Cooking Class: Colorful Pasta in Florence

Florence, to quote Stendhal, has a "subtle beauty". The city itself is an open-air museum, rich in architectural masterpieces and works of art that are unique in the world. Here in the heart of this historical city in a street of ancient buildings located within where once stood the ancient medieval walls, and where you can experience the flavor of ancient Florentine history, we meet Donatella, our Florentine Cesarina DOC.  Donatella studied art and architecture and she likes to experiment with different artistic techniques, from papier-mâché to ceramics, as well as applying her hand to making pasta dough in the kitchen. This last passion she shares with her husband and children, with whom she loves making homemade pasta, a perfect way to teach culinary art while having fun. At Donatella’s, there is always a festive feeling and the typical flavors of Tuscan cuisine.  Her dishes, from pezzole to carabaccia di Caterina de' Medici, are recipes which have made French cuisine famous the world over but that actually originated in Italy, specifically in Florence and the Medici court. Along with the fork, Caterina de' Medici brought recipes with her to Paris that would eventually become the macarons, omelette, crepes, the "francesina", soupe d'oignons and the bigné. At Donatella’s table, we can relive the history of the dishes that traveled from Florence to Paris, as well as enjoy the pleasure of tasting them.