Fabulous Flavors of Florence

Cooking Class Vacation Itinerary

Tuscany Cooking Classes in Florence, Italy

This culinary program has been designed for lovers of Tuscany and all that it represents – the charming medieval towns, the centuries old traditions, the people and their culture, the art and, of course, the great food and wine!! We have spent time with our chefs to create a week dedicated to the secrets and traditions of Tuscan cookery and participants will spend many hands-on hours perfecting the skills of Tuscan cooking in our original kitchen of the 14th century 'Villa Pandolfini'.  We will discuss the history of the Tuscan diet, typical dishes, Tuscan bread, peasant foods, and how the gastronomy has changed throughout the medieval and renaissance periods up until modern times.  When you are not in the kitchen you will be touring through the rolling olive-tree-speckled hills to visit castles, taste the wonderful wines produced, enjoy the village shopping and other memorable gastronomical opportunities.

This is a full 7-night Tuscan cooking tour with cooking, classes, accommodations, wine tours and cultural activities all included.  You will stay on the estate of a stunning villa just outside Florence, Italy.  In addition to the bedrooms, each unit is its own apartment, complete with kitchen and sitting area. 

Saturday – Arrival to Villa Pandolfini Estate, orientation and 'Benvenuto Dinner' to meet the Chefs and your hosts.

The entire group will arrive after lunch and settle into their accommodations, having time to explore the estate, relax and freshen up for the 'Benvenuto' dinner which will take place in the villa's historical 14th Century kitchen, featuring the original stone fireplace, marble sink and vaulted ceiling. The kitchen will be the heart of this gastronomical adventure. Participants will receive their recipe books and course guidelines. Partners are also welcome to join the welcome dinner where you will feast on traditional Tuscan fare of the season and enjoy the estate's wine. You will meet your chefs who, by the week's end will become your lifelong friends!!  An example of what your welcome dinner menu might include is:

Sunday - Full Day Excursion to Chianti

Your driver will collect you from the Villa Pandolfini. First stop today will be an organic farm where they raise a special breed of pig called the 'Cinta Senese' , which is indigenous to the Tuscan area. They have an organic artisan meat production and the tour includes a walk up 'Pig Hill' to see the pigs (and maybe even some piglets if you’re lucky), a glimpse into their seasoning/curing room, and finishes with a guided tasting of the resulting products such as salami, prosciutto, capocollo, guancia, etc. After this visit we will then head off to a charming family -run restaurant for a wonderful 4 course lunch. After lunch off to a stunning castle for a walk through their gardens, select rooms of the castle itself, a cellar tour and tasting of their wonderful Chianti, Chianti Classico Reserve wines and their Vin Santo sweet dessert wine. On returning to our village you will be dropped off at the local pizzeria where a typical pizza dinner has been organised for you .

Monday - Cooking Day 1

Your first foray into Tuscan cuisine begins in the kitchen at 10 AM.  An example of the kinds of dishes you may learn include:

The day's cooking will finish in lunch prepared by the students.  Afternoon – Free Time. The group can relax or opt to choose additional activities and tours offered in our Excursion Options program.

Tuesday - Florence market and historical tour,  lunch and then free time / museums. Dinner at the local 'Villa Caruso '

First stop - breakfast at the local bakery for cappucino and fresh pastries galore! Next it's off to Florence to meet your guide for a tour of the central food markets, where you will witness a real part of Florentine history . The Florentines have been enjoying this market for centuries and it is the best way to see so much fresh produce, meat, fish all at one time and have the opportunity to also taste and purchase products . We arrange a lunch for you at a charming little Osteria . To follow, a guided walking tour of the city of Florence explaining how the city has changed through the ages . Afterwards you will have free time to shop and explore the city or to visit the Uffizi or Accademia museums. Driver transfer back to the Villa preceedes a memorable dinner at the 'Villa Caruso' where once lived Enrico Caruso, the famed opera singer.  It is a stunning property located 5 minutes from the Villa Pandolfini where
you can enjoy the gardens and lovely grounds and feel like you are being taken back in time.

Wednesday – Cooking Day 2

You have the entire day free to embark out on your own, relax or particpate in an organized activity like truffle hunting ( from Sept – Dec ), a day trip to Rome / Cinque Terre/ Venice/Lucca and Pisa /Siena and San Gimignano/ Florence.  Your second cooking class begins at 5 PM and you will enjoy your culinary creations for dinner immediately following class.  An example of the dishes your second class might cover include:

Thursday - Cooking Day 3

You have the entire day free to embark out on your own, relax or particpate in an organized activity like truffle hunting ( from Sept – Dec ), or any of our other excursion options.  Your third cooking class begins at 5 PM and you will enjoy your culinary creations for dinner immediately following class.  An example of what your third cooking class might include is:

Friday - Local tour of one of the Medici Residence's in Poggio a Caiano, Artimino a medieval hamlet and a ceramic factory.  Cooking Day 4 and Farewell Banquet 

We will leave around 9am to have coffee and pastries at the local bar thena visit to a nearby ceramic factory to see how they paint and produce the beautiful Tuscan ceramics.This area of Montelupo is famous for it's production which has been taking place since the year 1000. After the factory visit we will drive through the countryside of Carmignano to Poggio a Caiano where will will tour a
Medici Villa. The villa was built for Lorenzo the Magnificent and was an architectual triumph for the period , the late 1400's. Lunch will then be at the picturesque hamlet of Artimino which overlooks another imposing Medici Villa, originally one of their hunting lodges. The menu here is wonderful and it really is one of the prettiest spots in all of Tuscany. The restaurant is one of the nicest in the region and is often written up by food critics in the USA to glowing reviews. After lunch you will have some time to pack and freshen up for the cooking class.

This evenings class will start at 5pm. Tonight you will enjoy your last cooking class, but you are also tasked with the preparation of the farewell dinner for the group, including your hosts and the villa owners. Everyone will be dining together in the villa's kitchen and there will also be musical entertainment.  The menu for your farewell dinner may include items such as:

Saturday – 'Checkout'

Often we have cooking classes on Saturday if you would like to enjoy an extra one before you go. Please make sure that we
have all of your transfer /flight details. If you want to purchase some wine and oil please let us know by Thursday if possible.

*NOTE:   Please bear in mind that the program outlined is a guide and the order of the days may change depending on availability of the various service providers, the menu items may change due to season and the activities may change based on both availability and time of year. Often we program cooking classes to start in the afternoon instead of the morning which will provide you dinner and also leave you the most part of the day free to relax or enjoy additional activities.

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