Cooking Vacations Italy offers hands-on cooking tours for those who want to learn how to prepare traditional Italian recipes from a team of expert chefs. The company offers cooking vacations throughout the year in Italy, giving travelers an insider’s view of what it takes to prepare and enjoy a healthy Mediterranean diet in the land where it originated.

Instructors at Cooking Vacations Italy include pizza and pasta makers, bread bakers and pastry chefs who share their passion for food, wine, music and culture with guests. “For centuries Italians have mastered the art of cooking, eating and sharing precious time with family and friends at the table,” says owner Lauren Birmingham. “We continue this experience with our unique hands-on cooking programs and welcome everyone to our table.”

The culinary adventures feature cooking classes, food trips, vineyard tours, wine tastings and marketplace visits led by chefs, food and wine experts, food trend researchers and artisans from various regions. “Our programs are hosted at exclusive and beautiful properties, selected for their location and charm,” says Birmingham. “Each trip includes excursions to both well-known and undiscovered areas, including ancient villages and historical areas that are rich in local culture. We take you back in time to artisans, wine producers, fishermen, truffle hunters, and bread and pastry bakers who follow the ‘slow food’ way of living.” Birmingham says that while the cooking classes are kept small, accommodating two to eight people, larger groups can also be arranged, if desired.

For more information, call 617-247-4112 or visit Cooking-Vacations.com.