Available NOW - The Sweet Life at La Fortezza

My new dessert cookbook is now available to purchase via my website. Order your copies here: https://annettejoseph.com

When I bought a run-down twelfth-century fortress in northern Tuscany in 2016, I never imagined the rich food culture I would encounter. I was surprised at the many uses of chestnuts and the variety products derived from them. Ancient cooking methods were also something that I discovered. Since living here I have adapted these ancient methods and use of age old recipes. The marvelous selection of regional recipes and local products inspired my first cookbook about the region, At the Table of La Fortezza, dedicated to the cuisine of this little-known region of Lunigiana. Over the years, we have welcomed hundreds of guests to our custom retreats, and they always rave about the food and the quality of ingredients available. We are very fortunate, and thankful for the beautiful bounty of this region.

At La Fortezza’s table, we always start with an aperitivo cocktail, and nibbles and end with dolce (dessert) and a tiny glass of digestivo. Given all the nut, lemon, and kumquat trees in the area, we have an abundance of flavored liqueurs to choose from here, and throughout Tuscany. I make many myself; in fact, the last chapter in this book features the after-dinner digestivi we serve regularly.

Of course, we love an authentic Italian breakfast to start the day at La Fortezza. While Italians have recently begun enjoying an American-style breakfast of bacon and eggs—there’s even avocado toast on the menu at some cafés—we stick to the traditional Italian menu. Italians like to eat something sweet and chase it with a strong gulp of piping hot espresso. I have included some recipes for sweet breakfast treats, including my own granola recipe (page 138). Brunch has also become quite popular in Italy, and a few of the sweet recipes address this new Italian tradition.

It’s good to always have cookies and biscotti on hand for snacks. My favorite are Polenta Cookies (page 63); they have just the right amount of crunch and that
sweet/savory thing I love about dessert here. Italians love something sweet, but it’s never too sweet.

In Tuscany, desserts tend to be less sugary, unlike in the southern part of Italy. Most likely it is because during World War II staple ingredients were rationed, leading families to use sugar more sparingly. Economic difficulties, including inflation, made sugar expensive, prompting families to minimize its use in cooking and baking. Italians became resourceful, focusing on locally available ingredients and enhancing flavors with spices and herbs and turning to substitutes like honey. This resourcefulness has had a lasting impact on Italian cuisine, especially in desserts. The Lunigiana was no exception. Food was scarce, so humble ingredients like chestnuts became important to make the flour. Chestnut honey was also used as a sweetening ingredient. Given the abundance of chestnuts in the area, their unique flavor, and their nutritional properties, they became a valuable ingredient in desserts. You will find recipes that use chestnut flour in this cookbook.

At La Fortezza, traditional recipes continue to be embraced, featuring less sugar and simple, high-quality ingredients. The focus is on teaching guests authentic Italian recipes they can share with friends and family.
Seasonal desserts are one of my favorite things to serve guests. There are so many fruit trees on our property that we can’t help but use everything we harvest. You can be sure that apples, figs, lemons, kumquats, plums, and pears are part of the mix when it comes to fruity desserts. When our vineyard grapes are ripe, I make loads of grape jam, as well as Focaccia studded with grapes and rosemary (page 137). In the heat of the summer, I make popsicles and gelato spiked with Campari and wine and fruit. In the winter, I use every last lemon for Limoncello (page 197). We have a few big fig trees on our property, so we teach our guests to make fig jam and fig tarts.
Speaking of tarts, I would compare them to crostate, which are very popular here. The big difference is in the dough and the filling—most crostate have a jam filling or ricotta, and a shortbread crust called Pasta Frolla (page 22). We make them almost weekly and love serving them after dinner. Plus, the leftovers make a welcome appearance on the breakfast buffet—part of our no-waste policy! We use everything, and eat everything.

La Fortezza is a place of abundance. There is always something to harvest, pick, and toss into desserts and savory dishes. In At the Table of La Fortezza, I featured all the delicious savory dishes that we prepare, with a few desserts. But I felt that I needed to create an entire cookbook to highlight the Italian desserts we so enjoy here.

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