Tuscany Slow Cooking™

Join the Fabrizio family estate for a week of cooking and touring in The Slow Cooking Tuscan Tour.  Join Fabrizio and his family at their estate, a beautiful farmhouse villa located in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. The Tuscan cooking classes, held in the villa’s private kitchen, feature traditional recipes from the region, including Florence with our Chef Cati.  He will lead you through making Tuscan antipasto, pasta, main course and dessert. Fabrizio’s energetic personality, along with Chef Cati’s talented cooking skills make this cooking program our best seller for Tuscany. The entire staff, along with Fabrizio and his family, welcome you for a fun-filled cooking experience in the heart of Chianti!

As featured in April 2011 – Click here to read more!

Set among tall Tuscan cypresses that line its private roadway, and surrounded by its prestigious gardens, the Villa is an extraordinary place for your culinary program. And culinary it is with our Chef. Learn the traditions of Florentine cuisine in a Slow Cooking™ week that is steeped in centuries-old recipes. Cooking classes take place in a great working kitchen that also includes a wood-burning bread & pizza oven. During your hands-on cooking class, you will make antipasti, pasta and desserts and learn about the property’s award-winning wine and olive oil. The property follows the rule for using fresh, local and organic product from their large gardens and practices the Slow Food movement for cooking.

When you are not in the kitchen walk through property’s vineyards, olive groves and beautiful gardens. In summer, take a swim in the outdoor swimming pool and relax by the outdoor terrace.

Tuscan Accommodations

The private villa has recently been restored,

respecting its old-world charm, while adding modern comforts. Set on a working vineyard, the property is surrounded by rolling green Tuscan hills in the heart of Chianti. The estate has endless fields of olive grove and an organic vegetable garden, which produces beautiful olives, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini and a bounty of seasonal produce. Guests are invited to pick the fruits and vegetables, which are then used in the cooking classes.

The villa offers large apartments and oversized superior rooms, traditionally furnished and newly renovated with modern conveniences including air-conditioning. Each room has a private ensuite bathroom, telephone, full kitchenette, refrigerator, satellite TV and wifi, and a private garden or spacious terrace.

Step outside your door and into a lush garden with a caffé-style terrace for dining, reading or painting. There is an outdoor wood-burning brick oven for our pizza making class, an over-sized swimming pool and terrace on the property grounds. Majestic Murgesi horses are bred on the premises. If you like to ride, let us know and we will arrange for horseback riding.

Breakfast is served daily In the farmhouse’s spacious dining room and outdoor terrace where you will enjoy your Tuscan breakfast featuring artisan breads, salumi, ham, artisan cheese, homemade jams, biscotti and cakes baked each morning. Traditional Tuscan lunch or dinner is also available; reservations must be made in advance. Bikes are available at the property for peddling through the Tuscan countryside.

Family-style suites and apartments are also available upon request.

Click for Property Photo Gallery

Cooking Classes

Experience the delights of the traditional Tuscan lifestyle, while attending fun-filled cooking classes and enjoying relaxing excursions. You will learn to prepare Tuscan antipasto, pizza and breads, hearty soups, homemade pastas and sauces, meats, fish, vegetables and desserts.

Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms and pepolino, wild thyme, artichokes and tomatoes stuffed with herbs and cheese, gnocchi with ragù, Chianti Etruscan sauce and beans all’uccelletto, Vin Santo & cantuccini, almond cookies, tiramisù, schiacciata con l’uva, Tuscan cake made with red grapes and rosemary, are just a sample of Fabrizio’s family  recipes that you will learn.  Recipes will vary depending on the seasons.

Each cooking class is hands-on and includes traditional Tuscan cuisine. The estate’s kitchen is located in the main villa in what used to be one of the family’s wine cellars.

You will learn the secrets of making gnocchetti verdi di patate con pomodorino fresco e basilico, green potato gnocchi with fresh tomatoes and basil, filetto d’orata al gratin di patate, fish with potato gratin or sea food risotto.  Tuscan meats are prized in this region and Florentine steak and porcino mushrooms are on the menu if you like.  semifreddo alle nocciole con cioccolato fondente, ice cream cake with dark chocolate and nuts. Following each cooking class, everyone enjoys the foods that were prepared together with wine from the estate.

Experience a visit to the vibrant marketplace as the scents of just baked bread, artisan cheese, and morning picked produce from the nearby rolling hills stir your senses.  Listen to the sounds of sellers calling out their daily catch, prime cuts and specials.  Shop along rows of passionate purveyors who have kept the old world way of protected food and wine.

During your stay, discover Certaldo!!!  An excursion to this magical Tuscan town has you stepping along cobblestone paths lined with small coffee bars brewing up perfect espresso & cappuccino and fresh pasta shops displaying handmade pici, pappardelle and ravioli inside.  Open doors of ancient churches welcome each guest in for ancient art, design and stained glass windows.  Visit the  home of  great Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio who penned Decameron and On Famous Women.  Then, a stop in Lucardo beckons for small shops showcasing vino, faro, spelt and all things Tuscan.

