Elisa Cini

L ’Andana is a resort located in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma, an area rich in raw materials that are unique in the world that are continually enhanced by the expression of the cuisine of the La Villa restaurant and the Trattoria di Enrico Bartolini (Michelin Star restaurant) located in its proximity.
The collaboration between the two kitchen brigades, joined by Chef Bruno de Moura Cossio, leads to the constant search for quality and innovation of traditional dishes with a
particular attention to the local products.
My work consisted in the production of:
- Breakfast products such as: tarts, cakes, biscuits and breakfast bread.
- Selection of sandwiches for lunch and focaccia for picnics that are organized with a specific menu developed by the two brigades
- Bread for the evening service of La Villa

-Oversaw budgets and cost controls to maintain efficient operations.

-Trained and supervised new employees on bakery operations and procedures.

-Developed unique recipes trying prioritize mainly products tipical of tuscany and the season.

The production was led by me, I was helped by a trainee for the last three months only this last year.

Since this was a seasonal job, I had the chance to do other experiences in wintertime.

My experience in this restaurant here was mainly related to the daily production of:

- Sourdough of different kinds

- Breadsticks

- Focaccia

Since we had to organize the production of a big amount of products (both for the restaurant and banquets), I also had the chance to do many preparations related to the pastry section, such as:

custards, madeleines, ice cream, gelées,..

My job during the evening service was to bring and cut bread in front of clients, which was a big challenge in such an important restaurant; this gave me the opportunity to learn much about self confidence and to see how precise are the schemes in such a high level cuisine.

At ALMA being the world's leading international educational and training centre for Italian cuisine I had the opportunity to work in a world where excellence, respect and rigor are the pillars.
For two months I was joined by great professionist in the pastry sector, where I was able to participate in the lessons that took place for the Advance Course mainly dealing with the preparation of the classrooms and the food products.
For the next two months I worked with the Bakery Sous Chef, which gave me
way of experimenting, studying and discovering a lot of what I did not yet know, always working with excellent raw materials, cutting-edge machinery and flawless techniques.

La ‘Salmoneria’ is a restaurant located in the historic center of Florence where Salmon is the king of products.
The dishes are full of creativity and constantly changing, driven by the motivation of a very young and enthusiastic staff.
My role was to prepare desserts both for the restaurant Menu and also exposed for the all day window, in line with the spirit of the place. At the time of the service I would deliver the desserts my self directly to the table: this gave me the opportunity to transmit my passion and love for my work directly to the client, receiving great satisfaction.