Michela's Tuscan Kitchen

Influenced by her Italian heritage, chef Michela Chiappa tours Tuscany, discovering delicious local ingredients and produce. She helps to harvest saffron in medieval San Gimignano and visits one of the most famous gelaterias in the region. Inspired by her journey Michela makes decadent fresh saffron tagliatelle with a prawn and clam sauce, Chiappa family favorite meatball skewers, and affogato.

Cook Michela Chiappa travels to Tuscany and meets the producers of delicious local ingredients. Back in the kitchen she takes inspiration from her travels to cook up an exquisite Bolognese for all the family with a Tuscan bean twist, a classic Italian pesto made with beautiful pecorino from the region, and boozy but comforting pears poached in wine, an ideal dessert to end dinner.

Michela Chiappa, a Welsh cook influenced by her Italian background, serves up classic recipes. She visits the coastal city of Livorno with its wonderful seafood, and a Tuscan village to make fresh pici pasta with the locals. Back at home, Michela serves bagna cauda, a warm creamy anchovy-based sauce, a quick but delicious tuna and lemon spaghetti, and the classic Italian biscuit cantuccini.

Michela Chiappa travels to Tuscany to discover the foodie secrets of the region. She finds delicious, deep-fried polenta in Livorno, a traditional street food snack, a deli specializing in wild boar products in San Gimignano and bee-keeps in Montalcino, tasting heavenly local honey. Excited by her finds, Michela returns to the kitchen to cook up crispy polenta with melted cheese.

Michela Chiappa is back in the kitchen cooking classic Italian dishes inspired by her trip to Tuscany. She explores the butchers, markets and restaurants of the region discovering delectable local produce. Michela serves pork with mango and pepperoncino, before turning her attention to risotto made with porcini mushrooms, followed by a simple dessert of fresh roasted peaches and orange syrup.

Michela Chiappa takes a trip to a red onion farm in Certaldo, inspiring a mouth-watering Panzanella salad, a local specialty made with fresh onion, tomato and stale bread. She follows up with a warming dish of pork medallions, with onion, apple and cider and a Chiappa coffee classic, Torta di Moka, a boozy coffee biscuit-based dessert adapted from her Nonna's original recipe.

Michela Chiappa continues to explore the cuisine of Tuscany. She samples the delights of fresh truffles grown in the hills around Siena, revives her love for chickpeas upon discovering a unique chickpea pancake and tastes potent ponce, a rum based drink with a kick. Back in the kitchen Michela cooks up baked eggs with truffle oil and a dessert of apricot and rum crostata.

Michela Chiappa is back in Tuscany sampling and cooking classic Italian dishes. She explores an olive estate during the annual harvest, tastes Livorno's most famous fish dish, cacciucco, and visits a Sienese boutique deli known for its top-quality fruit and nut cake, panforte. She follows up her journey with balsamic glaze and flavored oils, Chiappa fish stew and almond and orange cake.

Michela Chiappa returns to Tuscany to savor more of the region's culinary delights. She introduces us to the pleasures of aperitivo hour, a traditional pre-dinner drink with snacks, prompting a delightful chicken liver pate recipe. Then Michela dishes up a twist on an old favorite with a wonderful porcini mushroom lasagna, and a simple but tasty pudding of ricotta cream.

Michela Chiappa serves up more inspiring Italian dishes following a trip to Tuscany. Joined by sisters Emi and Romina, the trio cook rainbow ricotta gnocchi, adding color to an Italian favorite. Michela continues with a twist on fish and chips with seabass in a bag, a super healthy steamed parcel of fish and veg, and after visiting an artisan bakery in Siena, makes a classic Italian cake.