The Tuscan
- Florence, Italy
- Culinary & Wine Travel
| from $3,895* per person | 7 Days | March, April, September, October |
| Boutique accommodations | Exertion level: 3 | |
| Operator: Food N' Wine Vacations | 15 people max | |
The Tuscan is a private cooking school in Italy offering a cooking vacation. Courses are hands-on under the guidance of professional Italian chef and sommelier, Valter Roman, and also feature guest chefs from around the world including Alvaro Maccioni of La Famiglia restaurant in London. Alvaro is a passionate advocate of using fresh, seasonal produce and traditional methods of cooking in Italy. He believes that 'if a chef cooks like his mother, he is a great chef. If he cooks like his grandmother, he is even greater!' Valter believes cooking is not just a matter of weights and measures and following a recipe but of feeling and instinct and hands-on experience.
Alvaro and Valter’s taste of cooking in Italy is a special blend of only the finest ingredients in life. Together in this cooking vacation, you will learn to be experimental yet not lose sight of the true Tuscan flavours and disciplines in cooking. You will be encouraged to explore the tastes and textures of some of the finest and freshest ingredients on an inspiring cooking vacation in and out of the kitchen and you will discover, recognize and start to understand the true soul of cooking in Italy and how Italian food really should taste.
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Locations visited/nearby
Italy, Europe
Itinerary
Day 1: Sunday: Arrival - Welcome Buffet Lunch - Hands On Cooking Lesson - Orientation* Transfers from Pisa or Florence airports/train stations for arrival at the villa around midday for a welcome buffet lunch.
* Buffet lunch - meet your hosts & cooking vacation colleagues with time to settle in and relax before the first hands-on cooking lesson.
* Hands-on cooking class with preparation of dinner
Fiori di zucca con cestini di parmigiano - Ricotta filled zucchini flowers with oven crisped parmesan baskets
Risotto ai Carciofi o Funghi Porcini - Artichoke or Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Cantucci di Prato - Almond biscuits from Prato
* Welcome Aperitivi and orientation before dinner
Day 2: Monday: Themed Cooking Class - Chef's Tour of Lucca - Hands On Cooking Lesson
* After breakfast a specially themed cooking class - Pasta and its Sauces.
Tagliolini al pomodoro ciliegino & basilico - Long thin pasta with a cherry tomato
and basil sauce Ravioli di asparagi selvatici con una salsa tartufata di stagione - Wild asparagus filled ravioli with a truffle butter Lasagna dello Chef - Chef
Mostarda/Jam Making for Cheese Tasting
* Lunch alfresco followed by a chef tour of Lucca visiting gourmet suppliers and producers for tastings
* Hands-on cooking class and preparation of dinner.
Zuppa di Farro - Spelt grain soup
Melanzane alla Parmigiana - Oven baked layers of eggplant, tomato and parmesan
Pesche amaretti e gelato di cannella - Amaretto peaches & cinnamon ice-cream
Limoncello di Nonna Maria - Grandma Maria lemon liqueur
* Aperitivi and dinner
Day 3: Tuesday: Breakfast - Depart for a Chianti Adventure - Wine Tasting - Village Trattoria
* Breakfast available
* Depart for a Chianti adventure stopping off at an enchanting market town as well as renowned vineyard for wine-tasting and lunch.
* Return home for an informal pizza supper in the lively village Trattoria, just a short walk from the villa.
Day 4: Wednesday: Pistoia
* Breakfast available.
* Chef tour of the bustling market town of Pistoia to choose fresh produce for a kitchen challenge where students and chefs work together to prepare a buffet lunch with items found at the market.
* Lunch followed by free time to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the villa.
* Hands-on cooking class and preparation of dinner.
Gnocchi con Pesto : Potato dumplings with a pesto sauce
Tagliata Fiorentina con funghi porcini & rucola & fagioli zolfini Florentine steak dressed with a porcini mushroom sauce or rucola topping and served with zolfini beans
Sformatino di Gianduia con una salsa di cioccolata bianca & vaniglia Warm chocolate and hazelnut pudding with a white chocolate and vanilla sauce
* Aperitivi and dinner.
Day 5: Thursday: Breakfast
* Breakfast available
* Gourmet adventure in the Garfagnana visiting a cheese producer and a salami/cured meat specialist with a Tuscan tasting lunch at an old mill.
* Hands-on cooking class and preparation of dinner.
Tagliolini di Pesce : Seafood pasta
Pesce in cartoccio -Fish in a bag
Sorbetto di limone & salvia - Lemon & sage sorbet
* Aperitivi and dinner.
Day 6: Friday: Breakfast - Themed Hands On Cooking Class - Farewell Drinks
* Breakfast available.
o Pastry a specially themed hands on cooking class
o Tiramis A little pick me up Florentines & Petits Fours,
Bign¨ - Profiteroles
* Lunch followed by a short visit to see the Leaning Tower in Pisa.
* Hands-on cooking class and preparation of dinner.
Crespelline Fiorentine Fiorentine spinach & ricotta crepes with a walnut sauce Ossobuco alla Milanese con riso pilaff Beef shanks in a citrus vegetable
sauce & pilaff rice
* Farewell drinks, graduation ceremony and celebration dinner.
Day 7: Saturday: Breakfast - Departure
* Breakfast available and transfers to your next onward destination.
* Quoted rates are for a 6 day (Sunday to Saturday) hands-on cooking course with luxury en-suite accommodation, all meals taken on-site (breakfast each morning, lunches & dinners), house-wine & soft drinks, the cost of pre-arranged restaurants, transfers to/from Pisa or Florence airports & Pisa, Florence or Lucca train stations, transport for all organised outings, guided tours & entrances to museums as arranged, wine tours/tastings. On arrival, each student is presented with a course guide, a cookbook of course recipes & an apron. Graduation certificates are presented on final evening.
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