Availability:Mondays , Tuesdays , Wednesdays , Thursdays , Fridays
Duration:From 2 to 3 hours + time for lunch or dinner



Rates

 IT’S LIKE BEING AT TUSCAN HOME

One of the most interesting and fascinating experiences in Tuscany is taking part in a private cooking class. Tuscan cuisine is based on simple but tasty recipes that belong to rooted traditions and derive from wise farmers. Above all, we are going to teach you how to replicate these dishes at home.
Arianna & Friends gives you the opportunity to discover all the secrets of Tuscan food in interesting and informative private cooking classes. We organize them on the traditional Tuscan farm of Rita, a charming and authentic location in Montefoscoli, in the area of Terre di Pisa, between Pisa and Volterra.

 

DOWNLOAD BOOKING FORM

 

The charming setting of Rita’s farm in Tuscany
As most of the cooking traditions of Tuscany date back to the times in which the locals were mostly all farmers, the best setting for our cooking classes focusing on traditional foods is an original Tuscan farmhouse. We bring you to Rita’s farm in the countryside just outside of Montefoscoli, between Pisa and Volterra, and we start our class with a quick historical framework to let you understand much about the origins of our cuisine.

 

A local cook as a chef
Our cooks are all locals who have always cooked for their families and who during our classes prepare exactly the meals that Tuscans eat at home, using the same fresh and genuine ingredients with the help of very useful tricks. During the class, we will cook with the extra virgin olive oil of the property and we will enjoy their great wines as well. The duration of the classes ranges from 2 to 3 hours and they can be arranged in the morning or in the evening. In the end of the class, you sit at a table and enjoy all the delicacies you have prepared.
You can choose your favorite menu out of our list  options!! See below for further details.


A delicious lunch or dinner

The class is your opportunity to prepare your dinner or lunch, which will be served at the end of each lesson. You can choose between a short formula, with two courses, an easy formula, with three courses, and a full formula, with four courses. The courses can be chosen from a series of starters, primo and secondo main courses (according to the Italian tradition) and desserts. During the following served meal, local red or white wines will pair the dishes.
During all the experience, there will be a friendly and helpful English speaking assistant ready to answer any question of yours. Remember that you can combine our cooking classes with any other activity of Arianna & Friends.

 

A mysterious Temple right next door
Just next to our cooking venue is the stunning Tempio a Minerva Medica a special place rich in history and mysterious legends. On the occasion of our cooking class you will have the chance to stop in front of it for a picture and learn about a few facts. You can learn more about it and enjoy a full guided visit of the temple by clicking here.

 

HERE THE OUTLINES OF OUR COOKING CLASSES AT RITA’S

  • The preparation of your Tuscan dinner or lunch – according to your menu choice;
  • During your meal, local red and/or white wines will be served as well;
  • There will be a local cook and a English speaking tour leader/story teller;
  • Before starting the class you will be given your own apron, which will be your souvenir of the venue;
  • Our cooking classes take place in the kitchen of a wonderful small family-run farm in the area of the Pisan hills, between Pisa and Volterra
  • Vegetarian or Vegan options available on request.

 

CHECK OUR MENU LIST

 

OUR MENU OPTIONS:
B2. Typical 2 course menu
2 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide

B3. Typical 3 course menu
3 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide

B4. Typical 4 course menu
4 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide

B6. Pizza party
Many types of pizzas + green salad + sweet pizza

B7. Pasta time
Fresh made tagliatelle + fresh made stuffed ravioli + two delicious sauces for each pasta type

B8. Pasta & pizza
Tagliatelle with sauce + assorted pizzas + sweet pizza as dessert

B9. Truffle menu
1 antipasto, 2 main courses, 1 dessert, all with truffle based products and fresh truffles of the season

 

DOWNLOAD BOOKING FORM

 

This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this class. Please, note that the specialties of the menu prepared at the class may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the class.

In our cooking class we like telling you a lot about Tuscan farms and farmers' cooking traditions, introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides as a language assistants and coordinator with you during the whole class. Please, see below all the guides and language assistants who can be with you.
During this experience you will also meet one of our Tuscan cooks who give you the cooking class. Please, see below which cooks you are likely to encounter.

Rita

guide

Arianna

guide

Massimo

guide

Cristiano

guide

Luca

guide

Davide

guide

Silvia

friend

Ester

friend

Anna

friend

Paola

friend

Margherita

friend

Lorena

friend

Carlo

friend

Elisabetta

friend

Marco

friend

Mariagrazia

friend
Media Gallery
Rates
Rates Table

The total rate for this activity varies according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.

