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Cooking in Tuscany: La Dolce Vita in a One Day Class

Updated on October 21, 2019

This article may contain affiliate links. This means that when you click on products we recommend through a link, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, please read our disclaimer page.

Cooking in Tuscany in a one day class at a traditional farmhouse was a long-held dream of mine. Sure, there are scads of cooking classes in Tuscany, in or near Florence, but I wanted to feel a part of a place. To live like a local for a day with my hands deep in flour and a silly smile on my face in the rosemary-scented Tuscan countryside.

sun setting on the Tuscan country side

stone Tuscan farmhouse

Cooking Classes in Tuscany

So when I learned of Juls Kitchen, which offered private one day cooking classes in Tuscany, about an hour’s drive from Florence near Colle Val d’Elsa, I knew immediately I’d found the experience I’d been fantasizing about: a cooking class on a traditional Tuscan farm! The best cooking class in Tuscany is the one that calls to you personally.

This one is a great choice if you’ve been considering cooking courses in San Gimignano, Italy as it’s not far away—just a 30-minute drive—but it feels more authentic without the crowds.

a man and a woman in a kitchenGiulia is a talented and passionate food blogger, photographer, and cookbook author specializing in traditional Tuscan cooking.

She’s warm, friendly, and her enthusiasm for seasonal, traditional Italian deliciousness is completely contagious!

But best of all, she brings the delight of cooking in Tuscany to life in the very farmhouse she grew up in. You can’t get more authentic than that.

Where to Stay

Near Juls Kitchen: Fattoria di Cinciano

Live the rural Tuscan dream! If you’re interested in a Tuscany farm stay with your cooking class, stay here. You’ll feel like you’re practically on a movie set at beautiful Fattoria di Cinciano. Plus, the farmhouse is just a 10-minute drive from Juls Kitchen in Poggibonsi. (If you add a market visit to your class you’ll meet at the Poggibonsi market.) Bonus for gorgeous buffet breakfast, outdoor pool, and on-site restaurant! You can check prices and availability here.

In Florence: Casa Boticelli

Juls Kitchen is a one hour drive from Florence so it’s an easy day trip! Located in the heart of historic Florence just 400 steps from the Pitti Palace, Casa Botticelli offers A/C and wifi. Travelers love the family feeling here. You can check prices on Casa Boticelli here.

In Greve: Stay in a Castle!

Just a 45 minute drive to Juls Kitchen, Castello Vicchiomaggio in Greve is a historic castle dating back to the 15th century! This place is a Tuscan fantasy come to life. Think astounding views across the Val de Greve, an infinity pool, and daily buffet breakfast in a Renaissance dining room. Try the castle’s homemade Chianti while you’re there. And it doesn’t even break the bank! You can check prices at Castello Vicchiomaggio here.

 

The Best Tuscany Cooking Classes Start with a Market Visit

Giulia likes to say that a market visit is a shortcut to discovering Italy’s culture and food traditions. And that’s why we opted to begin our cooking class with a visit to the nearby open air market in Poggibonsi.

Of course, we started our market day “the Italian way,” with a quick dip into a nearby cafe for a cappuccino and pear tart. Once we were fortified, Giulia showed us how to carefully elbow our way in between the gaggle of elderly nonnas picking over the ripest strawberries, slim asparagus bundles, and vivid yellow squash blossoms.

asparagus, strawberries and squash at the market

radishes, onions, cantaloupes at the Poggibonsi Market

The market was a true local education. Giulia steered us to the long line at the fishmonger instead of the one where no one waited—the freshest fish always wins—and then we watched him filet a stingray for a patron.

A man cutting cheese
Giulia’s “cheese man.”

Next up was a visit to her favorite cheesemonger where we tasted so many delicious cheeses and meats. Food is, of course, everything in Italy so market sellers take great pride in ensuring you take home the very best.

How would we be preparing the asparagus? one vendor wanted to know as he reached towards the wild asparagus which are the better variety for cooking.

Since basil, sage, and rosemary are essentially the foundation of Italian cooking, market vendors also gift you with a paper bouquet of those herbs with your purchase. It’s a lovely tradition.

What did we feel like eating? Giulia wanted to know. We planned our menu for the day together around what was fresh and beautiful at the market. Plus, we were in the mood for fish as we readied for our visit to the Cinque Terre in the coming days.

When we eventually spilled our haul onto Giulia’s farmhouse table, we were enthralled with our finds and ready to get cooking.

Tuscan produce on a wooden kitchen table Our Private Tuscany Cooking Class Begins!

We had a truly memorable morning in Giulia’s kitchen. As we chopped, stirred, sampled, and savored the most AMAZING aromas, she explained that her sister, parents, and 88-year old grandmother all lived in the cluster of buildings there by the garden.

While everyone enjoys the privacy of their own home, family is also just a few steps away if, say, you need someone to bring you dinner when you’re nursing a bad cold or you want to celebrate a birthday together on a busy weeknight. How civilized is that? The Italians do it right when it comes to family.

