We invite you not only into our pots and pans, but most of all to share our culture and experience
Our love story began at passport control in Peru more than 20 years ago. Mauro, born in Italy, and Tze’ela, from Israel, connected in what initially seemed like a sweet and short holiday romance.
Well, it was sweet, but it certainly wasn’t short! Here we are, three kids later, with an intense passion for two things: cooking and hosting. We could never choose what we loved more, so instead, we continue doing both, pouring our heart and soul into each.
Today, people come to us from around the world to enjoy the dinners that accompany our cooking classes. These dinners are at the core of what we do: each time is a new experience that reinvigorates us and fills us with joy. We love meeting new people, exchanging ideas over wine, and dining on dish after dish in a feast that we cooked together with new friends, who we spent hours getting to know.
This incredible dinner experience together is a real pleasure for us: the fantastic Lucca food and wine is just a wonderful bonus! This is how we have come to enjoy friends from all over the world; friends who come to visit us often, friends who we love and cherish – all the result of a few hours of rolling pasta, baking bread, and sipping roses together. Whether it be our :half day or multiple days cooking classes in Italy or our virtual and zoom cooking classes, every opportunity to teach, share and connect has opened our hearts to a world of experiences.
We believe that cultural and linguistic differences are a source of human enrichment when shared and embody that by living a Tuscan lifestyle, infused with the joyful personalities of all those we have met along the way.
Mauro spends hours in the kitchen experimenting, while Tze’ela is typically exploring the local market or down on the farm! She loves discovering new ingredients, learning about them, and enjoying them. When not sourcing food, she can be found documenting her culinary journeys on video.
Who cooks at home? Tze’ela makes quick, local dinners for the family, while Mauro constantly works on pasta dough and baking up cakes for 4:00 PM tea time! Our kids? They love to bake cookies at every opportunity… and have been known to burn an omelet or two!