AUTHENTIC COOKING CLASSES AT RITA’S ORGANIC FARM

– RATES 2024 –

TYPE OF MENU & FOOD INCLUDED MINIMUM RATE
FOR 2 PEOPLE
EXTRA
ADULT
EXTRA TEENAGER
(12-17 YRS)
EXTRA CHILD
(4-11 YRS)
B2. Typical 2 course menu
2 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide
€ 450 € 50 € 40 € 30
B3. Typical 3 course menu
3 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide
€ 490 € 55 € 45 € 35
B4. Typical 4 course menu
4 dishes of your choice from the menu list we will provide
€ 530 € 60 € 50 € 40
B6. Pizza party
Many types of pizzas + sweet pizza
€ 450 € 50 € 40 € 30
B7. Pasta time
Fresh made tagliatelle + fresh made stuffed ravioli + two delicious sauces for each pasta type
€ 450 € 50 € 40 € 30
B8. Pasta & pizza
Tagliatelle with sauce + assorted pizzas + sweet pizza as dessert
€ 530 € 60 € 50 € 40
B9. Truffle menu
1 antipasto, 2 main courses, 1 dessert, all with truffle based products and fresh truffles of the season
From 10 October to end of December we will use
the fresh winter white truffle with a surcharge
of € 35 per adult, € 25 per teen, € 20 per kid
€ 610 € 70 € 50 € 40

Rates include

  • Private local cook
  • English speaking assistant – German, French, Spanish or Russian also available
  • 2 to 3-hour cooking class on the farm
  • All food
  • Unlimited wines from the farm (white and red)
  • Printed material
  • Personal apron as souvenir
  • Served full lunch or dinner
  • Tax

Rates do NOT include

  • Transportation
  • Tips to the staff. Not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated

Transportation is not included in the rates above. For more info on transportation, please see the box “Transportation options”.

Here a message from Beth, who took her family to cook with Veronica and our granny chef Laura:

Hi Consuelo,

I finally had a chance to do a review of our wonderful October 21 cooking class on TripAdvisor today. As I told you earlier, Vera and Laura absolutely made our evening so special. All 8 of us now make “Laura’s Chicken” weekly! Vera had said we could get the recipes from that night. Could you please send them to me when you have a chance? We made the trip cooler bruschetta; ravioli (spinach and cheese); Laura’s chicken and tiramisu. Our class was the evening of October 21.

Also, we had ordered wine and olive oil that night to be shipped to us. I haven’t received anything yet. Could you tell me has it shipped?

Many thanks and Merry Christmas!

Beth

Smiling before cooking

A family picture at the vineyard of our cooking school

A view from a vineyard

An American family smiling after cooking

The best part of our cooking classes

A toast before eating

Here is a photo testimonial of a private pizza making class at My Tuscan Kitchen in the Summer 2019:

Here some pictures from a lovely family who enjoyed a private pizza making class with Laura and Massimo:

White pizza to be baked

Granny chef baking pizzas

All ingredients for topping pizzas

Laura and Massimo with guests

Pizza making at My Tuscan Kitchen

Pizza making classes in Tuscany

Here an email we received from Chrissi, who visited us in June 2019:

Hi Arianna,

 

I hope this email finds you well and not suffering too much from the heat.  We have heard all about the heat wave in Italy and Europe here in Colorado.

I can’t say thank you enough to you and Esther (and Rita!) for sharing your wonderful kitchen and recipes with us in June.  Of all the things we did in all the place we visited in Italy, that afternoon was our favorite.  I recently tried recreating the chicken cacciatore.  It was pretty tasty considering that was the first time I had cooked without a recipe!

You did mention during our class that we could email you for recipes.  I would love to get the recipes for the dishes we made with you:  panzanella, chicken cacciatore, gnudi, and tiramisu.

I also posted some photos online as part of my TripAdvisor review.  I would be happy to email them to you and/or send you more if you would like.  Just let me know.

Thank you again.  We hope life will bring us back to Tuscany so we can cook with you again!

All the best,

Chrissy

Here a message of enthusiasm from a nice couple who attended a cooking class last April:

Just wanted to let you all know what an amazing time we had at the cooking class at Rita’s farm. It was an unforgettable afternoon and Rita and Ester were AMAZING! We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and learned so much! We also appreciate the menu being adjusted to accommodate my husbands dietary restrictions. Everything we prepared was absolutely delicious! Rita mentioned that if we emailed the office you would be able to send us the recipes for the food we prepared that afternoon. Our class was on Wednesday April 24th. We would so appreciate receiving the recipes to we can prepare these delicious dishes here at home.

Thank you and Regards

Vicki and Dennis

Here a message from Wendy who visited us at Easter 2019:

Dear Arianna and Friends,

We had a wonderful time in Italy. We returned home safely on Wednesday evening 4/10.

A highlight of our time there was the wonderful cooking class at Rita’s Tuscan Kitchen on Wednesday, April 3. We all loved it and want to thank Rita for her hospitality. I have misplaced Rita’s email address.

Our menu was Crostini with mushrooms, spinach and ricotta dumplings, chicken cacciatore and the lovely traditional Tiramisu. Would you please ask Rita and Ester to send us the recipes? I will share them with Tom, Susan and Karyl.

It was a wonderful evening. Please thank Signora Ester for her cooking skills! We enjoyed meeting Rita’s husband and children.

