[ Press release ] November 21, 2004 - THE SUNDAY TIMES Anyone who knows Venice also knows that the best food isn't to be found in its overpriced restaurants, but in people's homes. « A new three-day cookery course aims to let you into the secrets of Venetian cuisine, with a visit to the Rialto market, then a daily cookery class followed by lunch, conducted and consumed in an 18th-century palazzo. Italian Cooking Secrets (00 39 333 158 8491, www.fineitalianrentals.com) is run by cousins and television chefs Alessandra and Francesca. The classes are in English and cost about £300 (excluding accommodation; lodging is available in the instructors' homes). » Read more... September 05, 2004 - THE SUNDAY TIMES Beat those September blues with a final shot of sunshine Summer isn't over yet - the Med is just reaching its warm and wonderful best. Rob Ryan has 15 weekend treats to help you savour the season «... a snack-sized taste of one of Europe's great landscapes, with an afternoon cookery lesson thrown in. You'll be preparing crostini, bruschetta, home-made pasta and spezzatino with herbs, and combining whatever is on sale at the local market with some of the finest olive oil in the world. The latter is made by Franco Lombardi, whose daughter Daniela owns the hotel and takes the class ...» «... the Villa di Capo-vento (0870 429 2024, www.fineitalianrentals.com), a small hotel with just six bedrooms, is 1 miles from Castellina, in Chianti. On the cookery course (minimum two people), you not only get to make classic Tuscan dishes, but eat them afterwards ...» Read more...