The Insider's Tuscany, May 2024

What comes to mind when you think of Tuscany? Perhaps the art and architecture of Florence and Siena, icons like the leaning tower of Pisa and Michelangelo's David, the verdant landscape of Chianti.

Whatever your vision of Tuscany is, your actual experience of Tuscany will be far more than this if you join us in Tuscany & Beyond in May 2024.

We created this tour with a very clear mission: to offer a small group of food lovers the unique opportunity to explore out-of-the-way, less-traveled destinations in Tuscany, where they’re not likely to go on their own, AND include visits to nearby Umbria and the Marches, neighboring regions that have as much to offer as Tuscany yet draw fewer tourists.

We’ll dine in Arezzo, where scenes from Roberto Benigni’s Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful were filmed; taste wines at a fourteenth-century cantina in Montepulciano; meet a small batch olive oil producer in the hills above Anghiari; discover a tiny jewel of a town in the Marches, where just 30 people make their home today and the landscape has remained unchanged since medieval times; walk the flower-bedecked streets of Spello and the majestic piazzas of Gubbio in Umbria; and learn how one of Italy’s greatest culinary treasures is crafted on an exclusive tour of a Prosciutto factory in Carpegna.

Above: Get an insider's visit to see how Prosciutto is made on our Tuscany & Beyond tour.

Even if you’ve already been to Tuscany, this is not the Tuscany you might be imagining, and it certainly isn’t the Tuscany you may have already visited. This is the other Tuscany—the insider’s Tuscany.

Join us from May 12 to 18, 2024 to explore Tuscany & Beyond on an unforgettable culinary tour. Stay with us in a fifteenth-century villa where we’ll learn to bake sourdough bread in a wood burning oven, swim in the infinity pool surrounded by olive groves, and stroll in the lush woods of the estate. We’ll cook together every morning and enjoy our lunch al fresco before heading out to discover medieval towns, learn from local food artisans, and dine at the region’s best tables.  

If you want to live like a Tuscan for a week, call us at 347 566 2212 or email us to reserve your spot before the tour sells out. Curious what our tours are like? Watch a quick video from a recent Tuscany & Beyond Tour !

TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS 2024

• Liguria: Splendors of the Italian Riviera    May 5-11, 2024; September 1-7, 2024
• Tuscany & Beyond  May 12-18, 2024; October 13-19, 2024
• Puglia & Beyond   September 22-28, 2024
• Sicily & Beyond  October 2-10, 2024

What Our Clients Are Saying

“We want to thank you so much for the absolutely wonderful Tuscany Culinary Tour - Nick and I enjoyed it immensely!  Beyond the obvious - beautifully scenic locations and mouth watering food -  your well-planned organization, teaching methods, and gracious hospitality really made the whole week a memorable experience.” Mary C. And Nick S., Boulder, CO, Tuscany & Beyond Tour 2023

“I want to thank you for such an amazing and unforgettable tour. I learned so much and visited so many unique and beautiful places. You are both so kind and caring, making sure everyone was involved and having a good time. The food was amazing, both what we cooked and at the restaurants. The agritourisms are beautiful and our group was awesome. I can't thank you enough for an unforgettable experience.” Adrienne T., Roseland, NJ, Sicily & Calabria Tour 2023

Drunken Chicken with Fennel

This is an ideal recipe for blustery autumn evenings, when comfort food is called for. The key to success with this recipe is two-fold: an overnight marinade tenderizes the chicken and imbues it with deep flavor; and a generous dose of wine deglazes the pan to produce an immensely satisfying sauce. Leftovers are delicious shredded and served with freshly boiled pasta.

Serves 2 as a main course

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 375 grams or 13 ounces)
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon coarsely crushed fennel seeds
For the sauce:
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon coarsely crushed fennel seeds
60 grams (2 ounces) yellow onion, thinly sliced
150 grams (5 ounces) fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
125 milliliters (1/2 cup) dry white wine
 250 milliliters (1 cup) chicken stock or water
To serve:
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon minced garlic

1. Make the chicken: Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, and fennel seeds for 12 hours (or up to 2 days) in the refrigerator.
2. Make the sauce: Heat a skillet over a medium-high flame. Add 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) of the olive oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Add the chicken to the skillet with the pretty side facing down. Cook until it is golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
4. If any bits in the skillet darkened too much, wipe out the skillet. Pour in the remaining 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) of olive oil.
5. Add the garlic and fennel seeds to the olive oil in the pan. Cook 30 seconds or so, just until aromatic and soft. Do not allow the garlic to burn or it will taste bitter.
6. Stir in the onion. Cook until the onion softens and takes on a warm, golden color, about 5 minutes. If it sticks to the skillet, pour in a touch of water.
7. Add the fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, about 5 minutes, or until the fennel softens.
8. Uncover the skillet. Return the chicken to the skillet, with the pretty side up this time.
9. Pour in the wine. Cook until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes.
10. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
11. Cover the skillet. Simmer 20 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender. If needed, uncover the skillet in the last few minutes and cook over medium-high heat to reduce the sauce to a coating consistency.
12. To serve: Sprinkle the chicken with the rosemary and garlic. Serve hot.