Delightful Experience...

I took one of your one day classes on Oct. 10 of this year and I wanted to share with you that it was a delightful experience. Good class, great teacher and lots of fun. I have a number of friends planning on traveling to Italy and if they interested in a cooking class, I'll refer them on to you. Thanks for the delightful afternoon.

Dottie Traudt

Great Time Cooking, Learning and Eating

Janet and I have just returned from Italy and your cooking class in Florence. We just want to thank you for the course and the wine and olive oil. We had a great time cooking, learning and eating (the wine wasn't bad either!). In fact, last night we made homemade ravioli and a chocolate torte we created at the class. We will be posting our pleasure and experiences on the Slow Travel site and hope you get a positive response.

Howard

Cooking Class at Your school was the Highlight...

My Cooking Class at your school was the highlight of my recent trip to Italy! Since I've been home, I've been able to make the Panzanella, Pork Roast with Grapes and Eggplant & Walnut Ravioli. They were all fantastico! Thanks to Lisa and her group for all they did to make this class so worthwhile. My husband was a 'guest' for the luncheon and thoroughly enjoyed himself too. Thanks and I will continue to recommend you to my friends.

Mary Perrott Smith

Really Enjoyed the Cooking Class

We really enjoyed the cooking class we took when we were in Italy!!!! It was truly one of the highlights of our vacation!! I would most definitely take another class through you if I were ever in Italy! Candace and I have a Personal Concierge and Events Planning business. I am in the process of adding a "Favorite Links" page to our website. I will be adding your site to this page as I would recomment your class to anyone I know visiting Italy. During the class we made the flourless chocolate cake. The recipes that we received had a different desert in them. Our chef stated that he would have one of you e-mail all of us the recipe. Is it possible to get that recipe e-mailed? I want to make the Tuscan dinner that we learned for some friends!!! It was all wonderful - your villa is beautiful - it was SO much fun!!!!

Mary Cunningham

Incredible Experience in Your Class!

Thank you very much for an incredible experience in your class! I think that day with all of you, along with my visit to 'David' was the highlight of my trip to Italy! My birthday was very special and it was purely because of your kindness and hospitality. I truly enjoyed the wine you gave me. Thank you so much! I realize the four of you meet hundreds of people annually and are quite busy, so I appreciate that you made me feel so much at home that day!...I have some pictures I will send to you... Any time you come to the states, especially St. Louis, Missouri, please call me, as I would enjoy returning the generosity! That includes experiencing a Thanksgiving meal, I would love to cook our traditional meal for you...the American holiday is the last Thursday of November.

Jackie

One of the Best Tours

I just wanted you to know that the wine tour we arranged with you was absolutely one of the best tours that we have ever been on. Mr. Massimo was a great driver and guide, and we truly appreciated his knowledge of the area and his thoughtfulness throughout the day. The whole experience was the most memorable of our entire 10 day visit to Italy. We will definitely book another tour with you on our next trip to Italy.

Steve Renne

Hello wonderful proprietors of Villa Pandolfini!

I recently concluded my stay at your lovely Estate and want to praise everything about my experience. My amazing mother began planning this trip last summer. I swear, she has spoiled me my whole life with vacations beyond my wildest dreams, but this, I truly believe, cannot be topped. My stay at the Villa Pandolfini was truly the BEST vacation of my life. You comprised a chef staff stocked with truly talented teachers.

We attended three cooking classes (I wish I could have gone to three million) with three different chefs, Fabrizio, Luciano and Maurizio. Such charming and hilarious cooks. I cook a lot at home and put a great deal of stock into eating. Delicious food turns around even the dreariest day. I looked forward to refining my skills. Little did I know, I would be learning how to make the lightest, fluffiest panna cotta the world has ever known, the greenest tasting pesto spring could imagine, the creamiest risotto I never dared to dream of! It was so much more than seeing and repeating rote cooking skills. It was about learning style. About making the recipe work for you and not being a slave to the recipe. We learned how to make pasta each time, each chef showed us a slightly different technique. This, I believe, is the best way a person can suss out their own styles, their own techniques, by seeing the individuality in cooking. And this is priceless. Aside from the cooking, the tours and outings you set up for us absolutely blew my mind. Particularly, the biological goat cheese farm.

Italy takes such pride in the quality of its food, something I care more about than anything else. Seeing cinque terre was so lovely, as well as the Carrara marble caves. And Roberto informed us of so much on our drives we never would have otherwise known. I've attempted to bring a piece of Italy back with me by making four course lunches whenever I can and drinking some white wine while I do! I truly lack the words to thank you for this vacation, this EXPERIENCE. Every friend I have has received an email singing your praises. If someone loves to cook, loves to eat, loves to learn, this is the best vacation they could possibly ever go on. I will never forget my time or the lovely people I met at the Villa Pandolfini. I hope to return someday. And, if for any reason, you ever need a Floridian on staff, I will be on the next plane!

All of the Best Wishes,
Corrine Engelgau

 

Hi Darren Saxon

We had a fantastic evening on Friday with the cooking class and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Maurizo was excellent and the food prepared was beautiful and it was great being involved in the preparation - while it was a large group Maurizo managed to involve us all. Thank you also for getting Marcella to come and help with the cleaning as this helped us all relax and enjoy the great food. The evening was one of the highlights of the week and the great wine you sent was enjoyed by all (could you please let us know what the wine was at some stage as a number of us woild like to get hold of some more if we can).