Best regards,
Wendy

Here a message we received on 5th February 2019:

Consuelo,

I just wanted to say how much my husband and I appreciate your accommodating our schedule by doing our cooking class on a Saturday. It made it possible for us to enjoy such a wonderful experience that was the highlight of our trip!

All your communication was prompt and professional, and the cooking class was truly a great experience!

We will definitely be leaving a very positive review on Trip Advisor!

Gracie mille!

Laurie

This is a message we received from Betsy in November 2018 after a private cooking class she enjoyed very much:

Hi Arianna,

We are back in Canada and sadly missing Tuscany. Greg has asked if I can make the risotto tonight and I have a quick question…..I know it is Sunday so if you do not answer me that is fine because it should be your day off. But just in case I thought I would email you. What kind of white wine would you recommend to use in the risotto recipe? I have googled and it seems like alot of people use a pinot grigio. I will try that if I do not hear from you.

And for myself and Tammy I typed up all my notes and added some pictures. Here it is if you want to see it. I have my own notes and tips added in for Tammy…..but anyways I wanted to remember everything you and Silvia did and told us…..as I know Greg will want the exact same thing here in Canada. 🙂

Thank you again for a great experience it was a highlight of our trip.

Betsy

 

A moment of the preparation of a very typical recipe

Beans stewed in a sauce of tomatoes with Tuscan sausages

Enjoying a winter menu

Private cooking lesson for small groups

Here a message from Paul, who liked our family private cooking experience at Rita's farm in mid November 2018:

Hello Consuelo,

We had a wonderful visit to Rita’s Farm Wednesday morning. My friends and I all agreed it was the best and most rewarding experience of our trip to Italy. We got to preoare Italian dishes hands on!.Massimo was an excellent guide and teacher. We were impressed by his vast knowledge which he shared in such an interesting way. Silvia was patient and supportive. Her warm, sweet personality showed through language barrier. We really had fun learning to cook and appreciate Italian food and wine. We will always remember this class fondly.

Thank you for making the arrangement for us.

Would you please kindly send us the recipes on the 4 courses we prepared? Thank you.

Paul

Here the words of Alice, who enjoyed our cooking class and the extra virgin olive oil from the farm when she visited in fall 2018:

Buon giorno,

My family and I did a cooking class on October 11th with Signora Ester and Massimo. It was fabulous! A highlight of our trip. I would like to leave a review for you. Where should I post it? I wasn’t sure if there was a website I should go to or  just leave a post on instagram. I think Massimo mentioned it, but I can’t remember. I was also wondering how much Rita charges for the extra virgin olive oil and if you can ship it to the United States?

Have a great day!

Alice

After cooking with Veronica and Silvia, Denise wrote us requesting the full recipes of the meal prepared!

Hello, Veronica!!

Thank you again for the wonderful experience we all had with you and Sylvia patiently giving us a splendid cooking lesson!!We learned SO much!!! Now we are ready to cook for our friends…but, alas, we have no recipes…! ☹️
Will you send me those recipes, please?
I am attaching a photo of our menu!!

Thank you again…we’ll definitely keep in touch with you!!

Best Regards,

Denise and Ray

 

Cooking with local Tuscan ingredients

Preparation of courses according to the Italian tradition

Here some compliments for Ester and Caterina from Gregg:

Arianna,

I write to you to commend the wonderful dinner that was provided by Ester and Caterina last evening. Myself and the other 7 guests thought the whole experience to be one that we will long remember.

Ester and Caterina were both professional and engaging as they went about preparing the outstanding banquet.

We are all agreed that we could not have had a better experience.

Thanks.

Gregg

We just received this message from Wayne and his wife, who enjoyed a series of activites with us during their vist to Tuscany in March 2018:

To Arianna & Friends
We would like to thank you all for a wonderful time in Tuscany this past week.
We really enjoyed Daniela’s dinner at our apartment. She is an outstanding chef and very friendly.
We learned so much at Rita’s cooking class! Her farm is amazing and she is a great chef and teacher! We spent so much time with her! We got to meet her family and enjoy long discussions. Rita taught us what Tuscany is all about!
We also enjoyed the wine tour with Lucca. He was funny and so knowledgeable about the area. The wine tour of La Spinnetta and lucnh were so much fun!
All three are friendly and generous people.

We will be back some day!

Wayne

Here a lovely message from Michele, who took her whole family to our cooking school in the Tuscan countryside:

Hi, I have been meaning to write and express how all the family enjoyed our day with you. It definitely was the highlight of our trip to Tuscany. Everyone will be getting a mezzaluna for Christmas. We wanted you to have these pictures which reflect our Happiness.

Buon Natale e Felipe Anno from all of us !

 

Family picture at our cooking school

Three generations united by our cooking experience with a Tuscan granny chef

Making gnocchi with Daniela

Daniela showing our young guest how to rice potatoes for making delicious fresh gnocchi

Learning from Veronica

Veronica explaining the choice of seasonal ingredients at the beginning of a private cooking class

Serving gnocchi

After cooking a full lunch is served in the garden of My Tuscan Kitchen cooking school

Here is a message of Nancy, who enjoyed a private cooking class in September 2017:

Thought you might like to see our two new friends. Also, pear and chocolate tart are great for breakfast. Thanks so much!

