I’m writing this on a calm May afternoon, one of those rare moments when I’m not running to the market or getting ready for the next cooking class. The door to my cooking school has reopened for the season, with all the hustle and the bustle, and you’re always welcome!

Aldo, the cat, is curled up beside me, purring his special kind of love, and the garden is bursting with life. The teaching season is in full swing, together with new guests enjoying the two cozy apartments on the upper floor of our farmhouse. Each day is filled with the rhythm of cooking, sharing stories, and laughter — the kind that brings people together and turns strangers into friends around the table.

This season has also brought some very special visits — members of our Cooking Club! Kara and her husband stayed for a few days in one of the apartments, while Angela with her daughter and Jon with his wife stopped by just for a shared lunch. I made a simple but delicious pasta al pomodoro — because sometimes the humblest dishes are the ones that bring the most joy.

It’s such a meaningful experience to finally meet, in real life, the people I’ve cooked with for years over Zoom, exchanged messages with, and shared stories through screens. Seeing them step into my kitchen, they’ve only known through a camera, is something truly magical.

This spring, we completed a big project in the garden: we planted 30 new olive trees! They came from Dina’s vivaio (nursery), where I’ve been getting my plants for over 25 years. She was giving them away, and with a big patch of empty earth waiting, we simply couldn’t say no.

I’ve also been working on redesigning the vegetable garden. Right now, it’s near the entrance, but next year I’ll move it to a quieter spot and turn the front into a flower garden. So this season, I planted more blooms than ever and have high hopes for colorful beds that welcome guests with beauty and fragrance.

May is one of my favorite months — all the herbs are soft and fragrant. I’ve been making tea with sage and marjoram regularly, and recently tried it with figs and young olive leaves too. It’s delicious and full of health benefits. If you have a fig tree, I definitely recommend giving it a try!

Since the beginning of May, I’ve cooked with over 130 students — most from the USA — and we also hosted another unforgettable Food & Wine Trip. Nancy, a long-time community member, wanted to introduce three of her friends to Tuscany, and we had such a beautiful week together.

It was a true feast for the senses — I honestly felt like we were always full! Just as one delicious meal ended, we were off to a wine tasting… and then somehow ready for another incredible meal. Between the tastings and our time around the table, we enjoyed 29 different wines (yes, I counted!). We cooked some meals together during three hands-on cooking classes and also got to taste extra virgin olive oil at an award-winning local farm, spent a relaxing afternoon at the spa, and visited the local market one morning to experience the rhythm of Tuscan life.

We made a stop at a cheese farm to learn about and taste pecorino, and each day brought us to one of Tuscany’s hidden gems — Volterra, Bolgheri, Populonia, Campiglia Marittima, and Castagneto Carducci — medieval towns, each with its own characters, secrets, and perfect views.

Each of these Food & Wine Trips is more than just a vacation — it’s an immersion into the heart of our region, the place I’m lucky to call home. It’s a slow and meaningful way to experience Italy — even though we’re in Tuscany, this area is still off the tourist radar, full of places you won’t find in guidebooks. We’d love to share it with you.

We still have a few spots open for the October 2025 Food & Wine Trip, and I’d love to cook with you here one day — whether you join a trip or come as an independent traveler to La Casa Toscana, our farmhouse.

Thanks for reading this, and please feel free to reach out. Your feedback means so much to me. It encourages me to continue sharing these slices of Tuscan life with you.

With love,

Chicca