Hello from this little corner of Tuscany,
Where the past few weeks have been an emotional whirlwind, filled with moments of sadness, excitement, exhaustion, and awe. I want to share a bit of it with you, I hope it’s not too long…
Recently our small village was hit by a flash flood, as you may have seen on social media. I thought we were safe from such disasters, as we don’t live near any rivers. But the sky unleashed a torrent of water that turned our roads into rushing rivers. Within minutes, walls of water were crashing down with incredible force.
I called a special number for help, but they said they couldn’t come, dealing with more urgent emergencies. All we could do was move to higher floors and hope for the best. We placed blankets and sheets in front of the doors to block the water, then gathered our animals and some food, heading upstairs to wait and hope.
From above, we watched the storm unfold. The garden became a raging river. Once the storm passed, we stepped outside under a starry sky to find the parking lot destroyed and the vegetable garden buried in mud. Thankfully, the water didn’t enter the house, but many of our neighbors weren’t as lucky. We just had to clean the terrace and restore the parking lot…Here’s a video of our garden during this incredible rain.
Robin and her family.
On a brighter note, we welcomed many guests, including two dear friends. Robin first came 13 years ago and Gina helped at my cooking school in 2015. Both returned with their families (Gina now has two cute little ones), and it felt like no time had passed with either of them. A special mention goes to Tracey, a club founding member since 2020, who visited with her husband. It’s always heartwarming to see familiar faces!
Tracey, a founding member of Chicca’s Cooking Club since 2020.
Earlier this month, we had a wonderful time with family and friends from all over the world, hand-picking olives from our orchard. It was a truly international affair, with people from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Russia, the US, and, of course, Italy. Our long table stretched out to accommodate everyone, and I made spaghetti alla Puttanesca—perfect for feeding a crowd! We ended the meal with chocolate ice cream (of course, Arnaud’s favorite!) from our favorite local spot, the perfect sweet note to cap off the day.
The following morning, we took the olives to a local mill for pressing, and soon after, we had our own organic extra virgin olive oil. I always consider this a simple luxury—something to use in my everyday cooking and to share with friends and guests.
Through it all—the joys and challenges—I’m in awe of how life constantly changes…
Check out this cute video Arnaud made, documenting the entire process, from olive picking to producing extra virgin olive oil.
My recipe for you!
For October, I picked a family recipe I grew up with, perfect for this season. It’s pasta e zucca, that makes use of a type of squash called zucca Napoletana—a long, green-skinned variety typical in southern Italy. It was always on our table, and I’m still cooking this traditional recipe today. The dish combines pasta and squash, creating a comforting, almost stew-like meal, with pasta cooked in the same pot as a risotto. This method allows the pasta to absorb all the rich flavors from the squash, garlic, and chili, resulting in a thick, flavorful, and hearty dish that’s perfect for a winter family meal. Check the full recipe here.
Please, feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback, or suggestions. I hope to hear from you!
Love from Tuscany,
Chicca
PS: Want to try a live class? Check our live classes from this season here.
PSS: Since I wrote this, we had another flash flood and had to re-do the parking lot again. We’re all fine, just a little tired, and always looking forward to cooking with you. Check the second flood video here.
