m.touch travel
Cooking in Florence
Food in Florence
Antipasti include crostini toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with a chicken liver-based pâté,and sliced meats (mainly prosciutto and salami, often served with melon when in season).
The typically saltless Tuscan bread frequently features in Florentine courses, especially in its famous soups, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, both usually served with local olive oil, and in the salad of bread and fresh vegetables called panzanella that is served in summer.
The most famous main course is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a huge steak of Chianina beef cooked over hot charcoal and served very rare with its more recently derived version, the tagliata, sliced rare beef served on a bed of arugula.
Menus for Francesca
TUSCAN HORS D'OEUVRES
• The traditional Tuscan "crostini" sauce
• Panzanella (Tuscan bread salad) *
• Coccoli e Figattole
• Rosé wine Albiola Casale del Giglio Lazio
A TUSCAN DINNER FOR FRIENDS
• Pappa al pomodoro
• Chicken with white wine, olives, and fresh herbs
• Panna cotta with sauce
• Red wine Chianti Selvapiana, Rufina
HAND-MADE PASTA
• Pasta fatta in casa: preparation of different
• kinds of pasta, cutting by hand and machine (spaghetti, taglierini, fettuccine, tagliatelle, etc.)
• Three typical Tuscan sauces: carrettiera, mushroom sauce *, and pesto
• Red wine Chianti Selvapiana, Rufina
A MORE COMPLEX MENU
• Mezzelune con ricotta e spinaci
• Rotolo di manzo
• Seasonable vegetable side dish
• Red wine Sangiovese Lagone Livorno
ARE YOU GAME?
• Pappardelle sulla lepre
• Quaglie sul crostone
• Seasonable vegetable side dish
• Red wine Monteregio Fabula Massa Marittima
SEAFOOD LOVERS' MENU (minimum 4 participants)
• Calamari fritti
• Risotto allo scoglio
• Totani in zimino
• White wine Vernaccia Montenidoli San Gimignano
WINTER MENU
• Cavolo con le fette
• Arista al latte
• Seasonable vegetable side dish
• Red wine Morellino Le Pupille Scansano
TUSCAN SWEETS
• Panna cotta with strawberry sauce *
• Tiramisù
• Crespelle dolci (hot stuffed pancakes)
• Vin Santo, Fattoria di Calcinaia, Greve
• Subject to seasonal availability
Details
Wine Tastings
Learn how to taste and appreciate wine. Your wine experts will explain about planting, selection, growing, harvesting and the work process. You will discover how to read labels, which to choose and when to open certain bottles. In addition, you will hear about what's happening today in wine journalism.
Cooking Classes in Florence & Tuscany
Florentine food grows out of a tradition of peasant eating rather than rarefied high cooking. The whole animal was traditionally eaten; various kinds of tripe, (trippa) and (lampredotto) were once regularly on the menu and still are sold at the remaining food carts stationed throughout the city.
Inquiry Form
Tuscan Cooking in Florence
Private Cooking Classes
An introduction to preparing-and eating-traditional dishes along with the appropriate wines.
more details
From 80€pp
Cooking with Valentina and Barbara
An introduction to preparing-and eating-traditional dishes along with the appropriate wines. Classes may be scheduled for any date with a two-day advance notice, and can be conducted in your native language. You may take one lesson or combine them to fashion a program to your interests.
Classes may be scheduled for any date with a two-day advance notice, and can be conducted in your native language.
Cost : 80 €pp based on 2
CLOSE
Cook & Dine in Florence
Scheduled Group Class
Your chef for this program, will guide you in a fine dance around flavors and tastes.
more details
Cooking with Cosetta
Cosetta Memmola, your chef for this program, will guide you in a fine dance around flavours and tastes, offering an introduction to preparing-and eating-traditional dishes along with the appropriate wines. Menus are flexible and follow seasonal products. Classes are scheduled for any Tuesday and Thursday and are conducted in English and Italian language.
Sample Menu
-Zuppa di arselle. Seppie in inzimino. Vino bianco Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2001 Montenidoli
-Risotto di zucca gialla. Coniglio alle olive nere. Chianti Rufina 2001 Cerreto Libri
-Infarinata della Garfagnana. Scamerita al finocchio selvatico. Chianti Rufina 1999 Travignoli
-Tirmasù e Biscotti al cacao amaro, profumati all'arancia. Vin santo 1996 Fattoriadi Ostina
Lessons begin at 3:30pm After assisting in the preparation of dishes, you sit at a table and at 6:30 - 7:00pm you have dinner, enjoying your creations with the correct wines.
