Celebrate Summer Like an Italian: Tuscan Women Cook

As temperatures rise and the days stretch long into golden Tuscan evenings, Tuscan Women Cook, the immersive culinary program that takes place in a beautiful corner of Tuscany, invites home cooks and travelers alike to savor the magic of summer with refreshing cocktails and seasonal recipes straight from Nonna’s kitchen.

 

Nothing says la dolce vita quite like a sparkling Aperol Spritz or the fragrant Hugo Spritz, two classic Italian cocktails that have become staples of warm weather aperitivo time. At Tuscan Women Cook, guests toast to friendship, food, and the joy of Italian hospitality with these vibrant drinks in hand as the sun sets over the rolling hills of Tuscany.

 

“Summer is a magical time in Tuscany,” says Coleen Kirnan, owner and host of Tuscan Women Cook. “From the farm-fresh produce to the laid-back pace of life, everything is designed to help you slow down and savor. These spritzes and our favorite appetizer recipe of fig and prosciutto with mascarpone capture the spirit of our tables and the joy we share with guests each evening.”

 

Whether you're dining al fresco in your backyard or dreaming of your next trip to Italy, Tuscan Women Cook brings the flavors of summer straight to your kitchen.

The Women of Tuscan Women Cook

While the restaurants throughout Italy have wonderful cuisine, we’ve found the very best cooks in all of Tuscany are the local Tuscan women. Our local Tuscan women cooks teach recipes and techniques passed down from generation to generation over the centuries—the truly great cooking of Tuscany. Click here for featured recipes.

The women of our village of Montefollonico are exceptional cooks. From restaurant chefs to modest, but incredible home cooks, the women of Tuscan Women Cook will delight you.

Our local cooks grow most of the ingredients for each class in their own gardens. Eggs come from their chickens, local cinghiale (wild boar) is turned into flavorful ragu, tomatoes and the fresh zucchini flowers you’ll stuff and prepare in your cooking class at Agriturismo Belagaggio are picked just moments before in their farmland just steps from the kitchen.

Seasonal cooking, green methods of gardening, sustainable food products, slow food, local suppliers and purveyors—these are not new concepts to these Tuscan women, rather these are methods and concepts that have been passed down over the generations and are still practiced today.

Meet the Cooks: Tuscan Women Cook