 

Lucia about to serve extra virgin olive oil

Our chef Lucia slicing bread for serving local extra virgin olive oil to the guests of our cooking class

 

Arianna showing how to stretch pasta dough

A private pasta making class with two guests at one of our private cookery lessons in Tuscany

This is the message of Marci, who loved a private cooking class for her family and asked for more details of the recipes:

Hi.  My family and I did a cooking class with you on July 3rd.  My family and I loved it!  We reviewed your company on tripadvisor so hopefully other families can also have a great day.  Since returning home, we made almost all of the recipes.  The one recipe that we have not tried yet is for the torta de mele because I think I wrote it down wrong.  Do you have that recipe that you could email to me?  In particular we are looking for the amount of baking powder.

Thanks a ton for your help!

Marci

 

Here the apple cake she is talking about:

 

Torta di mele

An apple pie just baked at our cookery class

Here the message of Sachi after a private cooking class with her family booked at a very last minute in August 2017:

Hi Massimo!

Hope you survived your busy weekend work schedule!

As promised, I am sharing our pic so that you don’t forget us:).

Thanks again for creating such a memorable experience for us. My girls especially enjoyed the day and we will be sure to recommend you to our friends when they visit the area.

Also, if Toronto ever makes it to your list of international travels, be sure to drop us a note.

Lastly, when you get a chance (no rush), can you be sure to email us the recipes for the amazing dishes we made? Grazie:).

Enjoy the rest of your summer and hopefully we’ll see you again.

Take care,

Sachi

 

Private cooking class at Rita's farm with a young Canadian couple

Massimo with a family of Canadians at our Cooking School in August 2017

This is a testimonial from Elaine, who enjoyed a private cooking class at Rita's farm with Massimo and Ester:

Hi,

I am writing to thank you very much for such memorable experiences on our recent holiday in Tuscany. I am part of The Anson family who had chefs come to our villa and who did the cooking class. We were so lucky to have Ester and Anna-Lisa come to our villa. They were such fun and cooked the most amazing 4 course meal for us, it was such a fabulous night to celebrate my mother in laws 70th birthday. We have some great photos and memories. Then we did the cooking class at the farm with Ester and Massimo. The setting is so perfect and again we had such amazing fun with Ester. She is so friendly and happy and is the best cook. We cooked a fabulous 3 course lunch and then the rest of our family came and ate it with us in the converted barn. Again we have the best memories of this and can’t thank your team enough for their professionalism. It was so well organised and yet relaxed. I will be writing a review on Trip Advisor to rave about you. Since returning home we have been able to recreate the dishes taught to us which is fabulous, we get to each authentic Italian food in our own home. Please thank Ester so much from all of us,

Kind Regards,

Elaine

 

Private cooking class with kids in Tuscany

A moment of a private cookery lesson for a family visiting Montefoscoli in July 2017

This is a message of Gail and his family, who enjoyed a few tours and a cooking class at Rita's farm guided by Arianna:

Arianna,

Brenda, Austin, Bill and I made it back to Austin, Texas from our wonderful Italy experience. I will tell you that the highlight of our trip was the cooking class we had with you and  Daniella. You have a gift for what you do and a passion that was very evident. We loved the farm, Rita’s wine (I know that I enjoyed it a little too much because it was the best wine I had tasted anywhere in Italy!!), we love Daniella’s expressions and smiles and we loved YOU.

 

My boss and family will be coming to Italy in the summer (he lives in Nashville) and I am sending him your book and letting him know he should  not book any tours with anyone else except you. You mentioned while we are there that you would send us the recipes that we made that night along with a few others. We have selected the following…..

  • Pollo alla cacciatore
  • Melanzane alla parmigiana Aubergine
  • Torta di mele

 

We plan on inviting a few friends over and cooking the dishes that you have shared with us. I now know why you have chosen “Arianna and friends” as your company’s name. Thank you again for helping us make some memories.

 

Fondly, your friend,

Gail

This is an email we received from Tamra, who took several tours with us.

Thank you Luca!
It was very fun having dinner with you tonight. Please tell your fiancé -next time we will eat together 😉 Thank you to you and your mom for the limoncello as well – I cannot wait to try it!
What a perfect end to a fantastic week.
Stay in touch and visit us in Utah!
Tamra

 

Teenagers fun at a cooking class

Teeangers partaking to our cookery lesson on a Tuscan farm

 

Making fun with the chef's hat

Posing during our cookery class in Tuscany

Here the lovely words of a nice family who had a one-day class with Ester and Arianna:

Arianna,

I wanted to take some time to thank you so very much for this experience. I have been meaning to write you sooner so I truly apologize for it being so long.

