The food was delicious! The cooking tips were priceless! We had the best time cooking with Nonna…read more We felt like we were being taught our very own Italian Nonna! We so enjoyed the fruits of our labor dining at the big wooden table with our fellow chefs.

Cannot say enough good things about our experience with Nonna and Paolo. We attended a lunch…read morecooking class in mid-April, along with 2 other visitors to Tuscany. The menu included 3 types of bruschetta, tagliatelle with asparagus, chicken with a vin santo reduction, and zabaglione for dessert. This was one of our best meals in all of Tuscany. Not only because of the quality of the food (many of the ingredients came fresh from neighboring farms), but also because of the warmth and hospitality shown by Nonna and Paolo. They were both incredibly kind, genuine, and knowledgeable about the cooking techniques and ingredients, but perhaps the most enjoyable part was their lovely relationship and the way they made everyone in the class comfortable with one another. By the end, we were all laughing and joking together. Please go visit Nonna; you won't regret it!

This is a 5 star experience through and through! Everything about this 1/2 day class is…read moreunbelievable. Host and cooking lead, Manuela is a gem. She is friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable but most of all knows how to take your trip to Italy to another level! She immerses you in a full on sensory experience to cooking. Smelling ingredients, touching and understanding textures, seeing the freshness of ingredients and the rich colors, and finally tasting the fruits of your labor. Mmmmm. We opted for a regional class that featured Sicilian recipes and it was fantastic! We made a four course meal. One of the freshest meals I've ever had. Our food was down right mouth watering! You must must must go here when visiting Florence for a truly rich cultural and culinary experience. Loved this day more than I can capture in a review.

OMG!! This review is long overdue!! We had the best time with Manuela and Simon. Was definitely…read moreone of the highlights of our trip!! Manuela was patient, informative, and humorous. Everything we made was explained very well, and best of all was delicious. I will forever remember this time, and look forward to utilizing the recipes back home. Highly recommend taking a class with them!!

La Scuola di Cucina Lorenzo Medici has to be one of the top flight schools of Italian cooking…read more Everything about it is so totally impressive form its huge open modern design to its formally attired chef and master chef instructors attired in their dress whites with 52 pleated chef hats. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to attend any of the classes, though I wish I would have. However, I did carefully observe just about everything of their operations and the instructors left no detail to chance or uncovered. For example I noticed one student incorrectly cracking an egg against a knife edge and immediately saw two chef instructors showing him and instructing him on how to properly do it against a flat surface and they didn't leave him until he got it right. Also the instructors are constantly observing, tasting, having the students taste and advising throughout the entire process of students cooking. The instructions and classes are done in a totally "hands on" process of instruction. Furthermore you'll find that most of the students aren't comprised of armatures or wannabe cooks, but those who are already professionals and are there to improve and further hone their culinary talents. I've fortunately had the opportunity to observe many schools of cooking and culinary instruction including those of the Culinary Institute of America and have to say that those of the La Scuola di Cucina Lorenzo Medici were amongst the most impressive.

Took a cooking lass at the Central Market! What an amazing experience. Go on their website for…read morecooking class dates. €50 per person per class. You will not be disappointed

The best day we had in Italy was the day spent with Veronica, in her home, making the most…read moredelicious homemade Italian classics. My husband and I were on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy with our 10 year old and 17 year old nieces, and all ages were engaged in the process. We started the day seeing Veronica in town selecting fresh ingredients for our culinary adventure. We followed her from the center of town to her home, which is breathtaking on acres and acres of olive groves and other gorgeous landscaping. We had tasty homemade pastries and then got started. We did a roast, homemade pasta with both a meat and marina sauces, focaccia, salad of pole beans, feta cheese and a champagne vinaigrette, tiramisu and lots of fun and love! She sent us home with leftovers and olive oil from the property, which is sublime! We all agree it was our favorite day of the trip, and one day I hope to return and stay on the property and take another amazing class. Veronica is so knowledgable and warm, and she can teach any age and any personality. So blessed to have found her and spent the memorable day with her.

Veronica is an incredible chef and teacher. Her cooking class was the highlight of our trip to…read moreItaly. The food was delicious but the opportunity to spend an real Tuscan afternoon is something we will treasure always. Our kids were spellbound for the whole time!

