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Magici Sapori - Tuscan and Italian Cookery School

Via Pergolesi, 10 - 50144 Firenze - Italy

tel. +39-0553246746    fax +39-0553246745    Skype: magici.sapori

Selina Altomonte learns to cook authentic Italian food, the hard way, and develops a taste for meat.

 

LIKE MAMA USED TO MAKE

 

MOST of us who have flipped through the River Cafe Cookbook – or who've thrown tomato, garlic, wine and pasta together – think we've mastered the art of Italian cuisine. But at Magici Sapori (Magic Flavours), a Florentine scuola di cucina, this smug home chef has learned her lesson.

Having enrolled for a month of Italian lessons, my fiance and I decide that a cooking class is the perfect way to beef up our Italian and maybe pick up a few culinary tips. On arrival, we're greeted by owners Beppe (Giuseppe) and Sandra Castri, the food-obsessed Italian parents you never had, and their beaming translator, Claudia. The secret to Tuscan cuisine, they confide, is "la semplicita e la genuinita degli ingredienti", meaning that an entire repertoire of dishes with diverse flavours has been created from the same simple ingredients of bread, aromatic herbs, olive oil and vegetables.

In fact, some of the most common recipes, such as panzanella Toscana, a bread and vegetable salad, and acquacotta maremmana, a hearty soup, originated from a need to use stale bread and leftovers. Even the liquor-drenched dessert zuppa Inglese was first made from the remnants of afternoon tea left by Florence's early British population.

We're given aprons and recipes, and, despite my lousy Italian, it doesn't take much to figure out that another of Tuscany's staple ingredients is minced meat, appearing twice on tonight's menu. Trying not to panic, and wondering why this hadn't occurred to me earlier, I decide now is the best time to pipe up that I'm vegetarian. In response, Beppe asks how I feel about chicken pollo alla Fiorentina is on next week's agenda. (That week he will also put to shame my prized spaghetti alle vongole recipe.) I insist that I'm still eager to give everything a try.

The first thing we learn are the two cardinal rules: only use extra virgin olive oil, and only cook with wine that you would drink with the meal. I cringe at the memory of my handy cask of cooking red back home. After kneading almonds into dough for a snack of biscotti di prato, we start with ragu di carne Toscano, which we'll later use for lasagne. As the ingredients are laid out, my heart sinks as I realise we're making spag bol. Except this version is cooked for four hours and requires constant, loving ladles of fresh broth to infuse the mince with flavour.

We expect to be set to work chopping tomatoes for the sauce, but Claudia explains that Tuscans traditionally use paste and many families, including hers, still make their own from scratch. Content to stick with food and wine appreciation instead of a technical lesson, we get to work on the vino instead.

As we prepare each course, there are more tastings, more wines, and stories of the French stealing Florentine recipes for bechamel sauce and crepes. Finally, we start with crostini di polenta, grilled polenta cakes with succulent fresh porcini mushrooms, and intoxicated by the aromas and the three glasses of wine I've managed to sip, I accept the tiniest spoonful of ragu. Minutes later, I devour an entire slice of the best lasagna I've had, and almost kill my partner for trying to steal one of my meatballs in rocket sauce.

After a dessert of panna cotta with flambe chestnuts, Beppe reveals he's as keen on magic as on flavours and impresses everyone one more time by appearing to burn a hole in my favourite scarf. Close to midnight, we stumble home with scarf intact, bellies close to bursting, and I insist on cooking ragu two days later.

Selina Altomonte

Australia's national daily newspaper - February 18th 2006

Dear Giuseppe and Sandra,

Thank you. A million thanks. My daughter said our lessons with you were the highlight of her first trip to Europe. High praise indeed from a 13 year old. I trust you know how wonderful your school is. But does everyone else? Just in case they don't know what awaits them at Magici Sapori, excuse me while I speak directly to them.

From the most experienced professional chef to the novice who hasn't mastered how to boil water, I recommend Magici Sapori with the greatest confidence that your experince will indeed be magical. You will learn not only how to prepare dishes both complicated and simple, but you will discover the reasons, both practical and scientific, that make them delicious. Therefore, even if a dish seems simple -- perhaps one you've made 1,000 times or one that requires only three or four ingredients -- do not hesitate to have Giuseppe show you how to prepare it. Why? I thought I knew a lot about cooking as well as the reasons and methods behind a recipe's directions. I knew nothing.

Two minutes into my first lesson, I knew I had spent my money wisely. Every few minutes I was grabbing a pen to write another secret that made me smack my head and mutter, "Of course!" I'm too selfish to share the two dozen or so secrets I picked up in only two lessons at Magici Sapori, but let's just say that I would have gladly bribed Giuseppe the same amount of money for three of the secrets what I paid him for the pair of seven-course meals worthy of five stars. Meals, no matter how sublime, come and go. Cooking secrets last forever.