Cost : 69€pp
CLOSE
Cooking in Maremma
Maremma is well known for excellent full-bodied and strong wines, notably Morellino di Scansano. The traditional wild boar salami and salsicce, accompanied by hand-made tortelli and tagliatelle, are typical specialties of Maremma cuisine.
more details
Cooking with Concetta
Program Dates
- May 11-17, 2008
- June 8-14., 2008
- September 14-20, 2008
- October 12-18, 2008
Maremma, in southern coastal Tuscany, is the wildest area in the province. Despite its increasing popularity, it remains well preserved, especially the Uccellina Natural Park (Parco Naturale della Maremma) and the Burano Oasis, protected by the Wild World Fund (WWF) to safeguard the dozen of bird species, some rare, that stop here to build their nests.
Maremma is well known for excellent full-bodied and strong wines, notably Morellino di Scansano. The traditional wild boar salami and salsicce, accompanied by hand-made tortelli and tagliatelle, are typical specialties of Maremma cuisine.
Concetta lives in an isolated house on the Maremma hills along the coast of Capalbio and Chiarone.
She is the owner of a Bar and a Guesthouse, where you can find everything (newspapers, coffee, cigarettes, bread) and you can meet everyone (farm workers and famous writers). She is able to introduce you to the ingredients of the simple Maremma food.
Here is the weeklong program:
• Sunday: arrival and accommodation in Concetta's guest house
• Monday: excursion to the beach in Chiarone and introduction to program; cooking lesson; dinner
• Tuesday: morning free; cooking lesson; dinner
• Wednesday: day trip to Manciano, Scansano, and Magliano; visit to the Le Pupille winery and tasting; lunch in a typical Maremma restaurant
• Thursday: morning free; cooking lesson; dinner
• Friday: bird-watching trip to the Burano Oasi; cooking lesson; dinner
• Saturday: departure
Price per participant € 595.00 pp
CLOSE
Divine Cooking
The Tuscans know how to prepare simple food that make the most of regional and seasonal produce. That's why classes begin in the Mercato Centrale where purveyors provide the best from the Tuscan countryside.
more details
Cooking with Judy
Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
Times : 11 am - 4 pm.
Includes a copy of Judy`s cookbook "From the Market to the Table" and apron.
Cooking classes begin at 11 a.m. at Judy`s cooking studio on Via Taddea, near Florence's historic Central Market, San Lorenzo.
Classes are limited to 6 students. (Larger classes available for private groups or at your villa.)
The cooking day includes:
• Shopping the Central Market and planning a custom menu based on the season's best.
• Touring the market and tasting olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheeses, and more!
After shopping, stop by the wine shop to have sommelier Gianni Migliorini pair wine to our unique menu.
Then back to the studio to cook.
Each class meal consists of a
• First course (soup, pasta, or risotto),
• Main course, vegetable course, and
• Dessert
Price per participant € 135.00 pp
CLOSE
Cooking in Olive Country
Visit the heart of the Tuscan oil kingdom in the hills around Impruneta, San Casciano, and Tavarnelle.
more details
Cooking with Olive Oil
Olive Trees are an ever-present part of the Tuscan landscape. Some trees are 300 years old and have silently followed the history of mankind. In Impruneta the olives are still collected by hand with the help of tall wood ladders leaning against the olive branches. The oil is still stored in enormous terracotta brick jars manufactured in Impruneta.
Group cookery course with dinner and wine tasting on Wednesdays
Filippo or Elena will be your chefs and will introduce you to the traditions of Impruneta cooking, helping you to prepare tasty recipes. During the lesson: some brief comments on choosing the right wines to go with the right foods, introduction to the sensorial analysis of wine. The lessons will be held in farm holiday centres and farms in Impruneta.
Program:
5.00 p.m.: lesson starts, 2/3 hours to prepare the following menu:
Tuscan bread with Impruneta oil
Fresh pasta with seasonal sauce
Peppery stew
Typical Tuscan cake
7.30/8.00 p.m. dinner with tasting of local wines:
2 reds,1 white,1 dessert wine
Price per person: 79.00€ pp