A House Party in Tuscany

by Amber Guinness

Overview

Art meets food in this celebratory story of family and friends in Tuscany at the Arniano Painting School. 

Few farmhouses in Tuscany are as magical as Arniano. Bought and restored in the 1980s by an English couple, this 18th-century ruin, surrounded by staggering beauty as far as the eye can see, became synonymous with delicious food and sparkling company.

At Arniano, their daughter, Amber Guinness, found a passion for cooking and established The Arniano Painting School with cofounder William Roper Curzon. A marriage of food and art, the school celebrates Amber’s cooking and hosting skills and William’s talents for imparting his knowledge and passion for painting.

Showcasing inviting and lush photography of the farmhouse’s interiors and exteriors alongside mouthwatering images of simple and flavorful dishes, A House Party in Tuscany collects recipes from 30 years of cooking and hosting at Arniano, exemplifying fundamental principles of Italian home cooking.

With essential ingredients for an Italian pantry; feast curation; menu suggestions for every season; notes on Italian wines; day trips from Arniano; tricks and rules for cooking that can be applied to any lunch or dinner party, whatever the season; guidelines to seemingly effortless cooking and hosting, this is a book to make everyone feel welcome. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781760762575
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	407,186
Product dimensions:	10.90(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Amber Guinness is an English cook and food writer who lives in Florence, Italy. She was born in London but raised at Arniano, the Tuscan farmhouse her parents restored near Siena. She has a first class Masters degree in History and Italian from the University of Edinburgh, and has worked as a cook in both London and Italy. Amber's first book, A House Party in Tuscany, featured recipes and stories from her internationally acclaimed residential painting school at Arniano. Italian Coastal is her second book. Amber is married with a son.

Table of Contents

An Introduction 9

The Arniano Painting School 25

Hosting throughout the Seasons 37

A Note about Cooking and Ingredients 61

Kitchen Essentials 67

Recipes

Spring 79

Summer 121

Autumn 165

Winter 203

Sides and Staples for All Seasons 241

End Thoughts

Unnoticed Treasures: Day Trips from Arniano 272

Wines We Love 276

Conversions 282

Acknowledgements 283

Image Credits 284

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

04/04/2022

An 18th-century farmhouse turned artists’ residence provides the bucolic backdrop to this enchanting look at cooking in the Italian countryside. Guinness spent her 1990s childhood cooking seasonal dishes with her mother at Villa Arniano, the family’s home in Tuscany, where parties were a “feast for the eye as well as the palate.” Combining that “magic” with the passion that later inspired her to turn Arniano into an artists’ retreat, Guinness provides readers recipes for creating their own culinary escapes. In spring, artichokes appear in a béchamel pie as well as a quick rocket salad covered in parmesan shavings, while summer dishes skew simple: there’s a soup of basil-infused tomato water, trofie pasta with pesto, and a salad of crisp apple slices with mint and grated dark chocolate. Autumn and winter, meanwhile, offer recipes such as a molded sformato—Italy’s version of a savory, sturdy soufflé—made with ricotta, as well as a hearty cardoon gratin, “a wonderful vegetarian main for a winter’s night.” A guide to Guinness’s favorite wine pairings (prosciutto and figs, she believes, are best washed down with fizzy prosecco) and recommendations for day trips nearby (Siena, a Benedictine monastery) only add to the book’s allure. Life under the Tuscan sun proves exceptionally dreamy in this alluring collection. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"The cookbooks that stay with us tell a story. A House Party in Tuscany is one to treasure. Delicious recipes from a region I love and a chef I admire Ruth Rogers "

Ruth Rogers

"I love this book. Amber Guinness is an inspired cook and hostess. More importantly, she really understands the culture, technique and taste of Tuscan cooking "

Loyd Grossman

"Romance and joie de vivre come across in Guinness’s debut cookbook, A House Party in Tuscany...part cookbook, part memoir, and part ode to the art of entertaining."

Air Mail

"A truly beautiful book with food as colorful as paintings and thoughtful menus guided by the Tuscan seasons."

Emiko Davies

"Having thoroughly enjoyed my dear friend Amber Guinness’s hosting for almost two decades I’m thrilled she finally decided to jot down her methods and recipes on paper. It’s a joy to cook from and has already provided me with a range of new go-to dishes. Her writing is also a beautiful account of growing up in Italy."

Beata Heuman

"A stunning book in every way. Amber Guinness paints such a dreamy, evocative picture of her home in the Tuscan countryside and of the sumptuous feasts she cooks there. I long to be there with her and to eat everything in this book."

Skye McAlpine