One of the fun bits about blogging is making new friends. I got to know Paninigirl through her great blog about Italy and food – what’s not to love about those 2 subjects? She brought a group of like minded travellers to Lucca for a discovery tour in early May and very kindly invited me to join one of her cooking classes.
Janie made the making of pasta look easy. I’ve never made pasta, but I now feel confident enough to give it a go.
Janie with her pasta
fresh pasta - don't be afraid to give it a go
stirring the sauce
The best part about cooking lessons is that you get to eat the results. The pasta was delicious and I can happily report that nothing was left on our plates.
we started with artichokes and stuffed peppers
There was also a side dish of heavenly tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. There really is something special about the tomatoes in Italy.
tomatoes and mozzarella
Janie will be taking another group to Lucca in October. She has organised trips into the Garfagnana to see cheese being made, walking tours through the fabulous Florence food markets, cooking lessons with local Italian cooks as well as the ones she does herself and so much more. Her group had a wonderful time with somebody to guide them through this gorgeous part of Tuscany. Click here to go to her blog or look for the link on the right of the page to find out more about her next guided trip to Italy.
the sitting room of the apartment in Lucca where the group stayed
The apartment is right in the heart of lovely Lucca – within easy walking distance of all sorts of wonderful things.