An Intensive Tuscan Cooking "Stage" with Chef Claudio
Figline Valdarno, Tuscany

Our full program with Chef Claduio, A Classic Tuscan Table with Chef Claudio, was featured on “CBS Sunday Morning News with Charles Osgood,” November 2004. DVD of program available on request.

About the location: Tuscany…a landscape of wooded hills, olive groves, vineyards, and hill towns. Vistas that have barely changed since Renaissance artists first beheld them. On this culinary tour of Tuscany you will see the treasures of this rich region, learning its cuisine during an intensive 6-night course. Your week in Tuscany takes place in the medieval town of Figline Valdarno, set in the triangle formed by the great cities of Florence, Arezzo and Siena.
Your home will be at Chef Claudio’s picturesque B&B, cottages. The charming B&B is located just 5 minutes outside of town, amidst the Chef’s vineyards and olive groves. Each of the five air-conditioned bedrooms is delightfully decorated and equipped with modern conveniences such as hairdryers and telephones. A beautiful pool completes the setting. A notch above your customary B&B!

About the cooking lessons: The lessons are led by Chef Claudio Piantini. Claudio grew up in a typical Italian home, where the quality of food and cooking was very important. At the tender age of 14, Claudio worked secretly as a waiter in a fine restaurant and this was the beginning of an illustrious career. He recognized how the pleasures of good food could unite people from all different backgrounds. Following his formal chef training, he became a professional sommelier and managed a restaurant in Florence. His dream, of course, was to have his own restaurant and returned to his home town to open Torre Guelfa Restaurant, which immediately put his rising star on the culinary horizon.

In 1995 The International Kitchen was fortunate to begin a collaboration with this wonderful, passionate and charming chef, whose delight in his art is totally contagious! During your lessons, you will learn classic dishes of Tuscan cuisine, known for its refined simplicity. You will prepare classic dishes such as ribollita and crostini, along with more unusual dishes such as castagnaccio. Whether you are an advanced cook, or a eager beginner, Claudio is able to manage every level, much like a conductor with each section of the orchestra. You will come away with a vast number of recipes from the hands of a true Tuscan chef, imparting his knowledge with infinite kindness, patience and generosity. We truly love Chef Claudio!