Art meets food in this sublime story of family and friends at the Arniano Painting School in
Tuscany. 'A peculiar attribute of the landscape surrounding Arniano is the ever-changing
light. Early in the morning there is an extraordinary mist that sits in the valley and
interweaves through the hills allowing just the tops to show above the smoky clouds. These
changes bring with them new moods and shadows drawing our painters to different views and
areas of the garden throughout the day. By the evening everything has altered again and there
are often intense sunsets bringing silhouettes from the trees and much darker richer olive
colours.' There are many farmhouses in Tuscany but few are quite so magical as Arniano. It
is here in this 18th-century podere that Amber Guinness grew up and learned to cook. And it
is here that she established The Arniano Painting School a residential painting course and
immersive art and food experience. 'As I look through the recipes and think about the common
thread that binds them I realise that they all exemplify a fundamental principle of Italian
home cooking. Which is that simplicity - and keeping ingredients as close to their original
form as possible - leads to the most delicious and rewarding food. The beauty of Italian
cooking is that it is not about fancy sauces or preparation techniques. Rather it is about
bringing out the best in what you are cooking through patience constant tasting and the
development of flavour - sometimes using nothing but some olive oil and salt.' Filled with
recipes for classic dishes and cocktails feast curation seasonal menu suggestions and notes
on an Italian pantry and wines A House Party in Tuscany will transport you to the Tuscan
countryside and bring the conviviality of Arniano to your table.
