Day 2

View out our room window at Toscana Mia

Chopping vegetables and herbs for Crostini with a mezzaluna knife.

Rolling out the pasta dough with a mattarello rolling pin.



Siena



Duomo in Siena



View in Siena



Our first gelato

We began our cooking adventure this morning. We learned how to use Italian cooking equipment such as a Mezzaluna knife, mattarello rolling pin, and manual pasta maker while preparing a four course meal consisting of five dishes. We learned about different balsamic vinegars as well as many tips and techniques in preparing traditional "tipico" Tuscany cuisine. Lunch was delizioso! We enjoyed meeting and working with our fellow culiary students from Canada and England. Our afternoon, we spent in Siena. We toured the Duomo, Baptistry, Crypt, Piazza del Campo, and the Duomo museum. We walked the streets of Siena enjoying the many window displays of regional foods. We also tasted our first gelato. Looking forward to tomorrow's cooking class on gnocchi.

Day 1

Studying our itinerary as we wait for plane.

Tuscany countryside

Radda in Chianti

Arrived in Florence, sleep deprived, and drove through countryside. We saw magnificient views of olive groves, villas, and wineries. We stopped at Impruneta and Radda in Chianti region and walked through the picturesque villages. We arrived this evening at Toscana Mia, a 13th century farmhouse, to begin our cooking adventure. We met our hosts and discussed scheduled activities. We had a delicious meal consisting of 3 courses with our three generation host family.

April 17, 2011

We received a Fund For Teachers grant to study the Italian Food Culture. This blog is to inform others about our experiences in Italy. We will be leaving on June 19 and will arrive in Florence on the 20th. From Florence, we will travel to a Tuscany farmhouse to study the food culture and participate in cooking lessons.