If you're looking for a comprehensive cooking class that takes you from buying the food from the…read morelocal Bologna markets to cooking in a professional kitchen led by a professional chef and then enjoying it in a restaurant style setting, then this class is for you! My wife and I signed up for the 1-day (6 hour session) and had a great time learning about food history and cooking from the very knowledgeable Chef Stefano! What's great about this class is that Chef Stefano has an abundance of experience and knowledge about food and its history and shares it with you all while instructing you on how to make it while he observes you performing the cooking hands-on! We were very lucky in that we were the only ones signed up for that day's class (since it was low season) and so Chef Stefano was very kind to tailor the class to what we wanted to learn and cook. We met at the CIBO venue and while walking to the local market, Chef Stefano learned about what we wanted to learn from the class and thus bought the necessary food items to fulfill our requests. When we got back, Chef Stefano gave us great information about the history of Italian food and why there are various cooking styles within Italy based upon location and climate conditions. Chef also instructed us step by step on how to prepare the dishes/sauces and watched us as we prepped and cooked the food. All this was done while enjoying glasses of wine that were selected by the Chef's wine partner, Carl Silvestri. Carl suggested some wines based upon what we were making and shared with us a lot of insight about the origins of the wine and had some great stories about the various local wines! This, too, was a treat for us as it happened that Carl stopped by the CIBO venue that day. In the end, we were able to enjoy the various dishes that we learned to prepare that day - Tagliatelle Ragu, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Ravioli stuffed with Squash. These were dishes that we had wanted to learn so this will vary class by class. Overall, we had a great time and can't thank Chef Stefano and Carl enough for a wonderful cooking experience. If you're seeking a quality cooking class, look no further...this is the one for you!

Assolutamente posto meraviglioso.Lo consiglio a chiunque.Li merita propio 5 stelle come valutazioneread more

Staff = 5 Cooking classes = 4…read more Lodging / Accommodations = 1 We enjoyed the Tuscany cooking class. Chef Paola was a real professional -- articulate, interesting, fun, engaging and so knowledgeable. Everything we cooked was fresh, local, in season -- just perfect. We learned a lot and can't wait to share some of the recipes we learned with our friends back at home. In the one-week course, there are 4 afternoon classes. Everyone gets an opportunity to prepare an appetizer, first course, secondi (pasta) or entree and dessert. Note: I said prepare. The students did all the cleaning, cutting, chopping, rolling, mixing, filling, etc. The kitchen staff did all the cooking, plating and presentation. It was like going to a fancy restaurant every night, except we had done all the prep work and knew what went into the dishes. We sampled just about everything Tuscany has to offer in the Spring -- Beef Steaks, Pork Tenderloin, Guinea Fowl, Rabbitt, Quail, Branzino, Cod, Ground Beef, and pasta, stuffed pasta. Everything made from scratch. It took time, and the results were worth it in every bite. Wine was served with each meal and after there after dinner drinks. Overall, it was a lot of really great food and wine. We also met some nice like minded foodies who contributed to each of the meals during the week. The staff was fantastic. From the general manager, to the chef, to the kitchen staff, drivers, and the other workers, if you mentioned something, they were on it. Everyone had a can do attitude and made sure everything was dealt with efficiently and effectively. ...and they were all extremely nice. The lodging and accommodations were disappointing, however. I requested a room on the ground level with minimal steps before I made the reservation. The owner of Tuscookany promised a room with only two steps. Upon arrival, we were assigned a room with six steps, one up and five down. That made it tough for my spouse. The room was also dimly lit and spartan. The real challenge revealed itself the next morning when we discovered there was minimal hot water. The bathroom shower and faucets both started off warm and then went to cold. For three of the first four mornings, the staff tried to fix the plumbing with various maintenance efforts. On the fourth day, they moved us to another nearby villa where there was hot water. So that solved one issue but created another because we now had to negotiate a staircase to the second level and trudge over loose gravel even further each day to our cooking classes. I understand and appreciate the challenges of a historic 200-year-old villa like Casa Ombuto and I enjoyed its charming appearance. I don't understand how the management can promise one room and deliver something completely different and so under maintained.

