Tuscan food is celebrated, and for good reason: it is delicious!

Florence is an excellent base for getting into this sort of thing if you are interested in it as it is near so much of the Tuscan countryside and home to a number of great cooking schools.

Being the cheapskates that we are, Jo and I found the least expensive one in town and tried it out. It was so good, I went back again a week later with my lovely companion, Paula.

Tavola is an Italian word that describes a table set with food. By the end of the night, I can see why they named the school as such.

Each night that there are different classes held at the school for different types of dinner: four courses, pizza and gelato, pasta, whatever the chefs feel like putting together.The place is usually swimming with tourists and it makes for an interesting night of conversation as well as delicious food.

Among the dishes we made were salami dulce, ravioli, pizza, focaccia, gelato, biscotti, and risotto. It wasn’t even all about the food as we received tons of information all night as well. It was great to have flour described in detail and really understand it and how to use it.

Remember, no matter what you are cooking, the secret ingredient is always Love. Whether you have the uniquely wonderful privilege of cooking with my friends, or you are going it solo, the human touch, that added immeasurable additive, will make all the difference.

This is why we remember weekend and holiday family dinners with such warmth. This is why dinner parties and barbecues are still favorite activities around the world. This is why homemade salsa creates friends out of strangers, and loved ones out of neighbors. Creating food is one of my favorite ways to show my love for another person; at the most basic level I am literally sustaining their life force; I am giving them life.

Buddha, a lover of food and people himself, said “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.”

Maybe it isn’t as revolutionary an action as some, but I enjoy it and I love to see other people eating and enjoying something that I made. If you are in Tuscany, you could do worse things with your time than take a cooking course. I’m just saying.