Cooking in Tuscany

When we visit Tuscany on 2019, we spent 6 nights there and we were able to stay in a beautiful villa at Castellare Di Tonda. Surrounded by nature, vineyards, olive trees and a pool, our stay there was amazing. This was our second time in Tuscany and we wanted to visit a few hill towns, have a lot of pasta, wine and the opportunity to enjoy the true Tuscan area.

I wanted make sure everyone had fun in different activities we could enjoy as a family. After a lot of research we decided to do a family pasta cooking class and it was without a doubt one of the best experiences we have had while traveling. We decided to go with Al Gelso Bianco because they looked very kids friendly, it was not a very long drive from our Villa and all the pictures of the place looked beautiful.

The drive was rough and we were few minutes late, because Isabella was getting motion sickness in the car but once we made it there we had a great time. Everyone was so welcoming and greeted us with smiles. We went straight to the kitchen and another family was taking the class with us. The kitchen was so cozy and pretty and our instructors where a delight. This class is headed by Stefania, the owner of Al Gelso Bianco.

First thing we did was to help cut some vegetables and had some wine. Isabella was so excited, she was paying attention to every little detail and looking at everything with an amazed expression on her sweet face. Meanwhile one of the instructors was getting our apple dessert ready. The apples are grown  at Al Gelso Bianco and we could see the trees full of apples on their property.

They told us all about the ingredients, the traditions and how important cooking is for Italians. Every ingredient was so fresh and everything smelled so good.

Next step was to prepare the dough for the pasta. They showed us how to do it, and they  made it look so effortless and simple. Isabella was focused and determined to learn, after all, pasta is her favorite thing to eat. My Mom, Jerry and I were having such a great time as well, we were just enjoying the moment and the smells.

While the dough was rising we helped prepare the filling for the raviolis and the pesto sauce. And then it was time to use the pasta maker we all took turns and we each made 2 different kinds of pasta, tagliatelle and ravioli. The journey started with the ravioli, after passing it through the machine we put in the filling. Then we made the tagliatelle using a different technique.

I think Isabella and my mom  where the most excited in the room. They were so happy and smiling constantly.

While all the food was cooking we went to a different room, to do some wine and olive oil tasting. We did the right choice with Al Gelso Bianco, in the same tasting room they had a kids area with toys and art supplies. It was a win-win for adults and kids. We tried 3 different red wines, all made there,  as well as the olive oil.

I particularly loved the history, traditions and importance of the wine and olive oil in Italy. We also had the opportunity to learn about how this place started in business and very interesting facts about the owner and the property.

And after all of this, it was time to taste the amazing lunch we helped prepare. We went back to the kitchen packed everything and took it to one of the dinning rooms. We each fixed our plate and then went to their garden to eat all together.

Everything was so delicious, you could taste the freshness of the ingredients in every bite. Both families got the chance to know each other better, have some more wine and finish our meal with an Italian espresso.

After this wonderful experience we went to walk around their gardens, we enjoyed the incredible views and played in the playground with Isabella.

What an unforgettable and amazing experience this was this for us. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

One thing I will never forget will be how amazed and happy Isabella was at this place. The memory just makes me smile immediately and fills my heart with all the good feelings.