Cucina Giuseppina - Italian Cooking Family — Attraction in Certaldo

We thoroughly enjoyed our cooking class with Giuseppina and Antonella. The flow of the class was very natural. Our menu included: Fried Artichoke, Pici with fresh tomato sauce, Pork tenderloin, and Tiramisu. We started with Tiramisu to let it set for our dessert. Then chopped the ingredients for the dry marinade for the pork loin. We rolled the pork loin in the marinade and put it in the refrigerator to set. Then we made the pasta (pici) to let it set for a time before we rolled it out and cooked it. Then we chopped a fresh artichoke to make fried artichoke antipasti, which was amazing. That was a real treat. Once we finished our Antipasti, it was time to cut and roll the pasta. And, after that we started the fresh tomato sauce. We chopped the garlic and sliced the tomatoes and added fresh basil leaves. Giuseppina was very good at explaining every detail. She explained how it is important to start the olive oil and garlic together and not cook it on high, but on medium so that the oil won’t burn. Then we added the tomatoes, basil and some salt to the garlic and oil. We also cooked the pici and added it to the sauce once it was ready. We took another break so that we could have our pasta and some wine. After we ate the pasta, Giuseppina pulled out the pork loin. She cut the pork into medallions for cooking. We went back to the stove and using a little oil and wine we cooked the pork until it was perfect. It was really so delicious and tender. “Incredible”!! Each of the dishes we prepared required simple ingredients, but they were so fresh and delicious, it was really eye opening that you can make such a beautiful meal with fresh ingredients so quickly. We loved meeting and spending time with Giuseppina and her assistant, Antonella. It was a highlight of our trip...

We booked the Truffle Hunting + Lunch package and I'm not exaggerating when I say I would give it 6+ stars out of 5 if I could. We were the only ones that booked that day, so it really was like a private show just for us. It was a lot of fun watching Luigi work together with the cutest dog & find truffles for us. He also always made sure we saw the whole procedure of the dog finding & digging out the truffle. The walk in the forest was really nice and not strenous at all.

After that we followed Luca on his Vespa to a medieval town which is truly a hidden gem with amazing sights. There, we met his mom Giuseppina in the cutest kitchen ever. We were greeted warmly with a nicely set table. The ambiente was pretty much exactly one would imagine having a perfect italian lunch in. Then came the food - prepared by Giuseppina and Luca right in front of us. We were having such great conversations with them during the whole lunch, which made us feel like we're eating at home with our family or friends. There was not a second of awkward silence. And don't get me started on the food - it was homestyle cooking made with lots of love for the products and the recipes. The flavors & combinations could belong in a michelin star restaurant. It was one of the best (if not the best) meals we've had in Italy. I don't really have a sweet tooth but I just simply couldn't get enough of the Tiramisu.

All in all we had a fantastic experience that we will for sure remember for a lifetime. It's the very first spot we're returning to if we ever visit Tuscany again. Must visit and worth every...

On a recent trip to Tuscany we had the pleaseure of spending a couple of days with the beautiful family from Cucina Guiseppina.

We spent a wonderful day with Guiseppina and Antonella in their incredible Cooking School (see my previous review) which was absolutely awesome and one of the highlights of your trip. We really can't recommend this experience highly enough - it was fantastic!

We spent another day with Luigi, Luca, Simone and Riccio on thier Truffle Hunt. This day was equally as incredible. What an experience, made even more special by the beautiful family that makes you feel so special and welcome. Riccio is such a funny, clever dog, and very good at his job, which you can see he absolutely loves! Experiencing first hand how the truffles are found and collected is something I will never forget.

We then went and shared a delicious meal that Simone prepared for us, overlooking the families farm. The food was incredibly delicious, and many of the items were topped with some shaved truffle from our mornings hunt.

The whole family is very welcoming, kind and generous (and funny) which creates a whole experience that makes you want to stay and spend more time with them. It was very sad to leave, but I know we will be back one day and share your beautiful experiences and food with you once again.

Glenn and I cannot thank you enough. Lyn (Lina) and Glenn Russell (Twin Waters, Sunshine...