook. Amber Guinness is not afraid to cook up a big meal, but she always makes clever use of ingredients: what is the star of the main course one evening is the perfect side dish for lunch the next day. The menus are based on the seasons. Guinness suggests four courses each for lunch and dinner (only the fall has three), consisting of several courses. The menu suggestions are very varied, so there is something for everyone. In addition, most of the recipes have "Tastes delicious with" information boxes, in which further arrangements are listed. All in all, this results in an overwhelming number of combinations - and there are no limits to your own creativity. The menu overview pages are color-coded so that they can be opened quickly. Each season has its own color. An extra recipe chapter contains side dishes and simple dishes for all seasons. Wine recommendations and suggestions for day trips around Arniano round off the book.
In her first book, Amber Guinness paints an impressive picture of her home and the lavish feasts she hosts there - for which good preparation is the be-all and end-all: "As I am quite chaotic by nature, I have realized that I can make a plan and write a shopping list if I have the menu in writing beforehand. This allows me to enjoy cooking and the busy anticipation of guests much more." Amber Guinness speaks from the heart here, because it really is true: if the ingredients are prepared and drinks and nibbles are ready, that's half the battle. "This way, I avoid jumping up and down like a startled chicken to get more ice cream, snacks or drinks. If everything is at hand, people can grab whatever they feel like." Amber Guinness' considerations range from seating arrangements and timing to half an hour before the guests arrive: "I take a look at the meat to see if I need to baste it with gravy, put the prepared vegetables in the oven and put the pot of salted water on the stove in case there's pasta. Then I put on my playlist, light the candles and mix myself a drink."
That cries out for imitation! To get you started, I've chosen two tartes, one savory as a main course and one sweet as a dessert.
Tart with ricotta, black olives and basil
Preparation time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 40 minutes
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 220 °C (top/bottom heat) / 200 °C (fan oven).
Grease a tart tin (25 cm Ø) or line with baking paper and place the puff pastry in it. Cut off any excess pastry. Cover the pastry base with baking paper that has been crumpled up and then spread out again. Cover the baking paper with pulses or rice and blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven, remove the pulses and baking paper and then bake the pastry for a further 5 minutes until the base is completely dry and golden throughout.
Remove the tin from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 °C (top/bottom heat) / 160 °C (fan oven).
Mash the strained ricotta in a large metal bowl with a fork. Then add the olive oil and work in thoroughly. Add the Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. Add the olives and basil and stir in. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then mix in the eggs one at a time.
The pastry base and ricotta filling can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 day before preparing the tart.
Pour the ricotta mixture onto the cooled pastry base, spread evenly and smooth with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the pecorino and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the tart is beginning to brown but the center is still loose.
Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack. Transfer the tart to a plate to serve.
Delicious with: Serve it room temperature on a hot summer's day with salads such as Grated carrots with lemon and basil (p. 245), Courgette carpaccio (p. 134) and a plate of velvety prosciutto dolce. If it's not quite so filling, you can serve it with endive salad and radicchio from the oven (p. 259) as well as peppery green salad (p. 244) and perhaps crispy roast potatoes with lemon (p. 265).
Maria's almond tart with mascarpone and orange marmalade
Preparation time: 1 ½ hours, plus 2 hours chilling time; cooking time: 25 minutes
Preparation:
For the pastry: carefully whisk the egg yolks and 2 tbsp ice-cold water with a fork in a small bowl. Then place in the fridge until ready to use.
Mix together the sugar, 1 pinch of salt and flour. Then process the flour mixture and butter cubes in a mixer to form a crumbly dough. With the appliance running, add the chilled egg yolk and water mixture.
Or put the flour and butter in a bowl and work the butter into the flour with your fingertips. Your hands should be cold and dry. When the butter is well incorporated and there are no lumps left, work in the egg yolk mixture with a fork or knife.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and carefully mix the large lumps of dough with your hands and knead once or twice. Flatten the ball of dough, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Grease a tart tin (25 cm Ø) and line the base with a sheet of baking paper.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5 mm on a lightly floured work surface. After rolling it out once, turn it 90 degrees so that it does not stick to the work surface and is rolled out to an even thickness.
Then wrap around the rolling pin and place in the tart tin. Cut off any excess dough with a sharp knife. Prick the base evenly with a fork. Place the tin in the freezer for at least 20 minutes until the pastry is firm to the touch - this will prevent it from shrinking when baking.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top/bottom heat) / 180 °C (fan oven).
Then cover the base with crumpled baking paper that has been spread out again. Spread the pulses or rice on top and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven, remove the baking paper and pulses and bake the pastry for a further 10-15 minutes until the base is completely dry and evenly golden. Remove and leave to cool completely in the tin.
For the filling: Spread the almonds on a baking tray and toast for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and leave to cool. Whisk the cream cheese and mascarpone in a mixing bowl. Spread the mixture over the pastry base and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place the filled tart in the fridge for 1 hour until the cream cheese layer is firm. Then carefully spread the jam on top. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds. Place the tart in the fridge until ready to serve. (For the Italian Tipo 00, you can use our flour types 405 or 550. Here I recommend type 405. H.D.)
Tastes delicious with: The jam with a citrus note and the creamy topping make this dessert the perfect dessert. I particularly like it with baked ricotta with olive oil, tomato and basil (p. 182) or roast chicken with grapes (p. 188).
Heidi Driesner wishes you lots of fun.
Amber Guinness's love for good food took her to Arniano, Italy, where she transformed a run-down farmhouse into the Arniano Painting School. Her first cookbook, "Tuscany: A Feast for All the Senses," showcases delicious Mediterranean recipes and features Nutrition advice, with many reviews praising her ability to create mouth-watering dishes using seasonal and regional ingredients. Italy has been a major influence on Guinness's cooking, and her passion for Nutrition and flavors is evident in every recipe she shares.
Source: www.ntv.de
