Thank you for all of your help in planning this vacation for us. We appreciate your quick response to all of our inquiries and helping us prepare before our cooking trip in Tuscany.
We just got back, and it was absolutely lovely experience. We had a spacious apartment at the Villa and the welcome gift basket we received upon arrival had an overabundance of fruits and food. The chefs that taught the cooking classes were funny, engaging, and passionate about the food that they were teaching us to cook. The food was absolutely delicious, and each morsel was just an experience in itself. Our hosts were wonderful hosts. They were organized and helped us plan so that we could do all the activities and excursions that we wanted without feeling rushed or flustered.
It was definitely one of my top vacation experiences. Thank you!"
Peggy W. and Vicki C.
Hello Elizabeth, Meaghan, Catherine and all.......
So sorry I could not get this off sooner. I was a total of 1 month in Italy and had alot of catching up to do when I arrived home.
I had absolutely the most wonderful time! My week with Good Tastes Of Tuscany was everything I had hoped for and more. I have already impressed some of my friends with dinners using my new found recipes!
I can not think of a thing that could be improved upon or changed. All of your staff were so helpful and accommodating. The rooms and grounds were wonderful. The recipes, meals and chefs were first class.
Thank you so much for being part of such wonderful memories of my month in Italy in 2010!!
Fondly, Janet
Dear Elizabeth and Meaghan
You can see their newsletter and watch a cooking lesson on you tube on this site.
Again, it was wonderful and we had a variety of chefs teaching us in two different settings.
The accommodations were original structures of the villa. They plan other tours, you can choose to go on during your weeks' stay, all which were wonderful, including a wine tasting, olive oil tasting, touring the city with a fine dining experience at a restaurant which was included. We also drank plenty of wine from the villa and cooked with it and brought some home
Hope you get to enjoy this cooking school and all the beauty of Italy!
Sandra Martin
Dear Elizabeth and Meaghan
I just wanted to send you both a big thank you for making my Tuscan cooking experience truly memorable and enjoyable. I felt you both went above and beyond to extend the warmest welcome to me with your warmth and hospitality, and made everything so comfortable and easy during my stay. The adventure far exceeded my expectations and is one of the best things I've ever done in my life! I wouldn't change a thing about the experience, except to maybe stay longer! Hope to come back with company in the near future.
Grazie mille
Natalie
Dear Meaghan and Elizabeth
I want to thank you for the experience of my life during the week long cooking class in Tuscany. It was beyond my expectations! EVERYTHING was more than one can even begin to anticipate. Casa Camilla was the perfect place to stay. What a surprise to find a wonderful basket of fruit and food items, and other women with common interests. My traveling friend and I now have some great new friends to share our adventure with back in the states. Then to have an incredible cooking week, meeting our chefs, bantering about pasta methods and enjoying incredible food, was just over the top!
I am so very glad I decided to attend the Good Tastes of Tuscany cooking school and will recommend it to everyone who is wants the experience of a great cooking school in Tuscany, good people and new friends.
Thank you again, and please let all the family and chefs know we will remember each day, each adventure, for a lifetime.
Susan S –Vancouver USA
Morning Meaghan and Elizabeth, Arrived home safe but very tired. Had a wonderful time while in Italy, but our time with you was by far the best of our trip. We had great expectations but you exceeded them in every way. Your hospitality was above and beyond. Thank you for sharing your grand passion with us. We had an experience we will never forget. Thanks to all of you, Meaghan, Elizabeth, Tosca, Mario, Massimo, both of them, Simone, Franco and Etta, your girls and Brian as well. You made us feel like guests. We sing your praises at any opportunity.
Would you please send an email where we might share some photos. We have already received photos from some of the daily participants. Also can you send us an email address for Constancia as we would like to thank her as well. I would certainly recommend her to anyone needing a guide in Florence.
Again our best wishes for your continued success. You can count on us for any recommendations or whatever you might need.
molti ringraziamenti,
Lee McKibbin
Dear Meaghan and Elizabeth: Thank you so much for the most incredible week. It was so wonderful!!! Since I've been home I have made many of the dishes we cooked in the Pandolfini Kitchen. They turned out delicious, and my family couldn't believe that I cooked them, they loved them, especially the homemade pasta and chocolate cake. My husband has fallen in love with me all over again.
It was a perfect week!
