Tuscany — July 14, 2015

I have just arrived at the Villa Torre del Tartufo in Tuscany. Through the ivy-framed windows in my room with its wood-beamed ceiling and thick stucco walls, I gaze out at the deep blue swath of the villa’s swimming pool surrounded by terraced gardens. Lush hillsides of mid-summer stretch as far as the eye can see in all directions. I am glad I have splurged on this three-day cooking school. Made possible by selling my wedding ring, it has already exceeded my expectations as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Each morning begins at 7:00 AM with a breakfast of frothy cappuccino, fresh duck eggs cooked to order, spicy capicola or Parma ham, and ripe Tuscan melon. Then we are off in a small van along narrow country roads for our Culinary Excursion of the day. We will return to the villa for lunch and split into teams to cook for five to six hours preparing an evening meal of four courses. My fellow classmates include two sisters from South Africa, Amelia and her 12-year-old son Arlo from Melbourne, Australia, a German couple, a retired teacher from Switzerland, a young American woman about to start medical school, and a couple from New York on their second visit to one of the Tuscookany schools (others are located in equally spectacular villas in Poppi and Bellorica).  

Our chefs are Franco and Paola, both born and raised in Italy. At the age of 14, Franco enrolled in a 5-year course at the National Hotellerie Institute of Italy graduating when he was 19.  He worked as a chef in restaurants in England, France, Switzerland, Greece, and Rhodes and was also a chef on a Cunard cruise ship. He’s a tough taskmaster making sure we use the right utensils and that we keep our ingredients tidy on the long prep table.

We will learn everything from deboning a duck, to shaping delicate moons of ravioli, to unmolding eggplant and cheese souffles, to roasting artisan pizzas in a 300-year-old stone pizza oven in the villa’s courtyard. We’ll even search for truffles in the wooded hillsides surrounding the villa.

There is a short break before dinner when we can rest, swim in the pool, or schedule a massage. I opt for a quick dip and then curl up in one of the pool’s pillowed alcoves with a good book. Dinners are served at a long pine table under the grape arbor starting at 8:00 PM and stretch for hours with a local wine accompanying each course. After dessert, there are platters of cheese, pears, and toasted nuts.  Franco sets an enormous rustic basket on the table—it’s full of odd-shaped bottles holding an assortment of grappa, exotic liqueurs like Limoncello or pistachio cream, and tawny ports.

At night with windows wide open to the fragrant night air of Tuscany, I fall asleep pleasantly satiated by the delectable food and wine experiences of the day.

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