Tuscan Bread Making

Learn to mix, knead and make Tuscan breads in the ancient wood-burning brick oven under the direction of Chef Luciana. While all of Italy salts their bread, the Tuscans do not; and this bread making practice dates back to the 12th century when the gents from Pisa boycotted the salt trade to hurt the Florentines who were, at that time, their enemies. The price of salt had risen so high that it became too expensive for the working class people to buy, so salt was left off the table. Tuscan bread to date remains unsalted and in doing so pairs well with the local cuisine, with crostini-salted salumi on toasted bread, along with aged cheese, and also used as a base with traditional soups such as minestra di pane and rebollita.
The list of Tuscan bread runs long, but a few favorites are Covaccino, Doucesses, Pane Integrale, Procorn E Panda, Cazzottini, and Focaccia. After a day at the oven you will be baking bread like a true Tuscan.

Siena

Set in the olive groves and vineyards of Chianti is Siena. You can see its unique bell towers from miles, while its Piazza del Campo is regarded as one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe. There is also the Duomo, a great example of Italian Romanesque architecture that was originally intended to be the grandest cathedral in existence (before funds ran out!), and Palazzo Pubblico houses Ambrogio Lorenzetti frescos. However, just a few steps away from the main square, a tangle of narrow, winding side streets and steps temp strollers into every hidden angle of the town, past pretty squares, bars and restaurants and theatres. Specialty food shops are dotted over the town offering everything from faro, spelt, and beans to tiny local chickpeas and almond and spice sweetmeats. Be a spectator and pull up to a café table at the Piazza del Campo for a creamy gelato or steamy cappuccino. Famous for the Palio, a historical horse race held every July in the main piazza, Siena is a magnificent city.

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is a medieval city perched on a hillside in the Tuscan country. It is renowned for being the town of towers, with only 14 still standing of the original 72 towers that once stood in the times when wealthy families tried to outdo each other by building impressive towers. A stroll round the main piazza and its shops is a must, and there is no end of things that will catch your eye: hand-painted pottery, thick, carved olive wood chopping boards, art galleries, a selection of local wines, olive oil, the area’s famous salamis made with fennel seeds and deep red Prosciutto. Cozy trattorias offer stunning views of the red roofs of the city.

Tuscan Hills & The Carthusian Monks

During your free time explore the hills of Tuscany that lead to La Certosa! Whether you bike or drive, it is worth the trip. The La Certosa is a Carthusian monastery positioned in the Acciaioli Hills and just minutes from the Villa. The monastery was one of the most influential of its kind in Europe with approximately one hundred monks that worked diligently turning it into one of the richest in Europe. Built in 1341 by Niccolò Acciaiuoli, the monastery’s was constructed as a religious site and a place for young Italians to learn. The Carthusian monks went into seclusion from the world to pray, meditate and work in honor of St. Benedict following his Rule. The monks lived carried on, ate and worked in their small rooms while working diligently making liquor and jams. The Church of San Lorenzo with a Renaissance cloister, houses a great amount of frescoes, a 16th Century marble altar and a crypt containing the Acciaioli family tombs. The monks’ cells open onto the cloister, with a few opening up to the monks’ living spaces where visitors can still visit today: a great day escape exploring the countryside of Tuscany. Guided visits with a monk by your side are available upon reservation.

Organic Olive Oil and Wine Tour & Tastings

During your culinary program, taste and learn about the superior wine and extra virgin first pressed olive oil. The products are genuine and certified and the sommelier will take you on a tour of the cantina, the vineyards and the cellar. At the end of the visit you will have the chance to taste the products grown on the estate. The tasting is paired with a selection of typical Tuscan appetizers, served in the wine cellar or under their Loggia, giving you the insight on the food and wine that locals have been enjoying for centuries.

Itinerary: 4 Days, 3 Nights

Day 1: Arrival and Chef’s Welcome Dinner

• Transfer from Florence Airport or Train Station to the Villa.
• Enjoy your Prosecco welcome and Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag.
• Relax, check in and meet your hosts.
• In the evening, Chef’s Welcome Dinner featuring a full course dinner with Tuscan Fare, an antipasto, fresh pasta with sauce, main course and dessert with wine tasting.

Day 2: Cooking Class and Tuscan Lunch and Vineyard and Wine Tasting

• Breakfast is served.
• Head into the kitchen with Chef Luciana for your hands-on Cooking Class. Start with an antipasto such as Bruschetta, then the first course such as spaghetti with Pommarola Sauce for a slow simmered to perfection tomato sauce. Your second course may include one of Chef Luciana’s specialties such as chicken escalopes with insalata di arancio, a fresh orange salad, and for dessert, Florentine cakes and biscotti. Menus vary to use the best fresh seasonal ingredients and can be tailored to accommodate vegetarian, food allergies and other diet requirements.
• Lunch follows on the foods prepared in class. Wine pairings from the property included.
• In the afternoon, experience a vineyard tour and wine tasting at the property with wine included.  Explore the vineyard, learn about biodynamic farming and the wine harvest with Fabrizio.  Wine tasting follows with the wine produced on the property.
• Dinner on your own. Suggestions provided upon request, or reserve in advance for dinner at the Villa.

Day 3: Walking Tour Of Florence ~ City Of Art

• Breakfast is served.
• Transfer to downtown Florence for a Walking Tour with local English-speaking guide.
• Stroll the Renaissance City and see the Duomo, the Baptistry, Santa Croce and more with your private tour guide to explain the history, the legends and little known facts about the city, often called, the City of Art.
• After your morning tour, take time to explore the city on your own, shop for leather at the Market of San Lorenzo or, gold and jewels along the Ponte Vecchio.
• Lunch on your own with suggestions provided
• Return transfer to the Villa.

Day 4: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and departure transfer to Florence Airport or Train Station.
• Arrivederci Firenze!

*Note: This schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days or festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the program.