Several years ago Elizabeth and Marco gave in to the call of this hobby central to their Tuscan country lifestyle, putting aside their separate professions to open a small restaurant in the garden of their 15th century watermill home in Tuscany near Florence, which in the meantime they had found, bought and restored, where they give free reign to what they call their ‘lifestyle cooking’. Doggedly
going against the flow of growth, expansion and profit in response to success and awards, they stick fast to their philosophy of a totally home-made traditional Tuscan menu, favouring local growers and producers of fresh, seasonal and traditional food and ingredients. Dining in the restaurant on a 35km menu is a culinary romp around the places of the people who produce. Participating in a Tuscan cooking workshop is equivalent to dipping into their lifestyle. Their Tuscan Cooking Workshops began initially with the encouragement of the local ladies who started Elizabeth on this adventure, followed later by the request of Italians who came to eat in their ‘lifestyle restaurant’. Discovering the joys of cooking with like-minded enthusiasts from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, opened the doors to a whole new exciting chapter. People are attracted who love to cook and to eat, who love Tuscany, its incredible natural produce, its wines, the countryside, the art, architecture and history of this cradle of culture; people who love to cook and eat all day, to talk about food and culinary traditions, often with a glass of Chianti in one hand and a spatula in the other while Marco chats about the origins of traditional dishes and the art and history of Florence; people who want to prepare as many dishes as possible; others who prefer to cook and eat all day, then climb into the jeep to drive into the hills to visit a cheese maker, hunt for truffles, or sample the region’s famed wines and olive oil, then come home, cook some more, take a dip in the pool, feast, relax infront of the log fire with a glass of wine and a coffee; people who want to do all of this in a home where history, tradition, art, food, wine and beauty are a natural part of the owner’s lifestyle. The house motto says it all, ‘Cucinare è Voler Bene’ – ‘To Cook is To Love’.
‘Casa Ceri’ refers to Marco’s Florentine family history which dates back to 15th century Florence.
