“You have to taste a culture to understand it.” – Deborah Cater

In Italy food is seen as more than just sustenance. It is art, tradition and community rolled into one. It is specialized butcher and bakery shops where the proprietors have served the same clients for years and where they know the providence of each cut they sell. It is weekly community markets where local farmers sell their produce, and dish gossip, with their friends. It is 0km restaurants who believe in sourcing locally grown vegetables and meats, hand-making their pasta and working with fresh, not frozen, ingredients. These things combine to create a culture of food that not only tastes better but also reminds us to slow down and enjoy our meals instead of rushing through them.

Over the past five years of La Dolce Vita our culinary lessons and activities have been undisputed guest favorites. For 2019 we are pleased to present two featured culinary workshops; “Tuscan Favorites” and “Seasonal Dining with Orsa”. Won’t you join us as we delve deeper into the food culture of Italy?

Fresh Seasonal Cooking Lessons

Join us as we enjoy a fresh, seasonal cooking lesson under the direction of Orsa Pellion, our on-site hostess at Borgo Personatina. Holding a Doctorate in culinary anthropology, she looks beyond “just food” to find its relationship to cultural history and art. More than simple cooking lessons, Orsa’s workshops are encounters of cultural exchange, where the flavours and richness of the Italian gastronomic world are discovered. Uniting theory, practice, research, her workshops rediscover classic Tuscan favorites and interprets them as new creations. It has been said, “cooking is a delicate and friendly art that overcomes language barriers, bonds populations and warms the heart.” This is what you will experience in Orsa’s hands-on cooking class.

Our “Tuscan Favorites” lesson will take place at a beautifully stunning estate and winery that lies approximately 55km from our home base.

Half way between Florence and Siena, this vast estate lies on 495 acres in the hills of the Chianti Classico region. At the heart of the farm is the pink Renaissance villa, surrounded by Italian style gardens. This day is sure to be inspirational, educational, and a feast for your senses!

Our lesson will take place in one of the original stone farmhouses and will revolve around fresh, organic seasonal foods as we make a fantastic meal together with a local chef. The lesson will begin with a tour of the estate, after which we will move onto the preparation of the meal. Once the meal is ready, we will sit down together to enjoy the fruits of our labor.