Lucca: Authentic Cooking Class in a Local Home

Couldn’t have been a more perfect activity - as a solo traveller, many of the cooking experiences require a minimum of two people but I was delighted to find this opportunity to meet Rossana, Alberto and Arte at their stunning home two miles outside the city walls. They were wonderful and welcoming hosts - we chatted like friends and Rossana shared recipes for everything we made and much more I couldn’t have had a better birthday lunch!

We did not cook at the home of a local resident, as advertised. Instead it was in the institute. Our host was a charming young man who didn't know how to cook. There were only 3 of us, which was delightful; my friend and I enjoyed meeting Judith from Australia. Unfortunately, it wasn't so much of a cooking class as a demonstration. For beginners this might suffice. Also only 2 items were made - Tiramisu and gnocchi. Other classes we have both taken in various European countries have involved several dishes, some simple but some quite complicated. None of us had a sweet tooth, so Tiramisu was not the dessert to choose. I do not like gnocchi. My friend said it was because I had never tasted well-made gnocchi, which is light. Ours was not light, but a bit lumpen. While it was a pleasant experience and we enjoyed the company of Gabriela, it wasn't what had been advertised.