Best Wishes and thank you again,
Eileen Engle
Thankyou so much for all of your assistamnce in preparing for my trip and while in Italy.
Villa Pandolfini and the one week cooking program were divine. Each day was filled with warmth, laughter and scrumptuous culture.
This trip allowed me to reconnect to a place within myself that I have tucked away for many years. The fresh air, countryside, laughter, food and camraderie helped rejuventate not only my body but my spirit too. Many blessings to you and your family and continued success in bringing the same joy to others lives.
Susan
We had an awesome week at the Villa Pandolfini Estate! Our week in Tuscany was one of the highlights of our Italy vacation. Everyone we see hears all about our incredible culinary and cultural experience. It was worth every dollar we spent! We hope our paths cross again in the future. We plan to return to Italy often. Thanks again!
L & T DeBonis
The week of cooking was absolutely wonderful. I feel like I learned a lot and came home with a lot of great recipes. The one recipe that I would love is the fig/pine nut ravioli that we made. It is one I would definitely make again.I especially loved to spend the cooking days with our chef. What a wonderful teacher, and all around person.
The accomodations were wonderful, the setting beautiful, Tosca and her family were such great hosts and made the experience seems so personal and friendly. I really enjoyed the excursions in Tuscany, I can't believe how beautiful Tuscany is.... WOW! All of the experiences in addition to the cooking were really first class, the restaurants,the tours into tuscany and just the way you all handled everything. You were all were delightful. You made the entire experience very special.Thank you very much.
J Ward
We had a wonderful time. All our expectations were fulfilled and then some. We enjoyed the cooking school with our wonderful chefs and learned so many basic techniques that we've employed often.
The "extra" tours and events were enjoyable too. Just enough to trully experience Tuscany and Florence yet not the typical tourist tours (which we really don't care for). The entire two groups of class participants and your staff made the experience so much fun and relaxed. We're ready to do it again, and again, and again. The classes were very informative. Without a doubt, the best thing about the cooking classes was our wonderful chef! And realising the the ingredients do NOT have to be exact.....approx. measurements work very well.
We have made 6 of the recipes (and that's good since we have been home only 7 days!). The ambience of the kitchen was terrific, and the extra fish/seafood class was good. Phil loved the wine tastings and I loved the visits to the other towns. It was perfect for us.
Phil & M Hammond
Good tastes of Tuscany was a thrill and a half for me! There is no cuisine I have not mastered or so I thought and a whole new dimension of cooking occurred for me. The entire experience, the staff, the activities, the side tours blew me away. It was delightful, delicious, delovely. The food? Well, that goes without saying, one could eat well into infinity, just one great meal after the next. It was a food lover’s paradise!!!
H Buchbinder
The 7-day program I attended included just the right amount variety between cooking classes, guided tours (with truffle hunting!) and some free time. I loved the winery visit and all the restaurants that we visited - well chosen! The chefs that taught us were professional and also entertaining. I plan to return!
B. Speir
We continue to mentally drift back to our week with you at Pandolfini. It was an exceptional adventure and those of us who have traveled a lot, agree that you went over and above our expectations. It was without question a uniquely wonderful trip. How could we ever explain it to our friends at home!! There haven’t been words adequate.
We hope you enjoy the enclosed photos. You have two CD's because the first one was done with your website in mind. The second were a lot of fun shots though you may also find a few for the website. Between Diane Laidlaw and myself, we have 1000 still photos and 3 hours of video. It will take a month or two to even get it sorted through. My first DVD movie is 1 hour long and that's just the first 2 days. Heehee, I suspect only the 9 of us will endure it through to the end.
We send our love and hope all is well with you. Know I will return with my husband and I'm convincing him that Pandolfini is a perfect spot to settle and travel around from there! Perhaps next spring. We'll be in touch.
Please extend our love to "our" perfect Chef's. They were the frosting on the cake and adored their attention, care and warmth. What a wonderful mixture you all make...don't lose that personal touch in your business. It certainly sets you apart.
D Steimle & D Laidlaw
Many, many thanks for a wonderful week at the cooking school - it was the highlight of my holiday! I enjoyed every moment - out team class was great and the venue perfect. All together a fantastic experience.
I made my first pasta today (with my new machine (dont tell the chef)). Will taste it for dinner but it sure looks good.
