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Robb Report
May 2000, page 154:
"Cooking at the
Contessa's" by Bobbie Leigh:
Spend a week at the
Toscana Saporita
cooking school. 30
minutes north of Pisa, and you'll experience a side of rural Italian
life that is rarely seen. Classes, which are limited to 12 students, are
held in the mornings in a large, airy, professional kitchen that was
once a carriage house on the 70-acre estate of Contessa Elena Pecchioli,
a childhood friend of Anne Bianchi and Sandra Lotti, two cousins and
master chefs who run the school.
After the morning cooking sessions,
conducted in English with assistance from a mostly New York-based and
-trained staff, lunch is served at a long picnic table, where students
relish their efforts, accompanied by at least two or three wines.
Afternoons are spent touring Montecatini, Lucca, and other nearby sites
- the seaside port of Viareggio is a half-hour walk away - with the head
of the local tourist bureau, who doubles as a waitress at her mother's
restaurant. While the group discovers the delights of Tuscany, the
professionals prepare a dinner worthy of a Michelin chef.
Be aware: The week spent on the
Contessa's property is great fun, but the rooms and stone houses where
students stay are simple. What counts, however, is la dolce vita
- cooking, dining, touring, and camaraderie that are completely
satisfying. |
