“Fun, great food, and very useful!!!”
After reading glowing Tripadvisor reviews (all of which are true, by the way!), my spouse, daughter (13), and I did a private night course with Marcella while we were in Florence last week. This was one of the highlights of our trip!
First, it was really fun (several times, my daughter would say "this is really happening", which is a teen's version of saying that she was having a fantastic time). The time flew by, and while we had to concentrate sometimes, there were plenty of laughs and giddy moments (like when my daughter butterflied a chicken breast--without butterflying her palm :-)--after having seen it done on cooking shows).
Second, we learned so much. Marcella, besides being an excellent cook and wonderful teacher, is so knowledgeable that it's as if she has a PhD in chemistry. We learned so much, not just about technique, but about food, and the differences between food in Italy and the US (unfortunately, not good news for Americans--we have so many more preservatives and artificial ingredients in our food. I remember Marcella laughing that American flour has a list of long ingredients on the bag, when it should be just "flour"!).
Third, the food was amazing. We made (and we are not great cooks) bruschetta, homemade ravioli stuffed with goat cheese, ricotta, and spinach (Marcella incorporated goat cheese based on my request, and it was delicious), two kinds of balsamic chicken (with chicken breast as well as parts of a whole chicken, which is useful bc now we can prepare it two ways), tiramisu, and gelato. (We couldn't decide between the two desserts, and she was nice enough to let us do both, which was wonderful!). The meal, which we enjoyed with Marcella's wine and her delightful company, was among the best meals we had in our 2 weeks in Italy (made even more special by the fact that we had done it).
Finally, it was so useful. We just got back, and on our first night, we made the balsamic chicken, and it turned out exactly like it did at her place. We also plan to make tiramisu and fresh pasta soon.
If you are coming to Florence, definitely sign up for this course--it will be one of the highlights of your trip, no question. Besides a fun and informative experience, you'll have a great meal (with great family bonding). Even if you have to skip a historical or art history tour, I would, bc this is something you can't read about in a book.
Thanks so much, Marcella!!! Traci, Casey, and Abby from Austin, Texas
First, it was really fun (several times, my daughter would say "this is really happening", which is a teen's version of saying that she was having a fantastic time). The time flew by, and while we had to concentrate sometimes, there were plenty of laughs and giddy moments (like when my daughter butterflied a chicken breast--without butterflying her palm :-)--after having seen it done on cooking shows).
Second, we learned so much. Marcella, besides being an excellent cook and wonderful teacher, is so knowledgeable that it's as if she has a PhD in chemistry. We learned so much, not just about technique, but about food, and the differences between food in Italy and the US (unfortunately, not good news for Americans--we have so many more preservatives and artificial ingredients in our food. I remember Marcella laughing that American flour has a list of long ingredients on the bag, when it should be just "flour"!).
Third, the food was amazing. We made (and we are not great cooks) bruschetta, homemade ravioli stuffed with goat cheese, ricotta, and spinach (Marcella incorporated goat cheese based on my request, and it was delicious), two kinds of balsamic chicken (with chicken breast as well as parts of a whole chicken, which is useful bc now we can prepare it two ways), tiramisu, and gelato. (We couldn't decide between the two desserts, and she was nice enough to let us do both, which was wonderful!). The meal, which we enjoyed with Marcella's wine and her delightful company, was among the best meals we had in our 2 weeks in Italy (made even more special by the fact that we had done it).
Finally, it was so useful. We just got back, and on our first night, we made the balsamic chicken, and it turned out exactly like it did at her place. We also plan to make tiramisu and fresh pasta soon.
If you are coming to Florence, definitely sign up for this course--it will be one of the highlights of your trip, no question. Besides a fun and informative experience, you'll have a great meal (with great family bonding). Even if you have to skip a historical or art history tour, I would, bc this is something you can't read about in a book.
Thanks so much, Marcella!!! Traci, Casey, and Abby from Austin, Texas
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