I'm a bit of a nerd who likes to know the why behind the how. So is Giuseppe, and that's why I really fell in love with Magici Sapori. He is a culinary history buff who charmed the staff at the National Library in Florence into dusting off ancient books containing centuries-old Tuscan recipes. With Giuseppe's extensive research into the history of Tuscan cooking and his natural talent as a teacher, the lessons become your doorway into the rich culture that created them. A most delicious history lesson. Think Harvard with excellent food and wine. Lots of wine. And lots of laughter. I don't know how other cooking schools operate, but having experienced the magic of Magici Sapori, I'm in no rush to find out. Food. Secrets. Wine. Magic. Culture. History. It's no wonder my daughter and I slept for 12 hours after our first lesson.

Kudos also to Giuseppe's elegant wife Sandra, a lovely woman whose warm and charming presence in the state-of-the-art stainless steel kitchen brings a touch of home to the experience. Adding to the fun -- especially when they gently disagree -- is Giuseppe's translator, a beautiful young woman named Claudia whose own culinary knowledge is impressive. By the end of the lesson, you feel as if you've met relatives you never knew you had but always longed for. If you're even half as charming to this wonderful trio as they will no doubt be towards you, they may share some of the secrets that their experience, studies, and ancestors have bestowed on them. Be warned, though. You pay for the lessons ... and the fantastic meal that results from those lessons. The secrets, however, are a gift.

I only have one complaint. I am not the executive producer of the Food Channel. If I were, I would sign up this magical trio, produce their cooking show on cable, and collect the royalties. Then my daughter Anna and I can take all the lessons we want from Giuseppe and Sandra. We love you,

Lisa McCormack and Anna Gencarelli                  15/06/2006

Dear Giuseppe,

 

We would like to thank you for teaching us so many wonderful things in the cooking classes this past October.

And to ask you to do it again!  More intensively!!

In April 2007, F. and I want to organize a week of culinary activities.

We are very excited about this new opportunity, and are looking forward to hearing back from you soon.

 

Regards, Lynn

03/12/2006

I enjoyed meeting and spending time with you learning about your incredible cuisine...  I miss being there every morning...  I hope we can get together again in Florence or in California...  Maybe we can organize a group class in California during the Autumn...

Thank you for teaching me so many incredible recipes.!  I have been practicing many of them already:  Peposo, Anatra  all' arancia, Melanzane a la vinaigrette, Lasagne con Ragu di carne, Crespelle alla Fiorentina, Crespelle di funghi e di asparagus...

I now have a much better appreciation for the Cucina Toscana and its origin and history. I wish I could have stayed longer...

Attached please find some photographs that I took of the ingredients, Maestro and its team.

Warm regards,

Ed. T.                                                                                                                          26/03/2006

L. and I would like to thank you so much for the wonderful cooking experience that we had at your school.  We were there right after Easter.

The food was delicious and your hospitality was excellent and heartwarming.

We talk about all of you and how much fun we had.  L. has tried out some of the recipes and we are eating well.

Arivederci for now.  Hope to see you soon.   Molto Grazie!!!

L., C., G. & A. L.                                             01/05/2006

Caro Giuseppe,

Mille grazie ,era troppo gentile  di portare le mie cose a  la scuola. Le due sere nella vostra scuola erano indimenticabile esperienze per me. Tutte i due menu con i vini, che hai fatto con noi erano meravigliose.

Qui a Danimarca ho fatto involtini di vitello alla fiorentina e melanzane marinata per mia famiglia.

Spero che ci vediamo.Ho voglia di ancora andara nella vostra scuola di cucina.

Tanti cordiali saluti a voi tutti.

I. G.                                                                                                    23/05/2006

Dear Giuseppe and Sandra:

I want you all to know how much I loved going to you cookery school.  The food was so good.  I already made the Tuscan meat sauce and Lasagna.  I made the yoghurt cake too but it didn't come out to well.  My oven is conventional but I will keep experimenting.  I think I will buy a convection oven.  Meeting the three of you was the best, though.  Sandra, thank you for taking me to the grocery store.  It was very thoughtful of you and I

appreciated it.  D. liked getting to eat the food and especially the drinking with Giuseppe.  And Claudia, I really enjoyed you.  Please come visit, all of you, if you ever get to West Texas.  I mean it.

Thank you all so much for everything.  I emailed Michael, the travel agent who contacted you for me, and let him know how good your shcool is so he can recommend it to others.

I miss you all,

D. & D.                                                           05/06/2006

Hello Mr Giuseppe and Mrs Sandra,

I just wanted to thank you on behalf of my entire group for the incredible cooking class at Scuola di Cucina -  Magici Sapori! Though we are all experienced cooks, we each felt that we learned several valuable tips while cooking with you! We loved the recipes you shared with us and treasure the book you provided for us to take home.  Your is incredibly clean, modern, and beautiful, and we really enjoyed the time with you and your wife and also with Claudia. Not only did we learn to cook Florentine, but we feel that we made new friends!

