On one of my days off, instead of going into Rome again, I took a day trip to Florence-I only went for the day to avoid accommodation expenses, though there were cheap hostels and airbnbs nearby.
I wasn’t sure what to do for the day. On one hand, I had the Uffizi and street food, on the other, the option of a cooking class. I decided to go with the latter, opting to splurge on a new experience, something I would be able to look back on and say, “Oh, yeah. I remember the time I learned how to make my own pasta from scratch while in Italy.”
My mom ended up sending me money to pay for it and told me to consider it her Christmas gift. I booked it with Florence tours which has an array of tours throughout Florence and other options for cooking classes, including a cheaper offer that teaches how to make pizza and gelato. I opted for the more expensive class because it would teach me how to make pasta, a bolognese sauce, a rustic tomato sauce, and tiramisu.
The class begins with a tour of the San Lorenzo market. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the ingredients and how to choose the right ones. He told us, “If you have the right ingredients, the end result can almost never taste wrong.”
We headed to where the class takes place, the Florence Food & Wine Academy.
We threw on our aprons, washed our hands and immediately got to work. Starting with the sauces, we listened and aided the chef (our guide for the tour). I’m not going to get into the details because what’s the fun in divulging the secrets from the kitchen? As the sauces simmered, we prepared the tiramisu. Below is a picture of me giving the yolks a beating. It was quite the arm workout actually.
Next, we prepared the dough for the pasta.
The above tools and ingredients are all you need. After that, we let the dough rest as we enjoyed bruschetta prepared by the chef, fresh cheeses, and wine.
Following the delicious break, we watched the chef make the tagliatelle strips and the ravioli, which he filled with not cheese but mashed potatoes (a traditional touch in Florence).
After watching, we tried our hand and added it to the pile the chef had started. He cooked the pasta and prepared the large family-style dishes. The class, only 7 of us due to it being low season, came together and ate happily. I liked it small because we got to know each other and talk to everyone. Class sizes range from one to 25, so it just depends on when you go.
At the end you get a certificate as a souvenir. *BRB, framing this next to my diploma from UT*
When we got out, it was around 2. I planned to meet up with my hosts’ son, who lives in Florence, at around 4. Since I was going to be spending Christmas with them, I figured it would be a good idea to get to know one of their sons beforehand. With two hours to spare, I just walked around aimlessly.
And stumbled upon the Duomo. A beautiful place from the outside and just as pretty on the inside.
You can pay to go up the tower, but I didn’t, though I can imagine the view would leave you speechless.
I looked through shops before heading to our meet up spot. We ended up getting a coffee and walking around, across the bridge, and through more shops.
Florence is a beautiful city and so different from Rome. Not only is it smaller, but the atmosphere is a bit different. If you have the chance to experience both, do it. As to which one I prefer? Well, that’s still to be decided.
Nice post!
Thank you!!