Throwback Thursday: Tuscany Cooking Vacations at the Beginning

Originally published September 5, 2013. Although we no longer offer the cooking vacation with Claudio, we still have plenty of amazing chefs and amazing culinary vacations in Tuscany!

Karen Herbst founded The International Kitchen in 1994 because she wanted to combine her lifelong passion for food and travel. Today that passion continues to drive everyone at The International Kitchen as we search out the most unique and authentic cooking vacation experiences. But while we’re constantly on the look out for new programs, we still love our tried and true trips from the past!

From the start, Chef Claudio found a home at The International Kitchen, and his was one of the first Tuscany cooking vacations we offered. Over the years, his Tuscan property grew and changed with the addition of B&B cottages, but one thing didn’t change at all: his love of teaching students about Tuscan cuisine. Karen visited Italy in 2013 to check in with Claudio in Figline Valdarno, and she was once again reminded of what she first saw in the chef, not only passion but a gift for teaching.

The first class on our culinary tours is usually about figuring out what everyone’s skill levels are so the chefs can tailor the cooking vacation week to those skill sets, and Chef Claudio was a master at keeping everyone involved. He ran a tight ship in his teaching kitchen, but he managed to keep it real, fun, and casual, too.

And the food! No one ever left Chef Claudio’s kitchen hungry! From the antipasti to the dessert, Claudio has always made sure that his guests discovered every flavor of Tuscany.

Check out all of our cooking vacations in Tuscany!

By Liz Hall

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