My daughter and I recently went to Casa Ombuto and had the most amazing time! Our chef, Paola, did…read morean amazing job teaching us all things Italian cooking! Her love for food, cooking, and teaching was beautiful! We spent an unbelievable week at our Tuscan villa learning the ins and outs of cooking Italian food. The accommodations were beautiful and perfect, and every single staff member did an amazing job taking care of us. I'm felt like we were welcomed in as family and spent an entire week in Italian paradise!!!

Amazing! Authentic Tuscan experience. Wine and food in a wonderful setting. Coleen, the owner, is…read morea super host.

Goodness! This luxury vacation was worth every penny. So great that I visited twice. Once in 2008…read moreand now in 2015. Cooking classes right in the village of Montefollonico taught by women whose families have lived here for generations. We got to cook with Dania at La Chiusa Ristorante and Hotel. To learn to stuff zucchini blossoms from a Michelin starred chef who is beautiful to boot, in Tuscany was a bucket list, lifetime experience. First class accommodations at her hotel and hands-on (and in the pasta) classes with women from all the village restaurants (13 Gobbi, La Costa, Belagaggio) is something that can't be taught in the US. I learned how to make amazing eggplant Parmigiana, pici pasta, pizza, handmade lasagna with béchamel...delish! (Note: be careful, I almost posted on another company's yelp because they sounded like Tuscan Women Cook but checked the websites and realized the other was a brand new company. I think the Sutherland's have been holding classes in Montefollonico since 1998 or 2000.) Check out pictures on their website. You will swoon. Patty and Bill Sutherland, save my place I'll probably return for a third time.

Ayoub was a FANTASTIC chef to lead our cooking class. He made the experience so memorable. He had…read morewonderful enthusiasm and made the class fun. After the class, we got to enjoy our food at a table on the streets of Siena. Thank you Ayoub for the experience!

I've only been to cooking classes in Asia, and this Siena one one was very enjoyable and our pasta…read moremaking came out better than expected. It was deliciously good and our tiramisu dessert was excellent and probably the best tiramisu I've ever had. The teachers explained clearly and easily what we needed to do...the worst cooks would have been successful. It came with wine and bottled water that enhanced the meal. I definitely would recommend the cooking classes as a thing to do if you have the time, as it made my stay in Siena more memorable.

I attended the course in 2010 with a friend and a nonparticipant (didn't cook, but did eat) and it…read morewas a wonderful first leg of our Italian adventure. Tuscany is absolutely gorgeous. The local agriturismo with the bee farm was lovely. Best honey ( castagna, acacia, girasole) in Tuscany. The sidetrips to Siena and Florence with great tour guides ( loved Elisabetta!) and the free time to explore San Gimignano and Volterra were great. Saving the best for last--the beautiful organic produce we used to cook with and the time we spent with Manuela, Riccardo, Tina and Shilpa were incredible..the dishes we created were simple but flavorful. I use Riccardo's ragu di carne recipe to this day. The desserts were wonderful, too! The course is a perfect mix of cooking and free time to explore the area. I have recommended this course to anyone who wants to learn some great recipes and still have the time to sightsee.

From the owner: Organic Tuscany offers cooking courses in the Tuscan hills. Our cooking classes are very hands-on…read more Our wonderful local chefs will guide you through the preparation of a variety of simple but delicious Italian recipes (from Tuscany and from other Italian regions) and reveal some of their culinary secrets. The classes are taught in English, but if you like, we can teach you some simple "foodie Italian" to help you order in restaurants and be polite to the locals.

We had great time sitting outside and tasting different local wines, which are served with small…read moresnacks. Each wine was presented and explained. We also bought a bottle of wine we liked the most but then we saw it in the local store for cheaper, so keep that in mind. Still, no complaints :)

This cellar-like cocktail bar was a Gem find in the Cinque Terra area of Italy. The owner actually…read morelived in Seattle for 9 years before moving back to his hometown. He is a Master Mixologist! The drinks were perfection. Subtle, delicious and beautiful! We wish we could have visited nights earlier while in the area. It was a short (5 min) train ride from Manarola where we were staying. So glad we came upon it. We even bought a painting! He had a local artist's work (Genoa) on the walls. Such a great place! And such a nice man. Go here I'd you're staying anywhere in the Cinque Terra! You will be so happy if you enjoy cocktails made with love and expert hands!