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Tuscan Cooking Class: Private Culinary Experience
5.0
38 Ratings
Firenze
Join Maria for a private Florence market tour and Tuscan cooking class. Learn, cook, and dine with a local Italian family. Book now!
Join Maria for a private Florence market tour and Tuscan cooking class. Learn, cook, and dine with a local Italian family. Book now!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
48 hours
Highlights
- Forno Sale Grosso - There are many cooking classes in Florence to choose from - but how many are in a stunning Florence countryside home with a delightful Italian couple! Maria is a recently retired architect and fun-loving host who picks you up from the heart of Florence and drives you to her beautiful home for an immersive Florentine cultural…
- Forno Sale Grosso - There are many cooking classes in Florence to choose from - but how many are in a stunning Florence countryside home with a delightful Italian couple! Maria is a recently retired architect and fun-loving host who picks you up from the heart of Florence and drives you to her beautiful home for an immersive Florentine cultural and culinary experience. Learn about the history of the city from your architect host during your 15-min drive. Join Maria in her kitchen for your private cooking class and learn Maria’s grandmother’s recipes for authentic Italian classics such as handmade pasta, bruschetta and tiramisu. If you’d like to add-on a market tour, Maria gives you a walking tour of San Lorenzo market. She introduces you to her favorite vendors and shows you how to pick fresh produce while explaining how these ingredients are used in Italian cooking. Maria’s menu varies according to the season and what is fresh in the market. She can accommodate any dietary restrictions, from gluten free to vegetarian, so let her know if you have any specific dietary requests. Enjoy your meal with Maria and her husband over conversation and laughter at their dining table overlooking a lovely garden.
What's Included
- Private cooking lesson and meal with your host Maria
- Local Italian wine
- Round-trip transport from a central meeting location in Florence
- Private cooking lesson and meal with your host Maria
- Local Italian wine
- Round-trip transport from a central meeting location in Florence
What's Not Included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Hotel pick up and drop off
Meal Options
- Bruschetta -
- Spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli or tagliatelle - Handmade stuffed pasta or cut pasta in a sauce of your choice
- Tiramisu
- Local Italian wine
- Bruschetta -
- Spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli or tagliatelle - Handmade stuffed pasta or cut pasta in a sauce of your choice
- Tiramisu
- Local Italian wine
Additional Information
This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a private and immersive Tuscan cooking class in a beautiful Florence home with a lovely retired Italian couple. This is a perfect experience for anyone looking to connect with local culture over food. Your hands-on cooking class takes place in a local home kitchen where Maria teaches you 2-3 traditional Tuscan…
This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a private and immersive Tuscan cooking class in a beautiful Florence home with a lovely retired Italian couple. This is a perfect experience for anyone looking to connect with local culture over food. Your hands-on cooking class takes place in a local home kitchen where Maria teaches you 2-3 traditional Tuscan dishes. You’ll learn traditional Italian cooking techniques that are easily replicated at home. After cooking, enjoy your meal together with this lovely Italian family. If you choose to add-on a market tour, Maria gives you a guided tour of San Lorenzo market, the historic food market of Florence, perfect for food lovers. This experience includes round-trip transfers in Maria’s car from downtown Florence to her beautifully designed countryside home. During your car ride, Maria regales you with stories of the city. Vegetarians and guests with dietary requests are welcome!
- Shared experience
- Menu may vary depending on the season
- For your pasta, Maria offers a choice of sauces: Ragu, broccoli pesto, arrabbiata or butter and sage with parmesan cream. If you have a specific preference, please inform her when making your booking.
Location
Forno Sale Grosso
Via della Mattonaia
Meet your host Maria at the entrance to Forno Sale Grosso in the Florence city center. She will pick you up in her car and drive you to the market if you choose the tour + class option or drive you to her beautiful countryside home, 15 minutes away if you choose the class only option.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 2 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 100% refund.
If you cancel at least 2 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 100% refund.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(38 Ratings)
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382taylerp
Oct 8, 2024
The best thing we did in Italy! - Our time at Maria’s cooking class in her beautiful home was our favourite part of our Italian trip. She picked us up from the centre and drove us through the beautiful countryside to her stunning home. Her home has the most spectacular views. We said we were not as interested in learning a dessert and instead Maria taught us a second sauce, this was great for us. Maria has so many little tips and tricks that made the whole experience so interesting. Maria’s English was fantastic and we loved sharing our cultures and stories with her. The food was delicious and the setting to eat it was beautiful. I could not recommend this class enough if you want to learn 1 on 1 and find out about the Italian lifestyle.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_g
Oct 7, 2024
Great vegan cooking class - Cristina has assembled a very nice vegan menu for us. We started with bruschetta, followed by selfmade tagliatelle with broccoli sauce and finnished with peach cake. Cristina was very welcoming and we immediately felt alsmost like home. We learned some new techniques and had a loveley evening in cristinas amazing house from the 12th century in the middle of nowhere.
