Tuscan BR Report

Wow the Tuscans are serious about food, very passionate.  We arrived at Villa Mangiacane (the villa/vinery where we are staying) in the Chianti region of Tuscany and were greeted with a glass of their Shamiso, a great Rose that is actually 100% Sangiovese (they use the same grapes in the Rose as the Chianti Riserva).  We got settled in and then had a lite lunch in the restauran, just a greek salad and cheese/meat plate.  Both were great.  The salad (as are most dishes made here) was made with the freshest ingrediants from the huge herb/vegatable garden on site.  

Dinner that night was amazing - (we had a 3 course meal included in our package).  I started with the Burrata cheese app, and Dina had the homemade pasta with seafood, zucchini flowers in lite sauce - both super good.  For the main I opted for the veal cooked in EVOO served with EVOO mashed potatoes.  We got the run down of this dish from the chef during the cooking class.  They pan sear the veal then slow cook it for about 4 hours in EVOO.  For the mashed they simply boil the potatoes with the skin off, mash, then whisk in EVOO, salt/pepper and serve.  A superb dish, the veal was so tender.  Dina got the Blue Fin tuna fillet in fennel crust with chickpeas and eggplant flan - also delicious.  The tuna is pretty simple, just seasoned, brushed with EVOO, coat both sides with fennel seeds, pan sear then finish in the oven for 1-2 minutes just enough to get the center heated, not cooked, just heated.  

Dessert was a reversed tiramisu, with the cake on the inside - very very delicious.  The nightcap was a couple glasses of Prosecco (complements of Villa Mangicane)...