A day in the life of a Flavours host...

A native australian but a true Italophile - Jessica is our host in Tuscany at both our Villa Toscana and Villa Maria properties. We asked her to give us the lowdown of a day in the life of a Flavours guide.

6.30 Its always an early start! The day starts with opening up the villa so that the more energetic guests can take an early morning dip while I prepare the breakfast. The all important espresso maker is put to work while I make a fruit salad and bake the croissants. Today, un-surprisingly the weather is beautiful so I set the table on the terrace over-looking the breath-taking views of the Lucca plain. As the first few guests emerge I get busy making the coffee!

9.00 While the guests munch on breakfast I set up the cooking lesson. Today we're making Ravioli, so it's rolling pins at the ready!

10.30 After a leisurely breakfast the cooking begins. This weeks group is a nice mix of ages, there's five people, the youngest Sally (32) is a lawyer from London, while the oldest (early 70s - I don't ask ages) Tony is a retired Maths teacher. Anyway the lessons are always fun with plenty of laughs!

12.00 After the lesson is over I set the table and it's time to eat! There's nothing better than enjoying the fruits of our labour looking out over the stunning Tuscan landscape! Always the favourite part of my day!

2.00 With a full belly we head out to Lucca for a day of sightseeing. Lucca is a lovely medieval town which never feels too touristy. There's some stunning shops and plenty of chances to while away the hours people watching in one of the many pavement cafes. After flashing the cash on some new Italian boots (a girl can never have too many) I go to meet the rest of the group by the famous Piazzo Antiteatro.

8.00 With the whole group accounted for we set off for dinner at 'Ammodonostro' - which translates to 'In our own way.' It's a great little restaurant that takes classic Tuscan dishes presenting them in a contemporary way.

10.30 We head back to the villa with our driver Nicola. Some of the group fancy a quick nightcap, so I get the Vin Santo out. Not that I mind! It's a lovely way to end the day, unwinding and chatting looking out over the unspoilt landscape of the Lucca plain.

11.00 After making some early preparations for breakfast it's definitely time for bed! Buona Notte!

While you're waiting for our new brochure for Italian Cookery Holidays...

While you're waiting for our new brochure to arrive from the printers, why not flick through our current one. It's full of plenty Italian inspiration!

Olive harvest time!

In most Mediterranean areas of Italy, olives are normally harvested in the months of November, December and January. But in Tuscany, where cooler valleys are sometimes hit by early frosts, the harvest can begin as early as the end of September.

This early harvest means that the fruit is less ripe when it comes off the vine producing less oil, making Tuscan olive oils a bit more hard to come by than others. The less ripe olives also account for the prized peppery taste of olive oil from Tuscany. This autumnal harvest time is one of the best seasons to visit Tuscany – there are even parties thrown to honour it!

Olives are to this day picked by hand, and they are combed from the tree branches with a long instrument that resembles a giant pair of scissors. This old method, known as Brucatura, provides the best fruit as machines tend to bruise the fruit which has a direct impact on the taste. In Tuscany, the olives are always picked by hand, for proud Tuscans it would be a crime even to use one sub-standard Olive as this can effect the taste of the whole barrel!

As you can imagine, olive harvesting is difficult work. Usually, the entire family, and often their friends, are called upon to pitch in with the farm workers for the harvest. The olives are always picked when green and timing is hugely important. Once the fruit is off the trees, it must be rushed to the press in order to avoid the fruit spoiling. Fermentation becomes an issue once the olives are picked. So, it is on to the presses as quickly as possible.

Each olive is about 20 percent oil, so it takes a huge number of olives to produce a litre of oil – normally about 200! However, with the finer and more expensive oils, it sometimes takes the fruit of an entire tree to produce a litre.

In Tuscany, as in most of Italy, the olives are pressed at a communal mill which is called a Frantoio. At the frantoio, many growers bring their olives to be pressed, but each grower is proud of his olives and comes along with them to the mill, to be sure that only his harvest goes into the pressing. A centuries old tradition still very much alive and well in rural Tuscany!

Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays at two venues in Tuscany, Villa Maria (close to Florence) and Villa Segalato (close to Lucca). Flavours also offer Pilates and Painting holidays in Tuscany.

For more details visit www.flavoursholidays.co.uk

Autunno, autumn in Tuscany

Autumn is when you can find the most rich flavours in Italy. The intense heat of July and August finally lets up leaving us with vegetables that taste of the golden sunshine and lucious green landscape of this famous region.

This is a time to enjoy the famous truffles and drink local red wines - perhaps while sitting on a terrace watching the landscape change with the leaves from emerald green through burning red and finally to yellow. In Autumn Italy slows down, la dolce vita takes a different pace and before you know it you've been tricked into winter.