Certainly the cooking, the eating, the drinking such wonderful wines was well worth the money paid but best of all was the time with you and the magic of your company. We all agreed that  cooking with you was our very favorite experience for the whole two weeks we spent in Italy!

 

 

July 19th 2007

Thank you again for our class. Should you and your wife ever be in Austin Texas, please call me. We would happily host you for a few days and treat you to our regional specialties!

                                                                                                                   Sincerely, Liz R.

Hi Guiseppe and Sandra,

It did get the recipe and I will also thank you for a very good, nice and fun cooking class!

I had in very enthusiastic words described for my colleagues at work and my friends about you and I told them this a perfect thing to do when you are visiting Florence.

Even if you just take a "long weekend" you can use one evening to this and I had actually got some friends that became vey intrested...special when I told them that they don't have the pressure of actually cooking (if they don't want to)... they could just sit and watch you preparing the meal, having a glass of vine and writing down the tip that you're giving during the preparation.

So they said "I'm in next time you'll go there"...so I might arrange one myself :-)

All the best to you all and I hope to see you soon again!  Kind regards,

Eva                                          20/05/2007

Dear Giuseppe and Sandra,

Have finally gotten around to say thankyou so very much for an absolutely wonderful day of cooking. Julia, Alana and I have not stopped talking about the day we spent with you.

Not only did we learn so much in the culinary delights of Tuscany we spent time with two lovely people that made the whole experience unforgettable.

We have already cooked some of the recipes that we chose from that day and we think of you all when we sit down to eat.

John and Andrew both loved the food we took back to them especially the Tiramisu.

From the preparation to the cooking, to the eating and tasting of the specially selected wines the day was a truly unforgettable one for both my daughters and I. We will definitely be coming back for more.

Cannot recommend the experience more highly.  Thankyou

Deborah, Julia and Alana C.                    21/08/2007

Giuseppe y Sandra “Magici Sapori”

Muchas gracias por compartir sus secretos de cocina!!! 

Fue una experiencia maravillosa haber compartido con ustedes un sábado tan especial entre sabores, gustos, colores y olores!!!!

Gracias por la profesionalidad, el empeño, el gusto, y el afecto que se recibe en "Magici sapori".

Durante un tiempo cuando estaba en Guatemala, almorzaba al menos 3 veces a la semana con mi abuelita.  Siempre me preparaba un pedazo de pollo y una ensalada de tomate... y era un sabor tan especial... un día le dije...

Abuelita, usted siempre me prepara la misma cosa... y siempre lo disfruto tanto... que le echa… ella me contesto...  Mucho amor, y eso hace la diferencia.

Me parece que ustedes dos, usan ese mismo ingrediente, "el amor"  y eso hace la diferencia!

MUCHAS, MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!!!

Hivy                                                                                                27/02/2006

Cara Giuseppe e Sandrina,

Ho avuto un esperienza memorabile. Mi ho divertito molto. Lo hanno fatto piacevole. Mentre tutti mia vita, ho avuto una lezione solamente, molto anni fa. Era molto noioso, perche non ne ho imparato niente. Mi piace cucinare e cucinavo molto.

Mi sono piaciuto tutti gli ottimi piatti. E tutti miei sensi hanno stimolerato. Vorrei ritornare.

Grazie mille!!

Lydia M. T.                                                                                                                    14/07/2007

Dear Giuseppe and Sandra,

 Thank you for a wonderful experience for our family.  We left your cooking school with beaming faces, full stomachs and newfound friends!

 I hope you enjoy these pictures.

 Kind regards,

        Kirsten D.H.                                                                                                   16/04/2007

Cari cuochi,

mi ricordi affetuosamente e con molta gratitudine le meravigliose classi di cucina a Magici Sapori / Firenze nel mese di luglio 2006. Quando sono ritornata agli Stati Uniti ho cucinato per i miei amici. Amano le ricette che hanno dato a me.

Quest'anno, mia figlia Christina ed io ritorneremo in Italia. Siamo a Firenze il mese di Giugno. Sarò possible di prendere ancora classi di cucina per noi?

 Maria W.                                                                                             09/05/2007

Ciao a tutti!

Mi dispiace per il mio italiano. Ho fatto il tuo corso di cucina un anno fa. Buonissimo!! Il mio nome e Leelah S.

Adesso io studio in L'accademia di belle arti in Firenze. Io e la mia amica (Yolanda J.) vuole fare ancora questo corso.

Grazie Mille!!

Leelah                                                                                                                                 09/11/2006