From the Robb Report, May 2000, page 154.

"Cooking at the Contessa's" by Bobbie Leigh:

Spend a week at the Toscana Saporita cooking school. 30 minutes north of Pisa, and you'll experience a side of rural Italian life that is rarely seen. Classes, which are limited to 12 students, are held in the mornings in a large, airy, professional kitchen that was once a carriage house on the 70-acre estate of Contessa Elena Pecchioli, a childhood friend of Anne Bianchi and Sandra Lotti, two cousins and master chefs who run the school.

After the morning cooking sessions, conducted in English with assistance from a mostly New York-based and -trained staff, lunch is served at a long picnic table, where students relish their efforts, accompanied by at least two or three wines. Afternoons are spent touring Montecatini, Lucca, and other nearby sites - the seaside port of Viareggio is a half-hour walk away - with the head of the local tourist bureau, who doubles as a waitress at her mother's restaurant. While the group discovers the delights of Tuscany, the professionals prepare a dinner worthy of a Michelin chef.

Be aware: The week spent on the Contessa's property is great fun, but the rooms and stone houses where students stay are simple. What counts, however, is la dolce vita - cooking, dining, touring, and camaraderie that are completely satisfying.