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Culinary Delights in Southern
Tuscany
Tuscany, Italy
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Tour
Description |
 About
the location: The Orcia valley is a land far from the noise and
hustle bustle of modern life. This area has been safeguarded
from industrial development by the inhabitants of the region,
who have been successful in keeping it true to its ancient
visions and still a haven for painters, artists and for those
travelers looking for an authentic experience. Radicofani was
for many centuries one of the most important fortress
strongholds in Italy and is the charming town where La Palazzina
is located. Once a hunting lodge, it is set on a hill surrounded
by oaks and cypress trees. Today, it is a refined residence,
furnished with pieces from the 1800s and 1900s, a beautiful
swimming pool and gorgeous views everywhere!
About the cooking lessons: Cooking classes are approximately
three hours long (10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. with lunch to follow) and
focus on the preparation of fresh pastas such as tortelli (a
single, large parcel of pasta filled with potatoes — typical of
the Mugello area), tagliolini, Tuscan soups such as farinata (a
well known winter soup prepared with black cabbage), pasta
sauces (prepared using fresh vegetables from La Palazzina's
garden) and stuffed meats and game. Also, lessons can be based
on the preparation of Renaissance dishes which are now very
popular in Italian restaurants.
Chef Eliana was born and grew up in Mugello, the area of the
famous Medici family. She started cooking at a very early age,
helping her mother prepare meals for their large family. Later,
she studied in Florence with the noted chef of a Relais and
Chateau hotel who introduced her to new cooking techniques and
sophisticated equipment. But today Eliana's cooking is still
very close to the traditional Tuscan cuisine. She prefers to use
her hands rather than modern kitchen tools, believing that "a
mano" better preserves the true flavors and taste of the fresh
local ingredients she uses.
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Included
in the Program: |
- Four nights accommodation
in a standard double room
- Daily breakfast
- Round trip transfers
to/from Chiusi train station
- Four dinners at La
Palazzina with wine
- Three hands-on cooking
classes with lunch to follow with wine
- Excursions as listed in
the itinerary
- All transportation
throughout the program
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Tour
Itinerary |
Day One
Transfer from the Chiusi train station to La Palazzina.
Enjoy a relaxing welcome drink with the owners, followed by a
rich welcome dinner. Overnight.
Day Two
After breakfast around 10:00 a.m., meet Chef Eliana in the
kitchen for your first hands-on cooking lesson. Lunch to follow
based on your culinary efforts. The afternoon is dedicated to a
tour of Montalcino, a quaint medieval town that is known
worldwide for its red Brunello wine. The fortress, small
churches, steep lanes and slender tower of the town will take
you back in time. A guided wine tasting of the fabulous Brunello
is waiting for you in one of the local wineries.
Return to the villa in the late afternoon. Dinner at the
residence and overnight.
Day Three
Breakfast, followed by your next class with Chef Eliana, with
lunch to follow.
This afternoon will be a very special excursion to introduce you
to the perfumes and taste of the Tuscan "green gold," the
wonderful extra virgin olive oil. You will tour a local
farmhouse that produces oil, with a guided tasting. In the
afternoon, return to the residence. Dinner and overnight.
Day Four
After breakfast, meet with Chef Eliana for your final cooking
lesson, which will be dedicated to saffron! Lunch follows, and
then it is off to visit a nearby cheese factory for a visit of
their museum and aging cellars, followed by a tasting of the
famed Pecorino di Pienza. Return to La Palazzina for your
farewell dinner.
Overnight.
Day Five
Breakfast and checkout with transfer to the Chiusi train
station.
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| Departure
Dates and Rates |
2008 Price Per Person
US$1600 per person based on double occupancy
US$200 single supplement
2008 Tour Dates
Available September through January and March through June for a
minimum for four.
Join dates others have booked: September 13-17.
Sold out: March 22-24; May 16-20.
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Back to Itinerary Page
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