Chef Judith's Tuscan Story - 'Free like a butterfly in Italy'
* Plus scroll down for a free sample recipe *
'Cook LIke a Peasant and Eat Like Royalty!' ~ an old Tuscan proverb
Chef Sarchielli landed in Tuscany in 1958, as an 18-year old, from Denver, Co. She recalls with a secret smile, "I walked down the Ponte Vecchio, (The Old Bridge where Dante and Beatrice met), and saw a gorgeous young man with sparkling olive-black eyes, and Caravaggio-like shiny, black curls. We smiled and he guessed my name immediately. His first American girlfriend was my best friend when I was a child. I had found my soulmate. We married, had a son, divorced, and remained friends for 50 years. In May of 2010, I returned to Rome with my son to help my husband die of cancer. His obituary was on Italian TV and showed his incredible 'Elan Vital."
I learned to cook from my mother-in law, Bianca. Her teacher was her Uncle Corrado, a chef in the fine hotels of Florence during the 1800s. I would sit in the kitchen with her, as she her created amazing dishes, At first, I was only allowed to watch. Eventually, she started to teach me the recipes which had been passed down through several generations of her family. When in my oun home, I would occasionally adapt them myself. If I did this, Bianca and my husband would always notice!
I became very ill with mysterious symptoms, such as nausea, headaches, and mood swings. I turned to Macrobiotics and became a chef in a Macrobiotic restaurant. I had forgotten that as an infant, I had been allergic to wheat. This ancient Zen diet, which consists mainly of rice, helped me to feel better. When I moved to California years later, and was a the cooking school director, teacher, and food coach at Whole Foods Market, I and began to learn about Celiac Disease and the Gluten-free diet. I realised that the recipes I had cooked daily for 20 years, could be translated into Gluten-Free, and were perfectly suited to people who wanted to eat in this healthy way. In fact, The Mediterranean Diet was acknowledged to be the world's healthiest diet. Only tiny adaptations are required to make the recipes Gluten-free and none of the taste or authentic quality are lost. This is because Tuscan food is simple and naturally healthy. My classes and workshops such as the Tuscan Feasts, focus those authentic recipes and food philisophies I learned in Tuscany. and how to: 'Cook like a peasant and eat like royalty!' every day.
Chef Judith Today
Today, I live in Southern California, where I run 'Topanga, Tuscany and Beyond', and teach Gluten-Free Tuscan Cuisine for the Young Chef's Academy in Simi Valley. Learn more about my qualifications and experience here.
THE TOPANGA CHEF
GLUTEN-FREE TUSCAN RECIPES
Recipes to feel free as a butterfly
Gluten-Free Sage Pesto
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 handful of young sage leaves, stems removed
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
Finely chop the sage leaves by hand. Do not use a blender to chop the sage!
First slice the leaves width-wise and then finely chop With a very sharp knife.
Mince the garlic and add all the ingredients to a bowl.
Chop the walnuts in the blender.
Stir well and taste to adjust salt and cheese. This will be a thick paste.
Before serving, place some of the pesto in the serving bowl and thin with a ladle of the hot pasta water.
Add drained gluten-free pasta of your choice and toss.
Serve the dish topped with more grated cheese.
Also excellent with rice.
CONTACT Judith for more Gluten-Free authentic, heirloom Tuscan recipes
310 482 9901 310-584-7265
[email protected]
www.tuscanglutenfreecuisine.com
www.topangatuscanyandbeyond