Italian Cooking Class by Jennifer Broderick

Studying abroad in Florence has been a life changing experience. Since June, I have managed to learn some Italian, visit the surrounding cities, and for once take life easy. To take my time here one step further, I decided to take an authentic cooking class of Italian Cuisine. A lifelong fan of pasta, pizza, and any food typically Italian, the classes at InTavola seemed the logical thing to do. Plus upon returning home, I could impress my family and friends with my new cooking skills. Around six thirty last Thursday, I arrived at the school located on the other side of the Arno. Fabrizio and Dominico, our chef instructors for the night, greeted me with kisses and a, “ciao!?”.
Immediately, I felt at ease and ready to get my hands dirty. The menu for the night? Gnocchi al Pesto, Lasagne Vegetariana, and Salame Dolce. Once our hands were washed and aprons on, we began. There were many other students there from all over the world (Japan, England, France, Ireland, the U.S.), some here studying Italian, others longtime lovers of Florence.
We split into four groups, two learning the recipes in Italian, and the rest in English. The atmosphere was lively, and before long we were all working as one big group, switching tables, laughing, and taking turns cooking. Fabrizio and Dominico guided us through, and came to the rescue when need be. I ,for one, definitely needed help making the gnocchi!
A few hours later, quite hungry in anticipation of our feast, we sat at the long wooden table, mouths drooling. Finally, the best part had arrived – eating our creation! It was delicious! So good, in fact, I took home some leftover desert. Yum! Once we all had our fair share, and it was time to go, Fabrizio and Dominico gave us a warm goodbye and our packet of our recipes. Now it was our turn to try it on our own.
That night was very special, it gave me the oppurtunity to learn something new, and meet some really great people. Melissa, a student at L Universita Degli Studenti said, ?…meeting people from all over the world made the lesson unique and unforgettable!?. For a small fee of 30 euro, the class is well worth it. If you have an adventurous soul, enjoy meeting new people, or just love Italian food, the classes at InTavola are for you!
For more information, contact FlorenceForFun at www.florenceforfun.org.
Or call Anna on 328 729 0848