Tuscany

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 9, 2011

Tuscany
Mario Matassa
(Phaidon, 2011)
$39.95

It’s May and that means it’s time to start planning or dreaming about summer travels. Tuscany is the ideal spot for a summer vacation, but if you can’t make it to there, Phaidon brings Tuscany to you in a new cookbook simply titled Tuscany.

50 recipes from the archives of The Silver Spoon kitchen are featured in this regionally focused cookbook. Using simple ingredients, the recipes in the book are accessible to everyone. Tuscany is not only a cookbook but also a journey. Each of the ten chapters, complete with photos, history and regional cooking methods, walks readers through a Tuscan province. (This online photo gallery is a great preview.) The soulful and hearty dishes like gnudi, Florentine-style tripe, and chestnut cake will take you to Tuscany by way of your own kitchen.

Here’s a preview of Tuscany with a dessert recipe:

Zuppa Inglese Con Spumoni Al Caramello
Custard With Caramel Meringue

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the custard:
1 litre (4 ½ cups) milk
thinly spared strip of lemon zest
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
100g (3 1/2 oz) sponge (lady) fingers
120ml (½ cup) freshly brewed coffee, cooled
4 tablespoons brandy
4 egg whites
4 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
50 ( ¼ cup) granulated sugar

Instructions:

To make the custard, pour the milk into a pan, add the lemon zest and bring just to a boil, ten remove from the heat and set aside. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the cornflour (cornstarch). Remove and discard the lemon zest from the milk and stir the milk into the mixture. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over low heat, constantly stirring, for about 20 minutes, or until the custard coats the back of the spoon.

Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Put the sponge (lady) fingers in a shallow dish in a single layer. Mix together the coffee and brandy in a bowl and pour the mixture over the sponge fingers.

Arrange the sponge fingers in layers in a dessert bowl, pour the custard over them and let stand in a cool place.

Whisk the egg whites with the caster (superfine) sugar in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form. Put the granulated sugar into a heavy shallow pan and stire in 1 tablespoon water. Heat the mixture gently until it turns a pale caramel color, then remove from the heat and pour steadily over egg whites, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture over the custard and serve.