On Sunday, June 24, 2007 my daughter Morgan and I arrived at the Pisa International airport in Italy. We were greeted by our guide Elena and two other classmates and drove the 20 miles to the Camporomana estate where we would spend the next week. The estate was up on a hill about 1/2 mile off the main road surrounded by hundreds of ancient olive trees. After meeting the resident chefs and settling into our rooms, we were treated to the first of many delicious meals. It consisted of an antipasti platter, a carrot bisque and and sorbet dessert. After, we all relaxed at the the hilltop pool. Dinner that night was equally delicious consisting of pork, mushroom lasagna, a green bean flan and chocolate/coconut truffles. All meals were accompanied by wines for every course!
Every morning thereafter we had a full breakfast at 9:30 (pastries, yogurt, fruit, ham, cheese, cereal, jams, butters, juice, coffee) and our lessons commenced at 10:00. Throughout the week we learned knife skills, how to make pasta, sauces, and desserts. Some of the time was hands-on and other times one our five resident chefs would demonstrate a technique for the six class members. Our lunch that we largely prepared in the morning was served to us at 1:00.
Every afternoon for about four hours we had the opportunity to visit a small Italian town in Tuscany guided by our informative guide Elena. These trips gave us a great snapshot of western Tuscany.
After arriving back at the estate, there was time to change for dinner which was served promptly every night at 8:00. Because our class was so small, we had the privilege of having our chefs dine with us every night and we all enjoyed the new friendships we made.
The last night concluded with a graduation ceremony when we all received a "diploma". It was a wonderful experience and we would highly recommend this school to anyone who even has a passing interest in Tuscan cooking.
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