“Such a beautiful young lady!” exclaimed Mara, our cooking instructor, as she greeted my wife and I for our first lesson in our Italian Culinary Vacation.
“Where’s my husband, Terenzio? He’s my translator. My English is not so good.” I looked around the authentic Tuscan kitchen with its brick archways, stone counters, and copper pots hanging on the walls and thought, “This is what I came for.” Many of the other Italian cooking vacations we researched were taught in hotel or restaurant kitchens. So much of my life is spent at rushed meals in restaurants that I wanted a vacation away from that life. I wanted to dive into La Dolce Vita and could tell that Mara, reminding me of one of Italian great aunts, would be the perfect instructor.
We had met Terenzio earlier in the afternoon. He picked us up at the train station for our week long culinary and wine immersion in Tuscany. “Are you our cooking instructor?” I asked as we puttered along in his Prius through the Tuscan hills to Relais Ortaglio, his agriturismo on the outskirts of Montepulciano. He let out a hearty laugh and said, “I pour the wine.”
La Dolce Vita in Tuscany
And pour the wine he did! Moments after Mara presented the menu, Terenzio entered the kitchen with a smile and a bottomless bottle of Prosecco. The menu for our first cooking lesson consisted of Pappa al Pomodoro, Scaloppini con Lemon, and Cold Salami for dessert. Effervescent bubbly in hand, we began chopping ingredients. I was assigned the spices. The parsley was to be chopped fine and placed in water to enhance its flavor for the Scaloppini lemon sauce. Some of the basil was to be delicately torn as a garnish for the Pappa al Pomodoro while the remaining leaves were left whole as an ingredient in the dish. Both Terenzio and Mara instructed that the whole basil leaves must always be removed from any dish prior to serving because of their unappetizing appearance.
After the spices were finely diced, chopped, and torn, I mashed vine ripened tomatoes for the Pappa al Pomodoro while Mrs. G. mixed chocolate, eggs, sambuca, and broken cookies for dessert. She formed the mixture into a log, wrapped it in tinfoil, and placed the cold salami in the freezer. Mara then shooed us out of the kitchen while she converted it into the family dining room, but not without another glass of Prosecco to go. We watched the sun set over the surrounding vineyards from the patio of Relais Ortaglio amongst a background olive trees and sage and rosemary bushes, anticipating the culinary feast we had lent a hand in preparing.
Pappa al Pomodoro
The flavors danced on my tongue – bright tomatoes, sweet basil, and a hint of garlic.
The start of our dinner, Pappa al Pomodoro, is a dish I often order in restaurants but eludes me in the kitchen. I never quite understood why. It requires only four simple ingredients, yet is so difficult to cook. As I learned from our first lesson, it’s not the ingredients or techniques that I’m missing, but the philosophy. Much like in life, I find myself stirring and stirring, when sometimes a dish just needs to slow down and breathe. Pappa al Pomodoro needs just that.
During dinner, Terenzio explained the wines – a Russo and a Nobile from his vineyard. Both wines were made from the same varietal and blend consisting primarily of Sangiovese grapes. The similarities ended there though. The Russo was younger, aged up to a year. It was paired with the Pappa al Pomodoro which commanded a lighter, fruitier wine. The Nobile – aged between one to two years – was darker and heavier on the palate. I could taste more of terrain from the surrounding vineyard, adding a rustic quality to the wine. It was a nice contrast to the bright, herbal chicken. With dessert, Terenzio broke out two homemade grappas – one made from grape and another from plum – and we drank well into the night savoring the sweet notes of the Italian moonshine and the honor bestowed upon us to share in this digestif with our host.
Terenzio – Our Tour Guide and Wine Pourer
This was why we booked our week long excursion to Tuscany – to experience a way of life foreign to the frantic American lifestyle where everything from the cured meats to the cheeses were made by hand and with care. To linger over a meal with nothing but the day ahead of us. To appreciate artistry of the wine that came from the land we were staring at. To taste all the delicate flavors from each bite of picci, each spoonful of gelato. To salud the artist that is the chef or winemaker. To appreciate life.
Castello del Leone at Lake Trasimeno
The rest of the week was a full immersion into the Tuscan culture with Terenzio doubling as both our wine-pourer and tour guide.
