At the Table of La Fortezza: The Enchantment of Tuscan Cooking from the Lunigiana Region

by Annette Joseph, David Loftus (Photographer)

Annette Joseph shares recipes from the charming Lunigiana region of Tuscany that were developed at her medieval fortress, La Fortezza. This is the first book on the cuisine of this important slow-food area.

Lunigiana is a rugged, mountainous region of Tuscany, flanked by the Liguria coastline and Emilia-Romagna, whose cuisine has been shaped by its distinctive landscape and location. Author and stylist Annette Joseph purchased and renovated a stunning medieval fortress, aptly named La Fortezza ("The Fortress"), in this little-known area. Enamored by Lunigiana's rich food heritage and traditions, Joseph sought out authentic and traditional dishes from the best chefs, home cooks, and slow-food purveyors in the region. This book showcases these rustic recipes, some of which have been enjoyed for centuries.

Lunigiana's cuisine brings together the flavors of both the coast and the mountains and draws inspiration from the neighboring regions. It is home to unique ingredients, such as chestnut flour, and its specialties are often still prepared the ancient way. Lunigiana is also recognized by UNESCO as a sustainable region, and Joseph's recipes highlight slow-food practices, such as sourcing seasonal ingredients from local producers.

Breathtaking photographs by David Loftus highlight the beauty of Lunigiana's cuisine and countryside, as well as La Fortezza's dreamy vineyard, orchards, and kitchen garden. This book is an incredible culinary and visual journey into an undiscovered region in Italy and a must-have for anyone who loves Italian food and culture.

Genres: Cookbooks

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 13, 2022

About the author

Annette Joseph is an author of 3 cookbooks, Picture Perfect Parties, Rizzoli NY, Cocktail Italiano, Skyhorse Publications, At the Table of La Fortezza, Rizzoli NY 2 memoirs, Italy is my Boyfriend, Post Hill Press, My Italian Guestbook, Post Hill Press. The Killer Menu, All About Annette LLC. She and her husband Frank live in Italy most of the year in their renovated 12th century fortress. Annette is a well-known prop and food stylist/producer and lifestyle expert. When she’s not cooking in her country kitchen in Italy she is researching her next book or trying local recipes. She also hosts creative food focused retreats at La Fortezza in Northern Tuscany. Annette loves to share her little part of Italy with family and friends and guests. Check out here website. https://annettejosephstyleworkshops.s...

Reviews

[Rachael Hodson (still skiing) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the love of all things good, Goodreads App STOP crashing on me! Once again, I am third time around, writing a review and they just get shorter and shorter. Ugh.

I was really excited when I saw the release of this cookbook. I love cookbooks, I love regional cookbooks, and I especially, especially love, Italian cookbooks!

At the Table of La Fortezza is a unique cookbook dedicated to the Lunigiana Region of Italy. Because of this, some of the ingredients would admittedly be hard to find in the United States. However, I knew this going into the book and I do not regret ordering it in the slightest. I still happily marked about 20 recipes and look forward to trying them out.

My only complaint is that as a professional photographer, I know I may be a little critical of photos, but the ones in this cookbook are over pixelated and grainy. They aren’t bad photos (well except for the terrible spring blossom one…that one should never have been printed) just bad quality. I do not know if this is the fault of the photographer, not shooting in high resolution, or cheap printing but the photos which should be really good detract from the book.

My suggestion to right this wrong is to call me and fly me to Tuscany so that I can photograph the next amazing cookbook from Annette Joseph. 😁😜❤️

All in all, I am glad that I own this one and I’m happy to add it to the collection.