A pasta-making class in Tuscany is a must, right? So that’s where we started…

If you’re really lucky, you’ll have an opportunity to pat Giulia’s adorable pooch, Noa, who meanders back and forth between the three little homes in search of a morsel. (Sorry Noa… Absolutely no dogs allowed in the kitchen!)

When it was time for our leisurely lunch, Giulia’s boyfriend and social media guru, Tommaso, joined us. Appetizers started with delicate squash blossoms and sage leaves…lightly battered and fried. Think sage flavored potato chips…shockingly delicious!)

Then we moved on to tiny fried shrimp and a selection of cheeses with lovely onion jam. A traditional savory chickpea cake with zucchini flowers rounded out these first flavors.

Our primo was, of course, homemade pasta, paired with a simple sauce of asparagus, zucchini, garlic, and stracciatella cheese while we waited for our beautiful mackerel to roast in the oven.

fish trussed with dill and lemon

Dessert was fresh ricotta mixed with cream and powdered sugar, topped with fresh strawberries…with limoncello and a green walnut amaro that Giulia makes herself. Heavenly!

Fresh ricotta and berries

While we sipped and supped, Giulia explained that her little kitchen for the cooking class was once a German post office during World War II.

Until eventually, the Allies converted it into a local command center by day and dance hall by night.

I loved imagining weary soldiers letting off a little steam in the very spot where we were enjoying such an incredible meal.

cheese plate and jam

After Cooking Class: To Bagno Vignoli

What could be better than a free foot soak in warm hot springs after such a beautiful meal? Tuscany is alive with hot springs…everything from luxury day spas to natural, flowing springs deep in the woods.

Bagno Vignoli is a tiny, ancient Italian hamlet that was conveniently located en route to the agriturismo in Pienza where we were staying so we stopped by to soak our feet and look at the view.

Tuscan farmhouse for cooking classIn the heart of the village is a 16th-century square that holds a pool of warm thermal waters. It’s been there since Roman times.

Everyone from Pope Pius II to Lorenzo the Magnificent used to head here on holidays to take the waters!

Today, you can’t bathe in the central square, but you can walk just five minutes from the square and soak your feet in a river of water as it cascades down into a lovely valley. (Plan your visit for sunset!)

Italian village. The square is filled with thermal water.

As we walked through the little town peeking into the quaint shops and cafés, we stumbled upon this hand-lettered sign:

A sign in a window.

“A chef must think like a scientist, organize like an accountant, inspire and motivate like a warrior, move like a track star, plate like an artist, and cook like a GRANDMA!”

Indeed. Giulia did each of those things during our lovely day with her. We couldn’t have asked for a more authentic Tuscan cooking class.

 If you go:

Giulia Scarpaleggia offers one-, two-, and three-day cooking classes and can accommodate gluten-free or vegetarian diets if requested. You can book a cooking class with a market visit, a visit to a Pecorino farm or “just” a traditional Tuscan cooking class and a fabulous lunch.

Reserve ahead and get current prices at Juls Kitchen. Or, if you’re visiting Florence, here’s some great itinerary inspiration for both day trips and slow travel. And advice for where to eat in Florence.

While you’re there, don’t miss the opportunity to spend a day in San Gimignano! And if you’re heading to points south in Italy, check out this fun cooking class (which also includes a market visit) in Taormina, Sicily.

And finally, my guidebook recommendations for Tuscany:  Get Little Roads Europe’s Tuscany Guidebook on Amazon here and Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany guidebook on Amazon here.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Interested in more posts like this? You might enjoy:

• Riomaggiore or Bust!
• Lake Maggiore: See the Borromean Islands
• Barcelona Food Tour: An Insider’s Guide to the ULTIMATE Tasting Experience

Like this post? Pin it for later!

If learning to cook authentic Italian food in the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany is on your travel bucket list, be sure to click through and read all about our experience with chef Giulia Scarpaleggia of Juls Kitchen! Explore the flavors of Italy through the eyes of a local and gain cooking skills at the same time with hands-on classes in Tuscany. #Italy #Travel #Tuscany #ItalianCooking #FoodieTravel #WhatToEatItaly #FoodInTuscany
text overlay on scene of pizza with a view of the Italian countryside

 

Filed Under: Europe, Italy, Uncategorized Tagged With: cooking class, Europe, Italy, Tuscany

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarLucy Tobias says

    March 29, 2019 at 9:24 am

    great story, makes me want to go NOW

    Reply
    • ChrisChris says

      March 29, 2019 at 9:29 am

      I’m so glad! I hope you get there 🙂

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Chris. Full-time San Diego-based freelance writer and fifty-something mom on a Mission Possible: to see the world in spite of time, money, and other life limitations. I’m about smart planning to stretch your travel dollar without sacrificing comfort…connecting with locals through immersive travel…and enriching my life through delicious foods, new experiences, and deep appreciation for the beauty in our world today. Are you in?

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