Sorry we didn't get to catch up with you in Florence but most of our party was in Florence for the night and we were busy saying goodbye to them all.

We will send you a more comprehensive reference when we return but we enjoyed ourselves so much that we are planning the next one most likley in two years time!

Thanks
Mike

 

 

Hello Darren Saxon,

I am writing this follow up email to thank you for the wonderful time that we had learning to cook at the good tastes of Tuscany cooking class.

I would like to specially and sincerely thank Alberto for his dedication to us and his passion for cooking.  His sincerity and attention to us makes us feel that we have a friend for life.  I will recommend him to everyone interested in taking a course in italian cooking.

Also my wife and mother in-law from Mexico will never forget this great experience. I myself am very excited to return to participate in a multiple day course.

Please send him a copy of this message as an expression of our gratitude for an opportunity to learn to cook with him.

Thanks again and warm wishes from Houston, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico.

Sincerely,

The De La Rosa Family.

 

My stay was fabulous.  I stayed in Villa Agnola and fell in love with it from the moment I walked in.  The welcome basket and the goodies in the fridge were perfect.  My room was so lovely and my view out the window was one of my favorite parts of my stay.  All of Villa Pandolfini was so beautiful as was Tosca. Such a warm and lovely woman.

The chefs, all of them, were truly wonderful. Each one had a very different personality and way of doing things, but that made it even more fun.  The foods we cooked were simple yet delicious.  I loved everything about the classes and have made several of the dishes here at home!

The outings...our driver Roberto was great.  He really knew his stuff, was always happy to help us with information or translations or whatever else we needed.  A very kind and funny man who I enjoyed getting to know.  I enjoyed everywhere we went, the only thing that perhaps I would look at changing was our first outing  day, (with the cheese factory, Montapulciano, winery etc.) was perhaps a bit too long of a day.  I personally didn't mind it, but the majority of the group, even though they loved every minute of it, all felt it was too much for one day.  I would say that the winery we went to on the last day was it Capezzana (not sure of name!) with the Contessa, was far more enjoyable than the Brunello one and I would have enjoyed more time at Montapulciano instead of both wineries.  Also, the pizza place we went to I believe that day, the food was good, but I wasn't crazy about the location, so close to the highway it seemed.  But again this is not a complaint just my thought! I honestly coudln't find anything "bad" to say about my time in Italy if I had to!!

From start to finish Good Tastes of Tuscany was incredible.  As I planned my trip, Meaghen and Elizabeth were so helpful with all my questions and concerns and did everything they could to make it all easy.  The villa, the food, the tours, the people and the countryside were amazing in every way and I have never had such a wonderful vacation.  I tell everyone how great it was and recommend you to anyone who will listen!  I can't wait to come back and I think of my stay there everyday.  Thank you all for a trip of a lifetime full of memories that I will cherish forever.

Sincerely,
Carmel Kinsley

We enjoyed the class very much and Simone was wonderful. Thank you so much for upgrading us. And be assured that if we EVER know of anyone coming to Florence wanting to take a cooking class, we will insist they go to your class.

Thank you again.
Victoria & Allen Hughes

I'm happy to give feedback on behalf of myself and Mel Carseldine. - and its fine to go on the website.

We had an incredible time, Chef Moretti was a fantastic chef, he provided us with entertainment and was really easy to get along with. The food itself that we cooked, was great. We enjoyed every bit of making it, and eating it!

The size of the group was great - we only had 4 people in ours, and it was easier to take in everything, and get to know each other.

The course was one of the highlights of our trip and we learnt alot!

Thank you
Brittany Clifford

My family and I had a splendid time at Good Taste of Tuscany and have recommended you to others.

Not only have I used your cookbook several times to much acclaim, but I even bought a pasta machine though with less successful results. My daughter also bought a pasta machine and is delighted with her linguine and ravioli. And my son wants one for his birthday -- I could never have predicted that. When we talk about our trip to Florence, there is no disagreement about the highlight -- our time spent in your kitchen.

Of course, use my comments if you wish as well as my name. We do have photos and I will send those in a separate e-mail. I am copying my children in case they have additional comments.

All the best.

Linda Nabokov

Buon Giorno!
 
I just wanted to say hello to you both Meaghan and Elizabeth, and tell you that after two weeks of being home from my trip, I still wake up everyday and my first thought is of Italy.  I have pictures here in my computer nook of my beautiful view out of my bedroom windows.  One of the favorite parts of my day there was waking and opening those green shutters and looking out, pinching myself as proof  that I was really there and hearing the beautiful church bells ring.  I loved every moment that I was there and must say that you both should glow with pride at what a wonderful business you have grown and never doubt that your attention to detail and your warmth and caring make it possible for someone like myself to have had the trip of a lifetime.  I thank you both from the bottom of my heart.  I am looking forward to returning as soon as I can. I know you are both busy making other peoples dreams a reality, and squeezing in your own I hope, so please don't worry about writing back, I just wanted to share my thoughts.  Be well and happy and find joy in every day.
 
Warm Regards,
Carmel Kinsley

As promise my comment for your website is here:

A big thanks to Meaghan for being such a great host and welcoming me to the Villa, I must commend you for the flexibility you showed when I was in the planning stages and for the opportunity that provided me to do so much: taking classes and working under the guidance of Maurizio and Simone in making some wonderful dishes, enjoying sumptuous meals and for putting together such nice group of people during my visit to Tuscany, I look forward to coming back and wish you every success! warm regards,

Lisbeth