Our classes are literally hands-on! No machine can duplicate the taste, texture, and delicacy of pasta made with hand labor. And nothing from the supermarket can duplicate farm-fresh ingredients.

Italy cooking class

Sample Daily Schedule

Your week with Tuscan Women Cook includes six night's accommodation at La Chiusa in Montefollonico, breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, cooking classes, daily sightseeing, visits to local artisans, and wine tastings. Full translation is provided at all classes. Transportation to all activities is in a Mercedes minibus with private driver.

Sunday

Arrive -- Check in at the spectacular La Chiusa hotel in the center of the medieval walled village of Montefollonico. We will share antipasti and a glass of Prosecco together before our first dinner "al fresco" on the terrace. The chef will prepare a delicious Tuscan meal for us to begin our week together.

Monday

This morning's chef is Dania Mazotti, the world-famous chef at the Michelin-starred La Chiusa restaurant in our village. You will be mesmerized by this wonderful chef and her unique techniques in the kitchen, as she prepares chicken alla contadina, "white" ravioli stuffed with farm-fresh ricotta, Pappardelle "Dania", and caramel gelato with strawberry flambé. After lunch, we'll visit the historic medieval hill-top village of Pienza and drop in on many of the local artisans. Tonight's dinner will be in the garden of Al Vecchio Forno, where you can order anything you please from the outstanding menu. Wine from Montalcino is featured this evening.

Tuesday

Join us for a cappuccino in the village of Montefollonico before this morning's delicious cooking class. Iolanda will be teaching this morning and she will prepare dishes based on her 80 year's experience in the kitchen. She will prepare her famous stuffed zucchini flowers, minestra di pane (ribollita), pasta with sugo di campagna, along with the most delicious tiramisú you have ever tasted. We'll enjoy a delightful tasting lunch from this hands-on class. This afternoon, we are off to the famous discount shopping houses of Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Armani, and many more. Tonight's Tuscan dinner, along with local Sangiovese wine, is at an exceptional trattoria in our village, a favorite among the locals.

Wednesday

We depart early for Florence today. First, we will visit the Mercato Centrale, the main food market to taste, among other regional gourmet items, aged balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and then we take ample time for sightseeing and shopping in Italy's most elegant city. Lunch today will be at one of Florence's oldest and best trattorias, recently recommended by Bon Appétit magazine. Feel free to take off and enjoy the sights and shops of Florence or let our professional guide escort you. We will enjoy an early dinner tonight since we have another full day tomorrow.

Thursday

Cooking class this morning features hand-rolled "pici", the delicious egg-less pasta that originated in our area of Tuscany. We will also prepare aglione (garlic and tomato) sauce, pollo diavalo, savory grilled fresh vegetables topped with local extra virgin olive oil, and crostata suisina. This afternoon you will have a chance to visit a local cheese factory to see the production of fresh ricotta and the world-famous Pecorino cheese. Later, we will join local wine master, Vittorio Innocenti, for a wine tasting in his 750 year old cantina. Vittorio is famous for his Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and his award-winning Vin Santo. Dinner tonight in nearby Trequanda for a taste of the "new" Tuscan cuisine.

Friday

Bruna is our delightful cook today. One of the best cooks of our village, she loves to prepare bruschetta, panzanella, tagliatelli with sugo di carne, and gnocchi with fresh basil and tomato sauce. This afternoon we'll visit some of the nearby villages and finish shopping for olive oil and other essentials. Hopefully, we will have time for one more wine tasting with one of the young Super Tuscan vintners, Flavio Andreucci, who was recently honored at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City for his outstanding wines. Our final dinner together is at the Michelin-starred La Chiusa restaurant. You will enjoy a seven-course degustazióne dinner with outstanding Tuscan wines, including the world-famous Brunellos.

Saturday

Breakfast and departure at your leisure.