All-Inclusive Tuscan Cooking Getaway with Top Chef Masters Chef Anita Lo and writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins (November 5-11)
The Olive Oil Immersion Planned Exclusively for the Food52 Community!
The Scoop
Join writer, historian and food authority Nancy Harmon Jenkins and award-winning chef Anita Lo for an enriching and epicurean getaway at the four-star Villa Campestri, a Renaissance estate perched on a hillside overlooking one of Tuscany's most scenic valleys. In this six-day retreat, you'll learn all about the intricacies of fine olive oil - from the harvest to the plate – and why it makes a difference in your kitchen. You’ll taste lots of different oils, both good and bad, as well as fine Tuscan wines. You’ll learn to make fresh pasta, risotto, and focaccia, as well as how to prepare all the autumn delights of the Tuscan countryside, from wild boar to mushrooms, winter greens, and maybe even a white truffle or two. Then, at the end apply what you've learned in the kitchen with Top Chef Masters competitor, cookbook author, and award-winning chef Anita. There will be time, too, for strolling the scenic olive groves, enjoying a meal in a nearby trattoria, or visiting local sights - such as the village of Scarperia, home to Italy’s greatest artisan knife-makers. This olive oil and cooking immersion brings a new level of refinement to the expression “traveling on your stomach.”
View Full 6-Day Itinerary HERE
See Photos & Testimonials from May's AmorOlio
About Villa Campestri
During the Renaissance, Villa Campestri morphed from a 13th century fortress into its current incarnation, a gorgeous manor house whose architecture and grounds have been thoughtfully restored by the Pasquali Family. Surrounded by Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, Pendolino and Correggiolo varieties of olive trees, Villa Campestri has become a center for olive oil education, and the world’s first olive oil resort.
About Nancy Harmon Jenkins
A sort of culinary Margaret Mead, Nancy seeks to understand culture from the vantage point of food and cooking. By visiting the world’s markets, restaurants and kitchens and by peppering farmers, push-cart vendors and home cooks with questions, she’s spun her natural curiosity into a career writing and reporting the ways in which we connect over meals. As she likes to say, “…it’s anthropology with the very important difference that you can taste the culture on your tongue and feel it between your hands…”
How to Redeem
- Purchase 1 voucher per person according to planned room occupancy (all-inclusive price is per person). Please inquire with Villa Campestri first about bringing small children.
- Email Villa Campestri at villa.campestri@villacampestri.it to confirm reservation.
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In your email please include:
- The full name of each traveler
- The voucher code for each traveler.
- Your address, email and preferred contact number.
Pack your bags and buon viaggio!
Fine Print
- Refund Policy: This trip is refundable, less a $250 fee per person, up until Sept 5th, 2012 (60 days prior to arrival). Following Sept 5th, 2012, this trip is non-refundable.
- Not Included: Transportation to and from Florence or Pisa Airports (30 minutes from Villa) and massages. But the wonderful people at Villa Campestri will help organize transportation to/from the airport. Contact Villa Campestri by email villa.campestri@villacampestri.it or phone (+39.055 8490107) for assistance.
- Extra nights available at the Best Flexible Rate Bed & Breakfast via Villa Campestri's website.
- Service charge and 10% VAT included in the rate.
- Please contact Villa Campestri to inquire about bringing young children.
“If I’ve learned anything from a fortunate life, it’s that the quickest route inside another culture is through its food.” —Nancy Harmon Jenkins