J Portlock
Wanted to let you know that I had an absolutely wonderful time during my stay at Villa Pandolfini and Casa Camilla. The entire experience was so much more than I anticipated and better in every way than I expected.
Staying in Casa Camilla was delightful, I truly do miss looking out the window and seeing the beautiful view. The cooking classes were wonderful and yes, I have been cooking your recipes for family here in St. Louis and for my sister in California.
Any one can read a cook book, but so much more was gained by working with the chefs touching, feeling, and smelling the food. The biggest surprise for me were the trips, excursions, tours, and restaurants. When Jade went over the itinerary after my arrival, I was stunned by all that was planned for us.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely hope that I can come again to visit your wonderful part of the world. Please give my very warmest regards to Signora Brogi for her kindness.
Please feel free to use my recommendation any way you see fit. You may also use me as a reference if you desire.
Many thanks again for a wonderful vacation and I hope to see you all again.
D Peters
We were overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness in preparing a course in which Jerzy could participate, despite his allergy. We had an absolutely wonderful time and, believe me, all our friends here in Dubai know about it and the fun we had.
Besides learning some great recipes and receiving tips on how to achieve that special Tuscan flavour (some of which we have already replicated here -- yum!), we really did appreciate the participation of all of you and the care taken to arrange such interesting outings. It gave such a friendly, personal touch to the entire week.
Please give our warm regards to Edda and Franco ("sala'am aleikum; forsa sayeeda" -- they will know what it means) and to Simone. It was a great pleasure to meet Massimo's mother (please forgive me; I am not sure of her name) and to speak with such a lovely lady.
Thanks again to all of you for being a part of our fond memories of Italy!
PS. It is very kind of you to send Jerzy's certificate -- he will feel like a star pupil when it arrives and, indeed, his Etruscan chicken and Risotto w/pears and gorgonzola have already delighted our friends.
Cheers,
Anya
The Good Tastes of Tuscany Cooking School and the Villa Pandolfini exceeded our every expectation. All the staff at the office and school were friendly, accommodating, helpful and very highly skilled. You live in a beautiful and this was definitely the trip of a lifetime for us.
We have about eight couples very interested in making the same trip. We are attaching a few of the 265 photos.
We would love to return to Italy at another time. You are welcome to use our comments and photos. B Pinsen
I truly had an AMAZING time! The stay was definately a highlight of my month of travelling adventures. The day trips were especially invaluable, as I was able to easily experience Italy without the hassle and with all the organization.
Robin
I am back in Canada and can't believe that I was there! I could have stayed another week and just cooked every day with our chefs! Everything was fabulous! I loved our little villa... The cooking classes, the excursions to the countryside, the meals at the local restaurants, the wine and spirits (grappa and vin santo), and terrific hosts truly gave me a TASTE OF TUSCANY and has me wanting for more. Thank you again and hopefully I will return...
D De Stephanis
The school was a treat for us. I would have enjoyed as much instruction as you could schedule. The entire group at the Villa was very accommodating and gracious. Perhaps a return trip could be arranged in the future.
Ed
We would like to extend a big thank you to all at the Cooking School. Callan, Hayley and I had a very memorable 2 days. We learned and enjoyed.... just sitting in the beautiful kitchen was enriching.
Thank you we have some away with far more than just recipes for Tuscan cooking! We have the wine!
Please pass on our thanks to the chefs.
Kindest regards,
K Miranda, London
I planned my trip for 3 years to celebrate my 40th birthday. I saved money every payday to be able to live my dream vacation. Villa Pandofini did just that. I had an incredible trip – a trip of a lifetime. My photos of every class and tour I have shown to all my friends and family, and they can see what a wonderful time I had in Italy. I must say that everyone who has seen the albums is just enamored with all that I did on the trip! I have even interested others in booking a week with you!
The classes were very informative and helpful. My favorite part of the day was sitting down to eat at the end of the class, with the kitchen fire blazing! Everything was just perfect. I have already made some of the dishes I learnt in the classes – I have already made the pork with Fennel and Shallots, the Pappa Pomodoro, Ravioli Medici with Ragù Classico and the Crostada with Apple. I enjoyed the variety of cooking classes and tour days, it was a nice pace. Every trip was wonderful. Everyone at home is so envious of my cooking trip of a lifetime! Thank you for all your kindness and help. It was a most memorable 40th birthday!
