Sagraincasa: From Garden to Plate Lessons with a Chef in an Umbrian Farmhouse

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 10/12/2021

Sagraincasa: From Garden to Plate Lessons with a Chef in an Umbrian Farmhouse

A special occasion concluded by the cooking of a talented chef for dinner was what Torre di Bisenzio Winery proprietors Mike and Neena Rees planned for the day of their new cellar's inauguration. To finally settle down in front of an inviting setting of an outdoor dining table was what everyone needed after a hectic day. With just a handful of guests remaining, Chef Simona Fabrizio and her kitchen assistants started her preparations for a five-course meal as we unwind, sipping our sparkling wine.

Torre Bisenzio wines and villa

Every single dish, from appetizer to dessert, Simona's principle of garden to plate was fully-accomplished from the freshness and genuineness of the flavors that she was able to convey. Her ingredients come straight from her garden which she enhances with her techniques. There's a perfect balance of flavors which harmoniously integrate together in the dishes like the summer raviolo in peas and asparagus and the unforgettable dessert of slow cooked pear in red wine and saffron served with almond gelato.

Although law was her educational attainment, she took another path, a totally different one - enogastronomy. She became both a chef after studying at Gambero Rosso Culinary School in Rome and a sommelier after her course at Federazione Italiana Sommelier in Rome. From there, her professional experience took her to different states in the US as guest chef and promoter of Italian cuisine. Later on, she completed her stage internships in restaurants with two and three Michelin stars in California, Melisse and The French Laundry, respectively. Last year, she published her first book, My Home to Yours, Italian Cooking.

Almost a decade has passed when she started Sagraincasa at her farmhouse in Orvieto, Umbria for people who love to learn and cook along with her in the garden and in the kitchen. Yes, aside from catering to events and being a private chef for intimate dinners for smaller groups, you can catch her at her farmhouse and have a different kind of experience of the Umbrian countryside with the wealth of knowledge from an Italian chef and sommelier.