Proof is in the Pasta Sauce
“Angie! Angie!!” bellowed the short, compact man in front of us, adorned in his cooking whites, surrounded by the tools of his trade. Chef Paulo Monti beckoned his assistant without so much as a second thought, while continuing on with our Tuscan cooking lesson. Ten expectant and curious pairs of eyes eagerly awaited his next instruction as we peered over each other’s shoulders to catch a view of the next tip or trick our wise leader would share. Angie, the meek mannered yet agile assistant, raced between our counter and the kitchen 40 feet away, keeping the dishes clean, the food supplies stocked and setting up all sorts of Italian cooking gadgets and utensils. CucinaItaliana , run in the back of a quaint hotel restaurant in the outskirts of Lucca, offers cooking classes that range from half day marathons (as was our adventure) to 7-day treks involving examination of ingredients...