A Myers
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful our stay was there. Ken and I had the time of our life in the kitchen, traveling, and staying in our little casa that we had all to ourself. We really do want to come back. There are no words to tell you what it was like for us except PERFETTO! The cook had a simple yellow cake one morning with powedered sugar sprinkled on it which i loved! And the chocolate cake that was prepared for our welcome dinner. That too was luscious! Your energy and passion for your country and what it gives to you is beyond words. It was absolutely life changing for Ken and I. Thank you for that. I do want to keep in touch with all of you every now and then. Hope to come back and visit again.
Ken and J Stewart
I had the most incredible time on this trip. I loved the camaraderie between all the students and the chefs. Every detail of the school was geared to the students and I came home ready to prepare all the dishes and eager to return to Italy for another week of classes. Elizabeth and Meaghan and all the chefs and our drivers were so professional yet so personable. It was better than I dreamed it would be and I am encouraging all my friends to try out the school. Everything was wonderful. The only way to improve the 7 day experience is to have the school extended to a longer period of time! I loved it so much I would love to be able to come again and stay for 2 weeks instead. Thanks for helping me have such an incredibly wonderful vacation! Hope to see you again soon.
B Morris
The week that we spent with all of you was one of the best vacations of my life. Your hospitality made me feel so welcome. The villas were clean and comfortable. The cooking courses were superb!! Most importantly, the program provided everything I was hoping for. I wanted to go to a beautiful place full of history and charm and not to have to worry about transportation, tour guides or accomodations. I also wanted to cook delicious fresh food in the company of a knowledgable and friendly chef. Lastly, i wanted to see the countryside that has remained unchanged since Medieval times. I thought the classes were planned very well. I thought the menu was diverse and challenging. I also thought Stefano was well prepared for each class, and he was charming and patient with all his students. He really made the classes enjoyable and relaxed. I absolutely loved the new kitchen we cooked in. It is spacious and well equipped. I also learnt that I love zucchini flowers! I loved all of our guides, including Elizabeth. Each day was different and wonderful. I felt so welcomed. I really don’t have words to express how wonderful my experience was. Thankyou, Thankyou. I am dreaming of the time when I can return to enchanting Tuscany.
M Udicki
We, a party of 6, stayed in the Casa Camilla - a stunning villa with beautiful views overlooking Florence and surrounds. I was impressed with the level of hospitality shown to us by all - the locals and the staff of Villa Pandolfini Estate. Our week was very structured, well organised and a good balance between touring and cooking. The daily excursions were most professional, varied and interesting. I loved the fact that you made maximum use of the time we shared with you. Cooking classes were well executed, with Stefano always being well prepared, fun and passionate. A great teacher who tried to further master his use of the English language. It was difficult not to be affected by his positive nature, good humour and love for wine and oil! Thankyou for an unforgettable experience. Memories, recipes, good food and wine to be taken away from the villa and shared with others - the anticipation of going to cook a dish I probably had not cooked before. I enjoyed the hands on making of the pasta. The kitchen was well equipped and easy to move around. It was nice to be able to stand around the stove and observe Stefano throwing a bottle of wine into the dish. I loved the way you incorparated the local ingredients. What a treat it was for all of us. Thankyou!
C Beynon
I had a marvelous time and was quite surprised and pleased that the classes were so fun. The Chef was very informative and we learned a lot and made new friends. The villa was great and our accomodations were excellent. Elizabeth and Meaghan were wonderful and went over and beyond the call of duty in making our stay so pleasant. I enjoyed most of all the hands on cooking. Overall, it was fabulous. I haved raved to all my friends.
BK Gerry
I had a fabuous time throughout the whole week of cooking and touring even though i came by myself. The food was excellent and I would recommend your classes to anyone. I really enjoyed the chicken liver pate, and of course cooking with the same group for the entire week. The kitchen was absolutely amazing. The menus were great. It was really fun to make fresh pasta because i had never done it before.
S Sander
I do not have the superlatives to tell you how great our trip was to Italy. Sometimes, out of nowhere, I think I'm still there. We were so impressed with the beauty of the country side and our wonderful accomodations beginning with Villa Sellina and ending with Villa Pandolfini. Jacob and I will always share wonderful memories of our cooking classes. I was so pleased and grateful that everyone made our grandson feel so welcome and special. We appreciated how well our time was scheduled for the 7 day program ----busy enough for a 16 year old and enough free time for a couple of old people!! NOTHING dissapointed us!! We thank you for all the work that went into providing this incredible experience.