Review provided by Viator
Dion_f
Oct 6, 2024
Unbelievable experience. - Unbelievably wonderful experience. My wife did the market, which she loved, then the ride up to her home in Florence's surrounding hills was phenomenal. Her house was 12th century and the road she lived on was the route to Bologna during that period. Very rural and fascinating.
The food was made very well and was excellent.
Tagliatelle with white sage sauce, roast beef, bruschetta with black cabbage and tiramisu. She would have fed us more, but we said that was enough. Oh, and wine.
Again, unbelievable experience.
Review provided by Viator
W4978dfdavidc
Oct 6, 2024
Fabulous food in a magical home. Highly recommend. Hostess Cristina is a gem. - Cristina was right on time at our meeting place. We were excited to start our drive north, into the hills away from the city. It was a beautiful drive, past both fabulous enormous villas and more modern housing. She drove us down her private street, former main road to Bologna, to her renovated 12th century home. It is a marvel. She is truly artistic and talented as an architect specializing in historic renovations.
The cooking. Our menu was fresh pasta, tomato sauce, black cabbage (kale) with sun dried tomatoes and burrata on bruschetta, caprese salad and finished with tiramisu. This was all made fresh with each of us taking a role. We are both experienced cooks but we did enjoy some time saving tips and the meal was fabulous. Cristina and her beautiful home was one of the highlights of our 30 day trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure32677727272
Oct 5, 2024
Beautiful Tuscan Farmhouse in the Hills, and Cooking Class? Yes, please. - My husband and I were on a combined Birthday/Anniversary 2 week trip to Italy, and all I wanted to do was a cooking class. (Husband not so keen, but....it was my Birthday). I found Maria's class through Viator, and it sounded perfect. And it was. We met at a Piazza about a mile from our hotel and drove to a grocery store to get some last minute items. Maria is a retired architect, so, as we drove up into the Tuscany hills, I was really excited to see what she'd done with a 12th century farmhouse that she and her husband initially purchased without electricity or running water. The house was stunning. I cannot put it into words adequately - and, so we were off to an amazing start. Then the cooking - Maria had my husband and I sit at her farmhouse kitchen table as she talked us through making fresh pasta with a white sage sauce, bruschetta, roast beef and tiramisu. The food was incredible her directions impeccable, and I wish I could have stayed the weekend. The next day Maria emailed over all the recipes plus others she thought we'd enjoy. (She also sent us the link for her pasta machine - and we've purchased and are awaiting delivery). This was an event I will never forget - and, if we're ever back in Florence - booking Maria for sure. Thanks Maria, you are the best!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie
Oct 4, 2024
Wonderful experience - Maria was the best! She picked us up and drove to her beauty countryside home where we made fresh pasta and tiramisu. She served us wine and prepared a fabulous dinner. Would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tour639761
Sep 28, 2024
Amazing cooking class - We had an amazing experience with Maria. We started at the largest market in Florence. She then drove us to her 12th century renovated home and taught and shared with us her recipes for ravioli and tiramisu. She was very generous with her time and knowledge. We had a wonderful time with lunch and conversation. We will do it again our next visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jencsky
Sep 28, 2024
Look no further. This is the perfect cooking “class.” Private, personal, authentic. Absolutely lovely!!! - This is the cooking class you want. It is private and personal. Maria Cristina picks you up in the center of Firenze and drives you through the picturesque Tuscan countryside (10-15 min) to her beautiful estate. There, she teaches you how to make several authentic recipes. We made tagliatelle (fettuccine) from scratch with ragù tomato sauce, bruschetta with black cabbage (fall variation of the typical tomato bruschetta), and tiramisu. This was our first time to Italy and this was a highlight of our vacation. You learn how to cook with personalized tips and recommendations for making it yourself when you get home. You also enjoy wonderful company and make a dear friend 🩷
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V4058pzsamanthal
Sep 25, 2024
Maria is the BEST!!!! - Words prove ineffective to truly communicate how amazing our time with Maria was! Maria picked us up at the pre-set location and took us to her beautiful home in the Tuscan countryside. Maria was so warm and welcoming. My husband and I learned to cook with Maria with another couple. Maria expertly guided us on how to make pasta (we selected ravioli), and her white sauce for the pasta was nothing short of heavenly, along with a delectable appetizer of black cabbage and tiramisu for dessert! If you want to take a cooking class in Florence, please choose Maria and she will show you how to make the most delicious foods in her kitchen, filled with understanding, humor, proper instruction, wonderful wine, and truly outstanding and delicious food! If we are in Florence again, we will definitely book with Maria! Five stars does not adequately describe how great Maria was! Ciao!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J0hnandkarend
Sep 21, 2024
Fantastic cooking experience! - Wow!! Honestly, this could not have been any better! We had a relaxing tour of a local market, and then we were chauffeured to Maria's home. What a fantastic setting! We learned so much about cooking, and we were inspired by Maria's architectural skills and her many furniture refinishing projects. This experience was like spending a lovely day with an old friend. We will never forget it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