We recommend spening an afternoon driving the meandering roads until you come across a restaurant specialising in porcini mushrooms. During autumn the porcini are predominantly local, or "nostrali" in Tuscany. Rainfall, temperature and exposure of the sun are the main factors effecting the growth of mushrooms in the forests, so it's always better to ask if it's been a good year.


Why not explore the forests and hills of Tuscany when the olive groves and vine yards are buzzing with activity and laden for harvest. The autumn food in Tuscany retains the warmth of the summer - it's a perfect time to have a cooking renaissance!


Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays at two venues in Tuscany, Villa Maria (close to Florence) and Villa Segalato (close to Lucca). Flavours also offer Pilates and Painting holidays in Tuscany.

For more details visit www.flavoursholidays.co.uk

Economy Gastronomy

Has anyone seen the BBC's newest foodie show Economy Gastronomy? Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett - top London chefs are set the unenviable task of devising a system to slash our food bills and eat better than we've ever done before. It seems as a nation we have become obsessed with labels and branding on food - is splashing out on expensive ingredients really a short cut to delicious results?

The Italians would say no! Italian cooking is about simple good quality ingredients cooked with passion. I'm often amazed when I go to Italy how few ingredients are in the most amazing dishes - take Simone's (our chef in Tuscany) tomato and basil sauce - all you need is good quality Italian olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh basil - it's hardly going to break the bank, but you would be amazed a the depth and richness of flavour.

The secret is seasonality. Of course basil picked metres from the kitchen window is going to taste better than the shrink wrapped variety 'fresh' off a 14 hour flight from South Africa (which is now staring at you from the refrigeration cabinet). If you follow the seasons your cooking will be cheaper and tastier, plus by restricting yourself to key local produce you'll become more creative in the kitchen!Our Italian cooking holidays are all about respecting where food comes from the way that Italians do. The credit crunch has taught us a lot about how we spend our money, lets start to look at how we cook our food.

Why not try your hand at Italian style credit crunch cooking in Italy itself - Flavours offer cooking holidays in Sicily, Tuscany, Bologna and Puglia

You can catch Economy Gastronomy on BBC2 on Tuesday at 19:00 (GMT)

Why not treat yourself to a cooking holiday in Florence...

We just wanted to let you all know that we only have a few spaces left on our Florence cooking holiday, which departs on the 29th August - 5th September. A Flavours Cookery vacation in Florence includes an afternoon of wine tasting and a full days visit to the fascinating and beautiful city of Florence.

If you're curious about the types of dishes you'll be creating during your stay with us at our Italian Cookery School in Florence, then why not have a look at our selection of sample recipes. To find out what dates are available visit our dates and prices section. This is just a taster of the types of things you will be up to...

Saturday

Upon arrival at Pisa airport you will be met by our Flavours driver who will transfer you to Villa Maria, which is situated midway between the delightful towns of Lucca and Florence. At the villa you will enjoy a Slow Food tasting session followed by dinner.

Sunday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch. After lunch take we will go for a short walk to San Miniato followed by wine tasting which is just twenty minutes away in our private bus.

Monday

After breakfast we will have a cookery lesson, followed by lunch. The afternoon will be at your leisure to sit by the pool or to take in the spectacular surrounding countryside.

Tuesday

After breakfast we will leave for a day sightseeing in Florence. We will meet for lunch at Fiaschetteria Palle d'Oro - imagine Slow Food/Fast Food, a unique Tuscan experience! Dinner will be served back at the Villa.

Wednesday

After breakfast we will have a cookery lesson, followed by lunch. The afternoon will be at your leisure to relax by the pool or explore the surroundings!

Thursday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch. This afternoon we head to San Gimignano - a city of ancient towers an a lovely place to while away the afternoon. We stay in San Gimignano for dinner before returning to the villa.

Friday

After breakfast cookery lesson followed by lunch, then a chance to relax at the villa dfor the afternoon before dinner.

Saturday

After breakfast transfer to the airport for return flight to the UK.

If you like the sound of a Flavours cookery course near Florence then why not order our brochure - or call us in the office on 0800 612 6477, and we can answer any questions you may have!

Images from our Fringe Apron Exhibition

We're so excited...our apron exhibition is finally open! Already we've had so many visitors with plentty of their own apron memories. If you are visiting the Edinburgh Fringe this year, pop in and see us.

We're open from 10 - 5 everyday (closed Sunday). You can find us on 63 Raeburn Place in Edinburgh's Stockbridge. We have some beautiful examples of vintage aprons as well as original takes on apron design from local textile talent!