K Tye, USA
At last I have a few minutes to sit and write to you and to tell you how unforgettable that week with you was - I loved it and I loved tuscany and I am going to try and come back with my dearest husband (who is going to pay for it!) to stay with you again. I have been on many holidays to many parts of the world - this one was one of the best because it was like being at a friend's home with a great kitchen - great food and of course - TUSCANY - a magical place. I made the etruscan chicken which was amazing and am waiting for my cook to come back from his holidays to do the rest - need to teach him because, in case you did not notice, I hate chopping veggies. Give my love to the charming cook - who was so instrumental in making that week unforgettable. It was so nice meeting all of you and if you ever come to delhi (you should!) get in touch. Lots of love,
Nimal
If you're going to Firenze, don't miss the opportunity to take one or two classes at the Villa Pandolfini. It's outside of Florence and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The Villa is beautiful and should not be missed. Meaghan and Elizabeth are great hosts and you will be in great hands with two wonderful trained chefs who are extremely friendly, very enthusiastic and will even make a novice feel very comfortable in the kitchen. There's no better way to learn about the Tuscan cuisine than from this kitchen. Since arriving home I've made panacotta, ricotta cake as well as chicken with olives and white wine and the bruschetta. The home made pasta with sage and butter and tirimasu are next on my list and once autumn arrives, the wild boar stew will be made. Every dish was delizioso, the wines magnifico and the surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful." I am already planning to go back to Italy and will take more classes at the Villa Pandolfini.
D Kiley, USA
Elizabeth - just wanted to say that we are back in the States and had a wonderful trip - of course one of the top five highlights was our cooking class with the chefs. It was so nice meeting you and Massimo...in fact, Lucy is making the meal we made at the Villa on Tuesday for our club of 5 women who meet weekly....I've made the tiramisu with all the tricks! The pictures we took came out nicely and are a wonderful memory in our album...Again, thanks for giving us just what you advertised.
K Amelia, USA
Dave and I had a great time and would absolutely recommend anyone going to Italy to take this class- its way more of an enjoyable, relaxed, atmosphere where you sit and talk, eat, drink wine (great wine by the way!!), and watch the chef cook but you learn too.
S Victurine, USA
Tiramisu was a hit at work!! I went into little Italy in New York and found the right cookies and cheese. My son loved the spaghetti sauce, eggplant parm. My next adventure will be Osso Buco. Everyone thinks what I did was great and I think your program was fantastic. I am recommending it to everyone that asks. Regards to you all, Regards to you all,
Steve
I just wanted to let you know that I had my first formal dinner party last month and my whole menu consisted of the dishes I learned at Villa Pandolfini. My appetizers were the pear and gorgonzola tart and the cheese dipped in the truffle honey that I bought at the mercato. My first entre was the roasted zucchini risotto (which everyone loved) and the main dish was the pork wrapped in lardo. (We don’t have lardo here, so I used pancetta). The dessert was the ricotta cake with raisons and pinenuts. I have to tell you that it was a great success! I had 12 ladies over and I told them all about your great cooking course. Hopefully some of them will get the opportunity to come and visit you. Anyhow, I hope everything is great with the both of you and thank you again for a very memorable week!
Take care,
L Zanetti
It was a truly great adventure; great company, great food and wine and great hospitality. Definitely an adventure of once in a lifetime. For people who likes cooking it’s a perfect combination of cooking and vacation together. I most enjoyed learning to prepare pasta.
T Graf
The food made by our group was fabulous. The chef was a marvelous teacher, with an enthusiastic, great personality. Our international class was a delight. The hands-on learning was great.
L Collins
Thouroughly enjoyed! Every day was a pleasure, and the cook – what an angel! Hard to improve on perfection!
N Nichtern
I loved the whole thing! It was a true culinary adventure with great food and wine, lots of hands on cooking, and plenty of great Chianti wines! I would highly recommend anyone who want to learn more about Tuscan cooking this weeklong experience! This is THE opportunity to learn how to cook delicious Italian meals in an unparalelled environemnt. Being in a Castle from the 12th century and staying in a villa overlooking Florence and the Duomo is just amazing. If you have the chance, take it. The site is wonderful and the chefs, the guides and the staff are just fantastic!
Dr. R Savonen, USA