Agriturismo Cooking Class in the Italian Countryside with Foodie Treks

 

16" x 20" textured acrylic painting on canvas panel 

by Niki Gulley

Tuscany Foodie Trek - Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 5: Cooking Class in the Countryside

Today we had our second cooking class today at a fully operating agriturismo. We started making a hand rolled Pici pasta with homemade tomato sauce. Then we moved onto creating a salt crusted pork loin stuffed with herbs, along with roasted veggies. Finally we finished with wine cookies dusted in cinnamon sugar. We also got a chance to tour the farm and cheese making facility. Finally, we reaped the fruits of our labors with some cheese tasting and dining on the delicious meal we cooked, always having a great time!!! Life is so good.

For my painting today, you never know what’s going to happen when you set up on location. Today was rather warm so I chose this shady overlook with views of the beautiful vineyard below. It seemed like a nice, quiet spot. Then came 5 pm, which turns out was social hour for the local guys.

Some stared with crossed arms and facial expressions like they just ate lemons, some paced by craning their necks and one friendly man invited us in Italian to see his home up close since it was the vineyard next to where I was painting. It’s never dull!

To see a video of my process, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/DOv2N5zDO9n//

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For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

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If you'd like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

Iceland Art Trek
Aug. 3-10, 2026

https://www.arttreks.org/iceland-2026/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 

September 26 - October 3, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
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