Tuscan Cooking at Five Farmhouses and Homes with Wine & Food Visits
Tour #AM

Sample Itinerary
Tour dates and prices
To Reserve

Region: Tuscany

Setting:

You'll spend your week in the hills and small towns surrounding San Miniato, a hill town about 30 km west of Florence, 60 km north of Siena, and 40 km to the sea. Due to its strategic location on the Florence-Pisa road and the Via Francigena, the pilgrims' route to Rome, emperors lived in San Miniato. Part of the fortress, a 12th century palace and cathedral, and Palazzo Bonaparte reflect the old glory. San Miniato is also famous for its truffles in fall.

In the hills south of San Miniato near Corazzano, you'll enjoy staying at a typical Tuscan farmhouse dating back to the mid 1800's, now loving restored and managed by owners Loredana and Massimo. The rustic style house with modern conveniences has three comfortable apartments and two rooms, with all with private bathrooms and sits on a natural terrace overlooking the countryside. In the garden there's a swimming pool 6 by 12 metres. On the farm the family has geese, chickens, donkeys, a horse, dogs and cats. Life is simple and respects nature; no pesticides or herbicides are used to grow their vegetables and food for humans and animals is organic. The family gets olive oil, wine, honey, cheese, grains and meat from nearby farms.

Cooking Teachers Loredana cooked for restaurants in two agriturismi--country inns. Now she owns the country inn where you stay with her husband, Massimo and cooks for their guests. She specializes in hand made pasta and Mediterranean dishes. Your pizza lesson is with Michela, who has lived in Tuscany 28 years and has a beautiful, traditional, 100 year old pizza oven at her country house. Bartolo is the chef for his country hotel near Castelfiorentino. He is a wonderful cook, born in Sicily and an expert on historic cuisine.

Sample Dishes You Could Create: Etruscan "farro"--spelt soup Carabaccia--Tuscan onion soup Rice croquettes Potato gnocchi with mushroom sauce or with pesto Pumpkin gnocchi Hand made pasta: tagliatelle with ragu, tortelli stuffed with spinach and ricotta, ravioli with meat stuffing Pasta alla Norma--spaghetti with eggplant Etruscan style wild boar Papero al melarancio--Sweet orange goose Roast pork loin country style with sage Guinea fowl with figs Baccala (cod) Pisa style Castagnaccio--chestnut pie Biscotti with fig jam Torta di pere--Pear cake Cenci cookies (carnival knots)   Group Size: 2-8 Type of Class: hands-on

Tuesday
Private transfer from San Miniato train station on the railway line from Pisa airport and Florence between 5-6 p.m. 8:00 Welcome dinner at home in your hotel restaurant.

Wednesday:
Cooking class by Concetta at the Querceto farm.

Afternoon excursion to township of Lari to Martelli's pasta factory and a 14th century Medici family castle. Dinner at home.

Thursday:
Morning cooking class with Michela on pizza and schiacciata at her farm house with her ancient, wood fired brick oven. The family requires a group of 6 people before they'll light the brick oven. Lunch there with good wine and Vin Santo.

Afternoon visit to San Miniato in the old and modern parts to see all its treasures, visit a renowned winery, including wine tasting of their wines.

Dinner at your hotel.

Friday:
Tour to 3000 year old Volterra high on a plateau, a fascinating town famous for Etruscan art and museum and alabaster art work. You'll discover Etruscan, Roman and Medieival history and art. Lunch at a typical restaurant in Volterra.

Evening cooking lesson with Chef Bartolo on recipes from the Renaissance and traditional Tuscan cuisine.
Dinner of your creations.

Saturday:
Morning hands-on cooking class by home-cook Emanuela, based on traditional recipes and saffron specialties. Lunch of your creations.

Excursion to San Gimignano, famous for its medieval towers and white Vernaccia wine. Surrounding countryside is very lovely! The beautifully preserved medieval centre has a variety of piazzas, churches with frescoes by Ghirlandaio (MIchelangelo's teacher) and Gozzoli, palaces and cafes where you sit back with a glass of Vernaccia and watch local life go by.

Dinner at your hotel.

Sunday:
Loredana's cooking class based on traditional Italian hand made pasta, at her farm-house. Lunch.
Departure and transfer to San Minato train station.

2008 Dates	2008 Prices Per Person
April 15-20 April 29-May 4 May 6-11 May 20-25 June 3-8 June 10-15 June 17-22 June 26- July 1 July 15-20 Sept 2-7 Sept 9-14 Sept 16-21 Sept 30-Oct 5 Oct 9-14 Oct 14-19	1805 Euros, about $2670 CAD, $2650 US Single supplement: 150 Euros. Includes: 5 nights accommodation 4 cooking classes all meals all excursions transfer to/from San Miniato

To Reserve:

Reservation policy: In order to confirm your space the booking form and deposit must be faxed to us 7 days from when you received it. Otherwise we may cancel your space on the cooking tour. We will only re-confirm your space once we receive your booking form and deposit.

Deposit: 50% of the tour price is due at the time of booking.

Balance due: balance due no later than 60 days before the start date. If the balance is not paid 60 days before the course starts, the school reserves the right to cancel the booking.

Cancellations and Refunds:
Deposit: 80% of the deposit is refundable no later than 30 days of the start of the tour.
29 days or less deposit is non refundable.

Final payment: 40% is refundable no later than 14 days of the start of the tour. 13 days or less tour payment is non refundable. No exceptions for any reason including personal emergencies. Cancellations must be made in writing by the person who signed the booking form and will be effective from the date the school receives the cancellation notice. There is no refund for leaving the program early or arriving late.

Prices may be affected by international exchange rates fluctuations.

Do you have questions? Just e-mail or call "Mama" Margaret Cowan

E-mail: margaret@italycookingschools.com
Phone: 1-800-557-0370 or 604-681-4074 (Pacific Time)

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