We ascended to the village of Radicofani where Ghino di Tacco, the Italian Robin Hood once dwelled. Here we experienced our feast of all feasts far from the hustle of the tourist trail in a family-owned establishment built into the hillside caves. The courses, and the wine, never seemed to stop. The antipasto was an assortment of deep fried vegetables fresh from the farmers market. The primo was every pasta on the menu – ravioli with truffles, lasagna with a thick cheese sauce, pasta with a wild boar ragu. Each bite was better than the previous. Each dish, carefully crafted to layer on a new level of flavor. The secondo completed the meal with rabbit cacciatore. The gaminess of the meat roasted with the rustic vegetables made this plate a true hunter’s dish. Between the wine and the food, we had no room for dessert.
The trip continued with visits to other Tuscan towns, villages, and famed trattorias. We visited Pienza where we toured the church ready to fall off the cliff. San Quirico d’Orcia the 12th century town where we entered a gothic cathedral and were lost in the spookiness of times past. Lake Trasimeno where we dined on an elegant seafood pasta (the Calamarata noodles were shaped like calamari) and walked the walls of the ancient fortress that a pope’s nephew built to defend the town against hill tribes.
Pasta Calamarata at Mona Lisa in Lake Trasimeno
We, like Frances Mayes, fell in love with Cortona. Expecting to find a town heaving with obnoxious vendors trying to hawk cheaply made Chinese souvenirs, I was enchanted with the various artisanal food and wine shops and art galleries as we ambled along the narrow walkways admiring the bright storefronts and architecture. Then there was Montepulciano where we truly fell in love with Tuscany. From its sweeping views of the countryside to its winding lanes and endless wine caves, we spent days just getting lost and sampling wine.
The tour included stops at two of Terenzio’s favorite vineyards. In Montepulciano, we sat through a tasting at Crociani. Terrenzio led us into the private tasting room within the caves and highlighted the differences between Russo, Nobile, and Riserva wines. The Russo and Nobile we sampled already, but the Riserva was the oldest (and most expensive). It was deep, complex, and full of earth and fruit. In Montalcino we visited a vineyard for a tasting – Poggio Dell’ Aquila. From the Russo to the Brunello to the Riserva, each was deeper and bolder than its Montepulciano equivalent. Perfect for red meats and heartier dishes.
Cortona, Italy – Frances Mayes was onto Something
“No, no, no, like this,” Terenzio corrected me. “You went to college right? Roll it like a joint.”
I was struggling to roll my portion of picci, Tuscany’s traditional handmade pasta, in our final cooking class. We were joined by another couple and together prepared picci with garlic sauce and scottiglia (a combination of mixed meats). Once again, the class was more of a lesson in life than cooking. Over the course of a few hours, we kneaded, rolled, and divided the dough. Then we cut the mounds into strips which were rolled into long, thick noodles. The trick was to lightly roll and finesse the noodles instead of forcing the shape. It was a group effort between the students, instructors, and other staff from Relais Ortaglio.
All the while, the meat simmered in a tomato sauce in the background – rabbit, chicken, veal, beef, turkey, and lamb. The dish, much like life in Italy, was meant to be enjoyed with the company of others. Together, we lingered over each course, each bite, each sip of wine – piling on second helpings and acting like the calorie counter didn’t exist in Tuscany. Well, at least we did. The other couple had their glass of wine and a nibble of food before promptly tucking in for the night. They had an early rise the next day to continue their morning jogging routine.
Yeah, We Rolled That Picci!
I guess some habits of the frantic American lifestyle are just too difficult to leave behind, even if just for a day or a week. I try not to judge too hard as I myself find it difficult to put the smart phone down and just be with those around me. But what’s the point of visiting Tuscany and taking a lesson in slow cooking if you can’t try living the slow life just for a couple of days? Of spending hours hand rolling noodles only to rush through dinner knowing the morning wake-up call is looming in the distance? Of travelling to Tuscany and not experiencing La Docle Vita?
Our tour, Romance in the Vineyard, was booked through Cooking Vacations. Check out their site for more culinary excursions to Italy.
Fine Wine, Fine Food, Fine Company – La Dolce Vita!
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