Tuscan Landscapes And A Small Goodbye

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

I  was going to move on from Tuscany with my posts this week, but my thoughts have been returning there in recent days after I received some truly awful news. Chef Enrico Casini, who brought such vivacity and personality, as well as seriously good food, to Le Casacce – the Tuscan agriturismo where the Plated Stories workshop was held – died quietly in his sleep at the weekend.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

He was far too young – only sixty-two – but apparently he went with a smile on his lips, after a busy night in his restaurant, in his own little corner of paradise.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

I didn’t know him well of course, but he was a man of such obvious passion and heart, such energy and kindness, such a love for his craft and the ingredients that inspired it  –  that I know he will be sorely missed as a father, friend, employer and chef. 

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Every morning he would be bustling around the property, always wearing a pair of colourful glasses, and dashing in and out of his kitchen. Every afternoon he would,if he could, sit quietly in his lounger, reading the paper and gazing on the landscape for an hour or so. And every evening he would stand in his busy, laughter-filled dining room, more often than not with Barry White playing in the background, and describe the exquisite meal he’d just created in his broken English, invariably using produce ‘from this land’ and liberally garnished with ‘my olive oil’.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

We would wait for those words, spoken in his inimitable way, and laugh when he got to the punchline, but underneath they spoke of a deeper truth – his abiding love of the land, of the ingredients that sprang from it and the food it inspired.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

According to his obituaries, Enrico, through his many restaurants, his cooking and his food writing, was at the vanguard of the revival in cucina italiana in the 60s and 70s, focusing on traditional Roman and Tuscan recipes, using local ingredients. I feel honoured and privileged to have been able to cook with him, albeit briefly, and came away with a sheaf of notes, that I hope soon to be able convert into recipes as a proper tribute to him.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

In the meantime, here are some photos of the landscape which so inspired him and informed and infused his cooking, all taken either within a few miles of Le Casacce or from the grounds of the property itself. I don’t usually feel moved to take landscapes – photos generally can never do them justice – but the land here was so beautiful I had to try (and bear in mind these photos don’t do the real landscapes justice either).

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Caro Enrico, may you rest in peace, I am grateful to have met you, to have experienced the warmth and generosity of your hospitality and to have come away with some of your recipes. I so much wanted to return to Le Casacce but now it will never be the same. I will also never again be able to hear Barry White without thinking of you. Ciao, ciao.

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Tuscan Landscapes - Photography by www.paolathomas.com

Linda Bass of Tuscan Muse, which she ran in partnership with Enrico, is heartbroken, but soldiering on, and has confirmed that the workshops will be continuing at Le Casacce as Enrico would have wanted and as part of his legacy.

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Comments

  1. Ulrich Brodde says

    Your tribute created tears in my eyes.
    Next October I would have meet Enrico for the first time, now it only remains to hear and read about him and to go on with his and Linda´s work and dream.

  2. says

    Wow your tribute is perfect and I don’t think anyone could have said it better. What an incredible chance we had spending that time with his, tasting his food and experiencing his larger-than-life personality. Thanks for this, Paola.

  3. says

    I never met Enrico, but I wish I had. It sounds like he embodied the Tuscan approach to life that we all could learn from and value…good food served to good friends, seasoned with gratitude for the blessings hidden in every moment. I am sorry for the loss of your friend.

    • says

      Dana, as usual, you summed it up. His food was indeed served with love and seasoned with gratitude (I need to steal that phrase) and you can’t get better than that.

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  1. […] the blog over the last week or so, I posted some more pics of Tuscany and a tribute to the chef I met there and a recipe for Mixed Fruit Clafoutis. Will try to up the bloggery over the next week or […]

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