A Lesson In Tuscan Cuisine

Gina Stipo kept her audience interested with a mix of succulent ingredients and delicious banter.

There may have been times when the gourmet chef had to wait on the food cooking in the oven, but all eyes remained on her as she told a series of stories. Stipo had them interested in the culture of Tuscany and how it differs from other parts of Italy.

Sunday was her third and last demonstration at Southern Hills Plantation, where she transformed one of the villa's kitchens into a culinary lab.

The redhead who wore a white chef's outfit and a pair of red Crocs also had them laughing whenever she drew from her own experiences.

"I'm the only American woman over there who didn't fall in love with a man," she joked. "I'm very proud of that fact. I fell in love with the food and wine."

When she put her fingers in the dough to make cantucci, a form of biscotti, she asked a couple of onlookers to join her.

Whether she wanted assistance spreading the olive oil over the roasted pork or laying the grated cheese over the polenta, there were people there willing to step in and be involved in the action.

When it came time to sample the polenta, one "yum" sound was heard after the other for several minutes.

The demonstration was held Friday, Saturday and Sunday and drew a total of 75 people. All of them made reservations months in advance to witness the world-renowned chef who spends half her time in Tuscany and the other half in the United States.

"I know my wife has picked up some cooking tips already," said Pat DelBronco, of Lutz. He and an old college buddy got together and made reservations as a Christmas gift for their wives.

"They're going to try to recreate that pork dish," DelBronco said.

The class learned how to cut an artichoke, how to cook using extra virgin olive oil and the likelihood of finding a pizza parlor in Tuscany - which is not high.

"Tuscans learned of pizza from GIs," Stipo explained, telling the story of how soldiers in World War II first tasted pizza in Naples, where the dish was most commonly served.

When they returned to Italy and visited other places, they were shocked to learn no one had heard of pizza.

"That's how pocketed Italy is," she said.

She was attracted to Tuscany because of how sheltered and protective the people can be, which benefits the region because everything is so preserved there.

"Tuscany is so beautiful," Stipo said. "There is so much architecture there, so much history."

She noticed a difference with each class. The one Sunday was more subdued than the one on Saturday, where people were more engaging. But all three classes were attentive.

"It really sort of depends," Stipo said when asked to describe her typical class. "(On Saturday), I had a lot of people how had been to Italy. That makes a big difference."

People who attend her classes in the U.S. desperately want to visit Tuscany or other parts of Italy, but never make it. She sees herself as an "access to Italy" for those people.

Stipo is friends with someone who works in Lifestyle Services at Southern Hills. When she was invited to give a class, she gladly accepted. One class quickly turned into three as demand grew quickly.

Friends Jenny Ignat and Linda Helmintoller, of Land O'Lakes, chose to attend because it was "something different." Both of them got more than they bargained for.

"I learned all about the parts of an artichoke," Ignat said as her friend laughed.

She also learned what is real Italian food is versus what Americans believe when they think of Italian cuisine. For instance, meatballs and spaghetti do not go together.

Now Ignat knows where her grandfather, a native of Italy, was coming from when he always asked why everything that was cooked in marinara sauce had to be considered Italian food.

"This was definitely something different to do," said Helmintoller, who was the braver of the two whenever Stipo asked for help from the audience. "I'd never been to a cooking class. This was fun."