We had such a wonderful time with you and Ester! Luke was mesmerized by how beautiful it all was. For a 14 year old boy to experience Italy is one thing, but for him to have the opportunity to learn to cook with an absolutely amazing lady was another. He had a truly wonderful time. Now he won’t eat anything but Margarita Pizza! Ha! Scott, Joyce and I were so relaxed and couldn’t believe we had spent 6 hours cooking and eating.  We will be back next year! Thank you again for your hospitality.

Hugs,

Scott, Maria, Luke & Joyce

All family at our cooking school in Montefoscoli

Family cooking school in Tuscany

Here are the words of enthusiasm of Kathy, who enjoyed a private cooking lesson at our school with Ester and Arianna and who loved it:

Buongiorno Arianna,

Well, we’re back home and settling back in – and getting over a cold I got on the plane.

We had a wonderful time in Italy and cooking with you and Ester was definitely a highlight of our trip!

Everything about it was wonderful – you and Ester make a great team!

Could you please send me the recipes? My brother-in-law (who never cooks) was talking about how much he enjoyed Ester’s apple tart. He’s visiting us next weekend so I want to have everything ready for him to make it – he’ll enjoy it!

We had so much fun – grazie! Grazie! Grazie!

Here’s what we had:

Starter –  Crostini with porcini mushrooms and other mushrooms

First Course – Hand-made tagliatelle with farmer sauce

Second Course – Seabass and vegetables

Dessert – Apple Tart Tuscan style

You’re an absolutely delightful person – so glad we got to meet you!

Ciao!

Kathy

Here is a message of appreciation from Judy who cooked a great seafood risotto during our cooking class with Carla:

Hi Arianna,

I hope you have had a wonderful summer.  We miss our time in Italy so much.  I am planning on making our seafood risotto and I can not find our recipes.  Would you happen to remember  our event and be able to forward me our recipes?

Regards

A couple in Tuscany for a cooking class

Learning how to cook Italian in a Tuscan agriturismo

Here are the words of Judy, who enjoyed a romantic cooking class for two at our winery in Tuscany:

Dear Arianna

Last night was a wonderful night. Every one was so happy. The food was outstanding, Carla was so kind and you were very patient. And best of all Dave said he liked eating what he prepared! We can hardly wait for our lunch today.

My pictures are not great. Dean and marci have some beautiful ones but we have to figure out how to download them from his camera to a computer. I will send you more as we get them.

We are off to Volterra this evening for a bit of site seeing and then dinner. Any suggestions where we should eat.

Best regards

Judy

Crostini tricolore served after cooking class

After preparing four courses at our cooking classes all food is served in a following lunch or dinner

Here is a the comment of a family who visited us in Spring 2016 and enjoyed a private cooking class at our farm and winery:

Dear Arianna and friends,

We want to thank you once more for the lovely evening we enjoyed during your cooking class on May 4th.

It was the really the best experience (and diner!) we had during our stay in Tuscany. We have prepared several Salamino’s ever since then!

We did our best to prepare some of the other dishes a well and bought a Mezza Luna for our son Lior so he can practice his skills 🙂

After the course you’ve told us it’s possible to send us the recipes.

We would be grateful if you could send them please.

Thank you and we hope to come back once more or at least tell our friends about the wonderful food experience.

Best Regards,

Gil, Judith, Alisa & Lior.

A message from Kim, who spent her day in Tuscany at our cooking school while her cruise ship was docking in Livorno:

Hi Arianna,

Thanks again for a wonderful day of cooking during our cruise stop in Livorno. We had a great time cooking and made it to Pisa just in the nick of time. (Thank Moira for telling me about the bag check — we ended up leaving our things on the bus and that saved us a lot of time).

When you get a chance, we would love to have the recipes for the items we made. The girls and I made pasta the other day — it came out pretty well, but not quite as soon as when you helped). If you send the recipes to me I will get them forwarded to the group.

Thank you!

Kim

This is a message we received from Sandi who had the chance to experience the local food culture in Tuscany at a private coooking class with Massimo:

Massimo:

We just arrived last night at home and have not stopped expressing our love for your country!

I would be honored to enjoy your father’s olive oil in America!  It will not be anything that I will be able to buy here and I would love to have the Taste of Tuscany again!!

I have enclosed my work address so I or someone would be here!  Thank you for your time with us and we have so many memories, thank you and Arianna for providing us this service!

Please send the recipes of our cooking class, the salad recipe that we all enjoyed so much!!  And pictures!!!

Thank you again and again!

If you wanted me to write something up so you can place on your website, I would be honored to do that!!

Sandi

Here is the message of Barb, expressing her appreciation for a private cookery class held at their villa by Veronica and Ester:

Arianna & Friends,

As you know, my party reserved a cooking class for last Wednesday, 9-March.  We were treated to a wonderful time with Signora Ester and Veronica and truly enjoyed the time we spent with them.

Veronica and Ester taught us quite a bit about Tuscan cooking and we are looking forward to doing our best to re-create the same dishes in our home kitchens in the U.S.

