A Cooking Class in Tuscany

Yes!  Go ahead and sign up for a cooking class in Tuscany.  It’s a real treat that will last you a lifetime of fond memories cooking with family, friends, and even new friends.  We were fortunate to take a  5-day cooking vacation in northern Tuscany that, in our case, included an apartment to ourselves on the premises, all of our meals, cooking lessons, visits to local sites – including Lucca, Barga and Pisa.  Also, included were our pick up from Pisa International airport upon arrival and drop off at either a nearby train station or the airport at the end of the stay. 

La Mezzaluna

It was an absolute pleasure for us to stay at La Mezzaluna and take cooking classes at Cook & Dine with Rita Tuscan Style. We booked our 5-day gourmet cooking course in Garfagnana through Tripaneer.

Once we arrived at La Mezzaluna, we were treated to welcome drinks and refreshments and an overview of our time there. Afterwards, we all went to relax in our respective accommodations and our vacation began!

So the views from our room and the terrace were absolutely breathtaking – overlooking the Apuan Alps!  While hiking was not on the itinerary – we were there to relax and cook, it was mesmerizing and just awe inspiring to see those beautiful views every day. 

Believe it or not — we had the amazing experience of eating all of our meals on the terrace at this beautiful outdoor dining table at La Mezzaluna. Just imagine waking up and having your coffee and breakfast with these gorgeous views! Not only did our host, Rita, have wonderful breakfasts ready for us in the morning, but she also made our breakfeast drinks to order — latte, cappucino, caffe americano, tea, hot chocolate, etc. — we were spoiled.

In the evening, Rita would offer us a variety of beverages including wines from their own little winery and lemoncello. We took the 5-day cooking class, but if we had stayed for the 8-day cooking class we would have also been treated to a wine tasting trip. Well, there’s always the next time!

Some of the delicious dishes we all learned how to prepare and cook were:

• salsa di pomodoro
• ragu di Carne
• salsa Porcini e panna
• salsa salsiccia e porcini
• gnocchi di patate
• home made pasta
• filling for cheese and spinach ravioli
• risotto al funghi porcini
• pizza
• focaccia alle verdure — with vegetables
• pasta fritta
• cantucci
• tiramisu

Rita sent us all home with each of the recipes in a lovely cookbook that also gave some background about herself, her classes, the Tuscany region and La Mezzaluna. She also sent us home with our very own La Mezza Luna Cook & Dine with Rita apron that we put to good use while cooking during our stay there and treasure long afterwards.

We all began to feel like a part of Rita’s family during our stay. She really made it feel like La Mezzaluna was our home and took us on day trips to various sites –including Barga, Lucca, Pisa, Castelnuovo Garfagnana — that we’ll never forget.

Oh, I forgot to mention — we also had a BBQ and additionally there was live entertainment in the evenings!

So if you’re thinking about a culinary vacation in Tuscany — Cook & Dine with Rita Tuscan Style is definitely a great choice and was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations we’ve had.

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,

To gain all while you give,

To roam the roads of lands remote,

To travel is to live.

Hans Christian Anderson, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography