Well I said I was hoping for a view and I certainly got it. This is me (looking a bit tired after a long day walking and eating in Florence!) looking out over the wall that surrounds the castle I was lucky enough to stay in. Castello di Montalto is a wonderous 1000 year old castle situated on 700 acres just outside of Castelnuovo Berardenga. This is the heart of the Chianti region of Tuscany Italy and was beautiful. Not only the sights but also the people and their love of food and wine. Their passion for feeding people made me feel right at home. Traditional tuscan fare is not complicated, in fact it's quite simple. But that is the beauty of it. Few ingredients in each dish and the true flavour of the food is unspoiled. Only here can you truly taste a tomato as it should taste - like a mixture of soil and sun!

For ten days my husband and I ate and drank and explored to our hearts content. The most memorable 2 meals for me though were also the most simplest. Our first night after flying into Milan and then taking the 4.5 hour drive down to the castle left us a bit weary so we decided to stock our little mini fridge with a few delicacies and a good bottle of Chianti for dinner. Now to me, grocery shopping is an experience and to do it in a small town in Tuscany - it's an event. I love to see what new fruits and vegetables they have on display, the 18,000 types of pasta available and of course to check out the mind boggling aray of cheeses. So with my little Italian and the store clerks sparse English it was great fun. Fun for me anyways. My husband was happy to hover in the background with the cart ready to thrust some Euros out when required (it takes him a day or two to be comfortable enough to try his hand at a foreign language!). That night we dined on melt in your mouth Proscuitto di Parma, the most decadent marinated artichoke hearts, ripe tomatoes, stuffed olives, a fragrant soft cheese (which for the life of me I couldn't get the name of) and a great big glass of soft Chianti. All of this layed out in front of the fire in our little one bedroom "Scuola" on the property of the castle. Dinner never tasted so good! No fuss, no preparations, just honest tasting food.

The second most memorable meal was in a little small Enoteca (wine bar) that we stumbled across in Castelnuovo Berardenga, The Saint and The Sinner (sorry no website yet as it's new and very small). It had 3 tables inside and 2 outside and the owner welcomed us in with great fan fare. Being the only patrons we at first thought that perhaps we had made a mistake and had come across the town dud. But we were wrong and am I ever glad we stayed. The restaurant filled with locals, laughter and great jazz music. After an indepth olive oil tasting, gnocchi with truffles, veal shanks and a spinach side dish and a bottle of Chianti we were satiated and thrilled with "our" discovery. The owner who managed the front of house and his wife, the cook, kept us enthralled with an explanation and story on each dish, wine, oil that we tasted. It was definately a warm and enjoyable experience, one where you felt like you had been invited into someone's home for a Sunday night roast! And in a way I guess we were.

So much food to talk about but it truly doesn't compare to experiencing it yourself. If you ever get the chance go to Tuscany. Look up Dianna and Giovanni at Castello di Montalto and enjoy. Here's a website that I think will help you get started. www.welcometuscany.it

What a view! Can't wait to see it for myself. My husband and I are off to Tuscany tomorrow afternoon so by this time on Saturday I hope to be sitting in the garden at Montalto Castle with a glass of wine in my hand and looking out over the hills! For 10 days we'll be soaking up all that Tuscany and the surrounding areas have to offer. I have a few private cooking sessions lined up with some great Italian cooks so I no doubt will come back inspired with new and exciting recipes and techniques (plus probably a few extra pounds on the hips!).
Until next time.....ciao!