Some reunions happen by design, others by surprise. During The Chopping Block’s recent Cook Like a Tuscan tours with Onward Travel, both kinds unfolded in the heart of Italy - and reminded me how food has a way of connecting people across time, distance, and continents.
Before the first pasta was rolled or the first cork popped, Rose spotted a familiar face while our travelers waited for the Florence walking tour to begin. She and Miguel had cooked side by side in Culinary Boot Camp back in October 2022, partnered for their final meal. They hadn’t seen each other since - until Tuscany. Recognition came slowly, then joyfully. From that moment on, they were inseparable in the kitchen and often documented in photos by Miguel's wife, Cindy. They were the first to volunteer at every hands-on class, laughing and chopping like no time had passed at all.
Miguel & Rose at Culinary Boot Camp in October 2022
Miguel & Rose at Cook Like a Tuscan
Rose’s joy reached new heights when she met Dario Cecchini, the world-famous butcher of Panzano.
Dario Cecchini
Our group stayed just down the hill from his shop, in a villa surrounded by the beautiful Fontodi vineyards.
The view from our villa
Before a butchery lesson and a meal that could only be described as a carnivore’s dream, Chef Paula surprised Rose with a Dario pin, and she cried happy tears. That afternoon, we ate our weight in meat and shared stories around the long farmhouse table until every last espresso was poured.
Each day offered a new flavor of Tuscany. We witnessed olive harvesting and tasted the vibrant, just-pressed 2025 olive oil during the second week. We cooked fresh pasta at the historic Badia a Coltibuono, a centuries-old abbey that radiates culinary history. We carry their beautiful Chianti Classico in The Chopping Block's wine shop!
Stephanie uses a chitarra to make pasta
We toured the medieval streets of Siena, tasted Brunello in Montalcino, and visited a small winery called Alterio - owned by a husband-and-wife team who are longtime friends of Onward Travel. They welcomed us like family, served homemade food and excellent wine, and introduced us to their sweet dog who happily joined the lunch festivities.
We explored beyond food, too - watching an artisan in Impruneta shape clay into the region’s famous terracotta by hand, an art form passed down through generations.
And one afternoon, the travelers soaked in natural thermal baths with the Tuscan hills all around them, the perfect way to unwind between wine tastings and cooking classes.
Our travelers cooked side by side with Chefs Mirella and Stefano, learning the hearty, comforting peasant cuisine of Tuscany, then elevated their skills in a fine-dining class with another Chef Stefano.
Chefs Mirella & Stefano
Ron, Chef Stefano & Jorge
The villa kitchen buzzed with energy - rolling gnocchi, whisking sauces, and sharing laughter over flour-dusted counters.
During our laughter-filled dinners around that long wooden table in the dining room, it felt less like a group of travelers and more like a family.
The first group included one of our most inspiring travelers: 91-year-old Marion Bardman, a longtime friend of Onward Travel.
Me and Marion
Marion traveled solo but was reunited with Bob, Pauline (who’s like a daughter to her), and their friend Jeannie.
Jeannie, Pauline & Bob
Couples Ron and Val, and Marti and Pam, joined to celebrate anniversaries, while others came to mark milestones of their own. Several solo female travelers in week one arrived as strangers and left as friends - a testament to how shared meals and experiences quickly turn a group into a family.
Kathy, Chantal & Lauren
For me, it was a reunion of a different kind - with Tuscany itself. I traveled on this same trip in 2023 as a guest, and returning this year as a tour leader alongside Viktorija - formerly The Chopping Block’s sommelier and now living in Nice - was truly special. Watching our travelers - many of them TCB students and Culinary Boot Camp alumni - experience the same wonder I once did, and seeing familiar faces from our Chicago kitchens under the Tuscan sun, was pure joy.
Viktorija and me
I was especially excited to be reunited with Andrea and Charlie, who joined me on our Basque Country: Culinary Immersion trip in Spain last fall. That’s what makes these culinary journeys so unique: the friendships that form, the reunions that happen, and the stories that keep unfolding from one trip to the next.
Charlie, me & Andrea
For Betty and Carol, it was a reunion fifty years in the making. Their first European trip together was half a century ago, and they chose Cook Like a Tuscan to mark that milestone. They cooked, laughed, and celebrated like old friends do, and continued their adventure on to Milan after our week together.
Betty & Carol
When both tours wrapped, I left with 24 new friends, countless memories, and a renewed appreciation for how food brings people together - whether in our kitchens at home or halfway across the world.
Cook Like a Tuscan Week 1
Cook Like a Tuscan Week 2
If you’ve ever dreamed of cooking under the Tuscan sun, make 2026 your year. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, reuniting with a friend, or simply craving a meaningful adventure as a solo traveler, Cook Like a Tuscan is your invitation to gather, learn, and savor life - one meal at a time. Join the interest list to be the first to be notified when we release our 2026 tours!