I understand that you can send us the recipes for the courses that we made that evening.  Just as a reminder our dinner included:

Bruschetta tricolore
Tagliatelle ai funghi
Filetto di  maiale in crosta
Torta di Mele

Thank you once again for a wonderful evening in Tuscany.  We look forward to trying out the recipes “solo” in our American homes.

Ciao,

Barb

This is the message of gratitude that Tom and Julie wrote to Veronica after a cooking class she gave them. This was the first time Veronica was holding a class and it was certainly not bad for a beginner!

Veronica, I must apologize that I did not write sooner.  Two days after home I was on a plane to Chicago for a very sick Uncle.  One week later both Tom and I are back on a plane to Chicago for his funeral.  I think I still have jet lag!

The Tuscan cooking class that Tom, Carol and I took with you at your Tuscany location was all we had hoped for and more!

Tom and I cannot wait to make the risotto and you can be sure that the Tiramisu will be on our Holiday Menus this upcoming Christmas season.  I have also already purchased a mezzaluna and enjoyed using it to chop the celery and onion for my stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey.  Certainly was better than putting the celery and onions through the Cuisinart as I usually do.  It only took a few minutes more.  We are also giving each of our 3 children a mezzaluna for Christmas.

We just loved the style in which you taught, the techniques you demonstrated and the “to many to mention” traditions and hints that you included in our time with you.  As I said, this day more than met our expectations.  We are still telling our friends and family about our Tuscan cooking adventure:  It was truly one of the highlights of our holiday.

I have emailed our travel agent with information about your establishment so that if he ever has a request from any of his clients for a Tuscan cooking class he has all of your information on file.  I also told my friend who writes an Italian food blog about your course offering and our wonderful experience with you and the Arianna and Friends Organization.  I believe that Tom has emailed you the pictures we took that day.  If you ever need a reference or recommendation, please do not hesitate to ask.

Again, I am so sorry that I did not write sooner.  I hope most sincerely that our paths cross another day and another class.  May God bless you and your family this special season of the year and may the New Year bring you and yours much happiness and many blessings.

Julie and Tom

A message from Pat who met Luca and Claudia for a cookery lesson on typical Tuscan foods during their stay in Tuscany

Arianna:

It was a pleasure to meet you. It was a great day. Claudia and Her family were very gracious. I learned many things from her.

Luca was also a great guide. He was very helpfully with information about a region he obviously cares for. He is a great representative for the “new chianti”. Please thank everyone for me.

I hope that some day are paths will cross again.

Ciao

Pat

PS could you send me an email address for Claudia and Luca I would like to thank them

Here a message from Trillium and Michael who spent a few days in Tuscany on our farm and enjoyed our cookery lesson on one evening:

Hi Arianna and Consuelo,

I wanted to write and thank you both and your staff for all of your help on our trip.  I have actually always done all of my own booking and arranging, but was drawn to your website and all of your subsequent follow up.  I am very happy with the experience (despite the weather:) and I will absolutely recommend you to our friends here in Milan.  My parents had a fantastic time too and I was so glad to share it with them!

Thanks for all of your hard work,

Trillium and Michael

This ia a message Bill sent to us after an Autumn visit to Tuscany in which he spent a day at a private cooking class on our Tuscan farm

Hello Arianna and Friends

Hoping you have a great new year. Thank you so very much for arranging our cooking class in late November. It was amazing.

I would like to bring a small group next October to stay at the farm for about 3-4 days what types of accommodations are there and what prices per night with breakfast each morning?  Thanks again for everything

This is a message from Carolina who experienced a winery tour and a cooking class with Massimo and Ester

Hello Consuelo and Adrianna,

I would like to thank you for organizing my cooking lessons and wine tasting, it was a wonderful experience and Ester is such a good cook and so warm and Massimo is so lovely and a fantastic interpreter, his knowledge in Italian cooking and Italian history really add to the experience. It was exactly what I was looking for and more!!

I would love to have the recipes, Massimo did take notes for me but I would love to add mine too, especially that it is still fresh in my memory. Hopefully he can send them to me very soon.

You can be sure I left with my very own mezzaluna, I am ready to do some serious Tuscany cooking!!

Thank you very much for the wonderful experience, Carolina

PS( I will recommend your agency on trip adviser very soon) =

This is a message from Sylvie and Mario who visited Tuscany at Christmas time and enjoyed their stay at our agriturismo and the cookery lessons arranged by Massimo and Ester

Dear Arianna & Massimo !

Mario and I would like to thank you for our fabulous toscany trip we had.

We appreciated a lot all activities organized by you. The hospitality from Alessandro, we felt like home.

Special thanks again to Massimo’s gift of olive oil from his family.

I can hardly wait to taste it.

Yesterday night, I spoke with my daughter and she is eager to eat the toscany specialties that  we had cooked with you and Ester.

As soon as the pictures ready, we will let you know where to get them.

