Food Section
May 11, 2005
By GIL BLISS Union Leader Correspondent

The Food of Tuscany

On the west coast of Italy, just north of the midway point in the Italian "boot," lies the region of Toscana, or Tuscany, cited by the Michelin Guide as "where Italian cooking was born, at the court of the Medici in Florence."

A region rich in grapevines, olive trees and fields of lush vegetables, the local cuisine reflects the availability of fresh produce and is admired and imitated the world over.<
While our own regional climate is a bit more stark, those with such an inclination can replicate popular dishes from the Tuscany region, although according to chef Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast in Hollis, it takes more than the ingredients and recipes.

To savor the rich experience of a Tuscan meal, one must forget for a while the culture of fast food, eating on the run and processed food in general. Mealtime in the region is a time for getting together with family and friends and enjoying the fresh, natural products of the season, including meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables and of course, fine wine.

Tuscan meals are eaten outdoors as often as possible, Barbour said, and in the Euro style, the main meal is most often at mid-day.

The practice contributes to the celebration of foodstuffs grown in the local environment, helping develop "a real sense of what the land has to offer."
"It's a very romantic way of presenting a meal, removing yourself from the indoors into the outdoors."
"You enjoy the meal from start to finish," she said, "including making shopping for ingredients an event in itself, all the way to the finish with discussion and good wine."

Barbour demystifies the cooking process by offering the ability to recreate the ambience of such a meal in your own home, as she'll bring in all the ingredients and even the pans, plates and cutlery necessary to create your own Tuscan culinary masterpiece.

"The mechanics of cooking is an important aspect, but it is the enjoyment we get from cooking, the designing of the menu, the excitement of preparing food that satisfies and the pleasure of presenting a meal to loved ones that is at the heart of what I try to give my clients," she said.

Barbour offers a variety of different menus for her home demonstrations, but one of the most popular is titled "Under the Tuscan Sun," taken from the popular cooking guide by Frances Mayes.

By using fresh ingredients rich in natural flavor, there's little need for much more than the basics, the benefit of "having a real sense of what the land has to offer," she said. Cooking with fine olive oil is important, because in Tuscany "olives are grown with a sense of pride."

While our limited growing season restricts availability of the items Italians might find in their backyards, most resources are available locally if you know where to look.<
For Barbour in Hollis, most often that's Lull Farm, where owner David Orde makes twice-weekly trips to the Chelsea produce market near Boston. With today's modern transportation and preservation techniques, there's probably a market in your area that will provide the same materials.

Her cooking demonstrations revolve around a three-course meal, where she prepares one course at a time, simultaneously explaining the ingredients, such as the difference between various cheeses.

"We prepare it, plate it and eat," said Barbour. "American style is to eat all at once, but we don't allow our body to catch up. This way is much better for you."

"The Creative Feast is much more than just food and preparing one meal," she said. "The evening is dedicated to teaching cooking skills and techniques that will serve guests long after the meal has been enjoyed.

One sample Tuscan menu features fresh bread and cheese, potato gnocchi prepared with fresh arugula herb in a cream sauce, followed by chicken breast studded with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a balsamic tomato sauce (with both cherry and sundried tomatoes), pate brisee and finished off with a mouthwatering folded plum tart, which includes ripe plums and fresh raspberries, almond paste and apricot preserves.

Other popular desserts include poached pears, figs drizzled with honey and roasted and other generally fruit-based treats.
As in many European countries, wine is the key beverage and in Tuscany, there's a proper wine for each course.

Barbour works in concert with Chuck Saunders, whose Stratham company Wineberries, supplies wine from his father's company, The Wine Society in Nashua.<
"Alcohol is a flavor catalyst," Saunder said. "It puts flavor into your taste buds."<
Barbour's demonstrations include recommended wines: the gnocchi calls for a white wine, "Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi," from Piedmonte, Italy; the chicken breast goes well with a chianti, "Solo Maremma Micante" from Tuscany and the plum tart is matched with a sweet dessert wine, "Le Pupille Solalto," also from Tuscany.<
The wine-growing region of Tuscany is mostly known for its red wines, Saunders said.

Liz Barbour has been cooking professionally in the Boston area since 1992, with her resume including position as chef for "Grappa" in Maynard, chef and manager at Barsamian’s in Cambridge, catering chef at Baker’s Best in Newton and pastry chef at The Inn At Harvard in Cambridge.

In addition to the home demonstrations, Barbour offers public cooking classes, including the "Under The Tuscan Sun" menu, which is presented tonight from 6-9 p.m. at the Santos-Dumont Cafe, 770 Elm St., in West Milford.

At the same location on June 8, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., she'll present another of her specialties: "Cooking with Edible Flowers," an invaluable resource "when edible flowers are blooming."

For more information on these and other programs, you can visit her web site at www.thecreativefeast.com or call 465-6929.
For more about Saunders' wine offerings, visit www.winesociety.us.