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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Antonella

Florence, Italy

USD
$166-$298 per person

Traditional Italian cooking with professional chef in Florence countryside

Host offerings
  • Rural farmhouse
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Antonella

Originally from Sicily, Antonella is an adopted Tuscan. As with many born and raised Sicilians, Antonella has always been incredibly passionate about food. A few years ago she decided to turn her passion into her work and Antonella now works as a cooking instructor, professional chef and a food blogger. Antonella lives with her husband and their two daughters in the countryside from May-Oct, it is about 15 minutes from Florence. Antonella and her husband are both very extroverted, easy to talk to and have lots of experience communicating with travelers.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-5 guests) Meet Antonella and her family at their cozy countryside home. You will be welcomed not only by Antonella, but also by her husband - often Antonella's kitchen assistant! Antonella is an incredible host, both warm and professional - she is a professional chef and cooking teacher. As soon as you step foot in their home, they will offer you a classic espresso before you join the family at the dining table for your meal. The table setting will already be impeccable, and your hosts will offer you a prosecco to start (typical of Italian meals) followed by a selection of delicious Tuscan red wines. Antonella's husband is a wine lover and throughout the evening, he will engage you in a talk about the different types of wines in the region. Your menu might include a selection of dishes traditional recipes from Tuscany and Sicily, depending on the menu you choose.

Cooking experience: (2-5 guests) Antonella’s kitchen is the kitchen of a professional chef. She has every single, specialized tool that you could imagine and a drawer with knives that would make any Master Chef jealous. During your cooking lesson you will make a dessert, fresh pasta and main dish all from scratch. When you arrive, the kitchen table will already be set with the ingredients for the first recipe, a dessert. As you begin to put everything together according to Antonella's verbal instructions, she will share with you intriguing tidbits about cooking and baking, such as the difference between types of flours, and which flours are best for making fresh pasta versus cakes. As your dessert cooks, you will start to knead the dough for the fresh pasta. While the dough is left to rest, you will make your main dish, and then go back to roll out the pasta. Throughout it all enjoy Antonella and her husband's teaching and stories while they help to clean and fetch ingredients for your class.

Antonella can offer a Sicilian or a non-pasta Tuscan menu so if you prefer one of these options instead, let her know when making your booking.

Notes: The location for this experience is 15 minutes from Florence, in the countryside, and is only available from May to October. You will need a car to arrive there or a private transfer - it's not possible to arrive by bus and it's difficult to find a taxi. Antonella's experience is child-friendly, so if you are traveling with a family Antonella is happy to host you. Please also note Antonella can offer vegetarian and vegan meals, if you inform her in advance, at the time of booking the experience.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Vegetarian or Vegan: Cecina, a chickpea flour flatbread + Minestrone (seasonal vegetable soup) or Ribollita (a hearty Tuscan winter soup of beans, vegetables and bread) + Eggplant parmigiana, fried eggplant in a rich mozzarella and tomato sauce + Chocolate and ricotta crostata
  • Meat: Tagliatelle with seasonal vegetables + Ravioli with ricotta and lemon zest or mint in tomatoes sauce or chicken with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar + Ricotta tart or panna cotta or tiramisù or biscotti

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
We've seen "the David", mercato centrale, uffizi, the leather shops, luxury shops, the beautiful city of Firenze. Enjoyed meals at all the best restaurants.. By far our favorite experience in Firenze was Antonella's cooking class with dinner. Antonella was the most gracious host. Her demeanor gave us a family like sense of comfort. Her knowledge, professionalism and love of cooking was clearly evident within the first 15 minutes. The food was simply amazing! It's a MUST try. Very highly recommend...we will be back.
- troydp2 October 30, 2023
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Antonella

$166-$298 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $298 $166
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $298 $166
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 4:00pm-7:00pm

Meet Antonella

Originally from Sicily, Antonella is an adopted Tuscan. As with many born and raised Sicilians, Antonella has always been incredibly passionate about food. A few years ago she decided to turn her passion into her work and Antonella now works as a cooking instructor, professional chef and a food blogger. Antonella lives with her husband and their two daughters in the countryside from May-Oct, it is about 15 minutes from Florence. Antonella and her husband are both very extroverted, easy to talk to and have lots of experience communicating with travelers.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-5 guests) Meet Antonella and her family at their cozy countryside home. You will be welcomed not only by Antonella, but also by her husband - often Antonella's kitchen assistant! Antonella is an incredible host, both warm and professional - she is a professional chef and cooking teacher. As soon as you step foot in their home, they will offer you a classic espresso before you join the family at the dining table for your meal. The table setting will already be impeccable, and your hosts will offer you a prosecco to start (typical of Italian meals) followed by a selection of delicious Tuscan red wines. Antonella's husband is a wine lover and throughout the evening, he will engage you in a talk about the different types of wines in the region. Your menu might include a selection of dishes traditional recipes from Tuscany and Sicily, depending on the menu you choose.

Cooking experience: (2-5 guests) Antonella’s kitchen is the kitchen of a professional chef. She has every single, specialized tool that you could imagine and a drawer with knives that would make any Master Chef jealous. During your cooking lesson you will make a dessert, fresh pasta and main dish all from scratch. When you arrive, the kitchen table will already be set with the ingredients for the first recipe, a dessert. As you begin to put everything together according to Antonella's verbal instructions, she will share with you intriguing tidbits about cooking and baking, such as the difference between types of flours, and which flours are best for making fresh pasta versus cakes. As your dessert cooks, you will start to knead the dough for the fresh pasta. While the dough is left to rest, you will make your main dish, and then go back to roll out the pasta. Throughout it all enjoy Antonella and her husband's teaching and stories while they help to clean and fetch ingredients for your class.

Antonella can offer a Sicilian or a non-pasta Tuscan menu so if you prefer one of these options instead, let her know when making your booking.

Notes: The location for this experience is 15 minutes from Florence, in the countryside, and is only available from May to October. You will need a car to arrive there or a private transfer - it's not possible to arrive by bus and it's difficult to find a taxi. Antonella's experience is child-friendly, so if you are traveling with a family Antonella is happy to host you. Please also note Antonella can offer vegetarian and vegan meals, if you inform her in advance, at the time of booking the experience.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Vegetarian or Vegan: Cecina, a chickpea flour flatbread + Minestrone (seasonal vegetable soup) or Ribollita (a hearty Tuscan winter soup of beans, vegetables and bread) + Eggplant parmigiana, fried eggplant in a rich mozzarella and tomato sauce + Chocolate and ricotta crostata
  • Meat: Tagliatelle with seasonal vegetables + Ravioli with ricotta and lemon zest or mint in tomatoes sauce or chicken with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar + Ricotta tart or panna cotta or tiramisù or biscotti

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
We've seen "the David", mercato centrale, uffizi, the leather shops, luxury shops, the beautiful city of Firenze. Enjoyed meals at all the best restaurants.. By far our favorite experience in Firenze was Antonella's cooking class with dinner. Antonella was the most gracious host. Her demeanor gave us a family like sense of comfort. Her knowledge, professionalism and love of cooking was clearly evident within the first 15 minutes. The food was simply amazing! It's a MUST try. Very highly recommend...we will be back.
- troydp2 October 30, 2023
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $298 $166
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $298 $166
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 4:00pm-7:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.