Sincerely,

Sylvie e Mario

This is a message of Suzanne, who enjoyed our cooking class on the Tuscan farm with her teenager boys and her husband:

Hi Arianna,

My husband and 2 boys joined you and Esther for a cooking class in late October. I wanted to thank you for a most amazing memory and to forward a few photos. We have told many of our friends about you.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Canada to stay with us if you ever make it to Vancouver. We would love the opportunity to cook you dinner! please send an email so i can send photos. ciao! suzanne

And after our reply:

Buena sera Arianna!

I had better start taking Italian lessons!  I truly mean it when I say you are welcome to come to Vancouver. We don’t have a ton of space but we can offer you a bed and a bathroom and great food and company. Bring Esther too!

My mum would love her to death. I am a teacher and have summers off so I could show you around etc. or if you come in the winter i can teach you to ski! and you can teach me Italian….

here are some photos…yes please use them as you wish.

we had such a wonderful time in europe and especially loved italy. cannot wait to come back. we have made the tiramisu and the soffritto and pasta for friends about 3x so far!  we are getting really good with the mezzaluna!

thank you again for an amazing experience.

ciao! suzanne

Family satisfaction

All the family happy after a cookery class

 

Sauteing and posing

Teenagers having fun during a cookery lesson at a Tuscan farm

Here a note from Brenda who spent a week in Tuscany with focus on cooking classes

Dear Arianna, Massimo and Consuelo,

Ciao!  We just had to send you a note to express our thanks on assisting with our plans while we were in Tuscany.  All the arrangements that you made for us went very smoothly.  We loved the 2 bedroom apartment at the agriturismo.  Alessandro was a delightful host.  The cooking classes were too much fun.  Many thanks to Massimo and Esther for teaching us the regional (and delicious!) recipes.  Massimo’s information and guidance about the surrounding towns was invaluable.  We were able to really get a feel for Tuscany even though we were only there a week.  We will highly recommend you to anyone who mentions that they are planning a trip to Italy.  We wouldn’t hesitate to enlist your services again.  Many, many thanks!

Brenda and Mark
Mary Ann

Massimo explaining how to saute meat

A crucial moment of our cooking classes

Italian flag bruschetta as the starter of a Tuscan meal

Dinner is ready after a private cookery class in Tuscany

 

Here a nice message from Regina who enjoyed a farmstay in Tuscany with a private cooking class run by Ester and Massimo

Dear Arianna,

I want to extend a “mille gracie” to you and your staff for making our cooking school,  experience  a fun event.  From the very beginning your prompt response encouraged us to use your school over others.  You were warm and very helpful.  Massimo and Ester were a delight….their energy, enthusiasm, patience and passion for food and cooking was evident.  And Consuelo came to the rescue when someone filled the sugar bowl with salt!!!

The grounds of the agriturismo were beautiful and we were fortunate to meet the owner who talked to us with pride  about his wine and olive groves.  The food and wine  were delicious under Ester’s and Massimo’s guidance.

Our only disappointment was that we did not get to meet you.

Again, thank you and we hope to encounter Arianna & Friends again.

Massimo said he would be sending the recipe’s to me, when he does  I will forward to the rest of the class.

Where can we get a mezzaluna just like the one we used in class?

Sincerely,

Regina B. & Friends

This is a message from Elisa, a teacher who took her students to our farm for a cooking class for her group of student girls:

Dear Arianna,

Thank you so much for the fantastic day you provided for the girls last week. It really was the highlight of their trip, one girl texted home that day and said ‘this is the best day of my life’. You can’t ask for more praise than that.
Lots of the girls were saying that as soon as they got home they were going to make pasta and tiramasu! They were impressed!

If I can do anything for you in terms of reccommendations please let me know. When we return in two years I will be asking you to provide the same if that is ok.

On a seperate note, having being back to Tuscany last week I am desperate to come this summer, without 54 girls so I can enjoy it. I love it out there. Do you know of an apartment that we could rent? We will need to be on a budget unfortunately, but there will be 3 of us and we don’t mind if its a one bed with a sofa or a sofa bed to sleep on for the third person. We love quieter places with gorgeous views, as I am sure everyone does. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you again. Everything about the day was so professional and so fantastic.

Love

Elisa x

This is message was sent from Leslie, who spent her holiday in a panoramic agriturismo exploring the rural Tuscany and cooking with Lucia and Massimo

Hello Conseulo.
We had a wonderful time at the Agriturismo Olmo. Our apartment was amazing and very roomy for four people. It was the most comfortable place we stayed in Europe. We enjoyed visiting the hill towns of Volterra, San Gimignano and Lucca. The highlight of our trip was the cooking class with Chef Lucia and translator Massimo. They were both very warm and welcoming, and the dinner we made was wonderful. I will recommend your services to my friends, family…. and anyone I know who plans to visit Italy!

Massimo promised to send us recipes of the dishes we made, if we contacted him through Arianna and Friends. Could you please forward my email address to him, so that we can receive the recipes? Thank you so much.

