Cooking Lessons
After living in Lucca Province (Tuscany) for thirteen years, I’ve learned some lessons about cooking lessons.
Lesson 1: When you’re here in Italy, there are many more interesting ways to learn about the food culture than by holing yourself up in a kitchen for a cooking lesson. Lesson 2: There is no such thing as Italian food in Italy. It only exists in restaurants outside Italy. Within Italy there are regional cuisines which are a mosaic of individual family traditions determined by the soil, climate and history of each region. Lesson 3: Typical Tuscan cuisine relies on excellent raw ingredients cooked in very simple ways. |
Lesson 4: It doesn’t make sense to take a cooking lesson without knowing how the best raw ingredients are produced and tasting the difference between them and mediocre ingredients. If you go home and buy industrial produce, the result will be poor and you’ll be disappointed.
I’m giving you the benefit of my experience for free: don’t take a cooking lesson. Educate your mind and palate and meet extraordinary people by coming with me to learn with artisan producers.
See Day Adventures to discover a few of the many activities available. To get a copy of the full list, fill in the Enquiry Form. Since agriculture and artisan production is seasonal, be sure to state the dates you’re planning to be here.
If you get withdrawal symptoms when you’re not in a kitchen, then see below for lessons that introduce you to the ingredients and their producers as well as teaching you how to use them in typical dishes of the area. They are available only in the Province of Lucca. Maximum 6 people. No children under 6 years old.
I’m giving you the benefit of my experience for free: don’t take a cooking lesson. Educate your mind and palate and meet extraordinary people by coming with me to learn with artisan producers.
See Day Adventures to discover a few of the many activities available. To get a copy of the full list, fill in the Enquiry Form. Since agriculture and artisan production is seasonal, be sure to state the dates you’re planning to be here.
If you get withdrawal symptoms when you’re not in a kitchen, then see below for lessons that introduce you to the ingredients and their producers as well as teaching you how to use them in typical dishes of the area. They are available only in the Province of Lucca. Maximum 6 people. No children under 6 years old.