Leslie

Here a message of a group of girls who took a private cookery lesson on our farm:

Hello Arianna,

Here are the photos we promised.  Thanks again for everything and let us know if you are ever in Stuttgart!

Tracy and Friends

All ingredients in the kitchen ready for our cooking venue

Cooking with our chef during your holiday in Tuscany

 

Group picture with the chef and the assistant

All dressed up with aprons for a group picture after our cooking class

This is a message from Andrea who enjoyed a private cooking class with focus on pizza and pastry making with her whole family during their visit to Tuscany

Hi Arianna,

Thank you again for a wonderful evening!  My family and I agree that your class was one of the highlight of our trip.  Both you and Ester were so good with the children (and the adults).  Once I get over my jetlag we’re going to get going on making some pizzas and pastries.

Thanks again,

Andrea Hugh Harry Linda Cameron And Colin

Crushing cookies for chocolate salami

Kids having fun during a cooking lesson on cakes

 

Children making a cake with Ester

Making short pastry cakes with Arianna and Ester

 

Kids fun at Tuscany cooking class

Kids toasting with ice tea that looks like white wine

A message from Laurie who visited us and took some day activities

Hi Arianna!

It was wonderful to meet you, and THANK YOU arranging an incredible time for us in Italy.  Everything was wonderful, the cooking lesson so much fun and so informative.  I have eaten mushroom crostini about 5 times since I have been home, and just bought semolina flour for pasta. Now I just need Carla.

I included a few pictures, and there are a couple more coming next email.

We heard about the earthquake a couple days after we returned from Italy, I realize that it didn’t strike Tuscany. But  I do hope that your family and friends are safe and not in harms way.

Arianna, thank you again.  We will be back!  Probably not for a year, but I will be in touch again.

Ciao,

Laurie Sherve

Carla showing how to make ravioli

A private cooking class

Arianna explaining how to cook chicken

Making pollo alla cacciatora

A message we received after a private cooking class in the Winter

Hi Arianna!  I’m sending this to two of the three addresses I have for you, hoping one of them will get to you.  Which address do you want me to use in the future?

I have to thank you again for the wonderful trip you arranged for Jan and I!  It was perfect in every way!  We enjoyed the cooking class so much and Carla was such a joy to meet.  I’ll write more later, but just wanted you to know the rest of our trip was great; the hotels in Fiorenze and Pisa were very nice also.

I’ll write again after I give attention to the 100 million e-mails I have waiting for me!
Love,
Marla

This is an email we received from Jill, who brought her family to our cookery lessons with Veronica.

Hi Veronica!
Thank you so much for sending us the recipes! We have made the pork, pasta, and the sauce. We talk about our cooking class every day, how yummy the food was and how much fun we had cooking with you! We took my daughter to her university 2 weeks ago and she is really enjoying it so far!

We can’t wait to get back to Italy and spend more time there!

Arrivederci!

Jill and

This is an email we received from Robin, who enjoyed a private cooking class with Veronica and Ester.

Dear Veronica
Ny family and I can only confirm what you wrote below and we rate the day among top 2 of our experiences here in Toscane. We have allready used our new skills to make wondefull Italien food and with the recepies it will only be better 🙂
When we return to Denmark next week, I will as promised send you some pictures from the day.
Please send our love to Ester.
Hope to meet you again next time we go to Toscany.

Kind regards

Søren’s family

This is an email we received from Ernesto from Brazil, experiencing a cooking holiday with us:

Dear Massimo

I would like to thank you and Carla for your patience and for your good instructions on preparing real Tuscany meals. As soon as I try to execute at home what I learned with you both, I will report the results to you.
We had a nice trip back home and now is time to go back to work.

Obrigado e saudações desde o Brasil
Ernesto

LOCATION OF THE COOKING VENUE:
This cooking class takes place in the rural area of central Tuscany, among Pisa, San Gimignano and Volterra, 10 km from Selvatelle

MEET-UP LOCATION:
Unless differently specified, the meeting point with the chef and the assistant is directly on our farm in Montefoscoli, near Peccioli.

DURATION:
This program takes 5 or 6 hours: from 2 to 3 hours for cooking and the rest for dinner/lunch and relaxation. Time for transportation not included.

AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through, from Mondays through Fridays. Timing is flexible. After a morning class lunch is served. After an afternoon class dinner is served.

LANGUAGE:
This class is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian or Italian with no surcharge.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy

CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children

CLOTHING:
No particular clothing required.

FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this cooking class might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our personnel during the enquiry process.

TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates do not include transportation and are set on a self-driving base. For further information see the box "transportation options".

The destinations reached during this activity are in the Tuscan countryside, in areas off the beaten track that cannot be reached by public transport. We highly recommend renting a car or a scooter in order to reach them. As an alternative, we can offer a valued service by chauffeured car, van or minibus. Any cost of transportation is to be added to the rates displayed on the rate table of this page.

A cinquecento in front of San Gimignano
A vespa in the medieval village of Peccioli
Chauffeured vans and sedans and luxury buses in Tuscany
Rates