What a wonderful experience! You must cook with Francesca if you visit the Maggiore area. Francesca was most generous....with her time, expertise, sense of humor, and zest for life. She is passionate about cuisine and sharing her knowledge with students. 4 of us joined her to prepare (and eat!) the Piemontese regonal menu...dishes we would have never attempted on our own before this class. A wonderful time and terrific meal. For a minimal additional cost, Francesca arranged an early-day visit to a local cheeesmonge's caves, where we learned how cheeses are "raised" (by a raffinatore) in preparation for sale at their absolute peak condition. What a bonus that visit was. Francesca's class was the highlight of our trip to Maggiore/Como.

My mum, my sister and I spent a wonderful sunday at Francesca and Giorgio’s house recently, we had a delicious cooking class together. Actually we went with my 4month-daughter too, who has been welcome with open arms. Francesca is a real cooking teacher, she loves her work and she’s able to make you learn easily. We adored their beautiful garden with a gorgeous sinergic vegetable section and obviously the meal we prepared. Giorgio helped us to drink the right wine and not to talk and distract too much. Although the pandemic time we felt safe, everybody was vaccinated so we could cook open air without masks, keeping correct distance. Price is fair, affordable. In the end we recommend cookonthelakes to everybody who loves cooking and wants to spend time friendly. We’ll certainly come back.

We very much liked the cooking class we did with Francesca. We prepared some delicious recepties while being surrounded by the beautiful nature of Italy and being guided very professionally by Francesca who is very knowledgeable and willing to explain a lot of background of the Italian cuisine. Francesca made us feel very much at home instantly and by taking this course we really got the insight in the Italian cuisine we were hoping for. In summary, we would very highly recommend this cooking class to everyone visiting the lago maggiore area (or Italy in general)!

There is no doubt that we will go cook with Francesca again!! We have wanted to cook with Francesca for so long and finally we were able to on our most recent trip. It was worth the wait and everything I had hoped it would be. Francesca explained the process of cooking our menu and she pointed out very important information so that we could prepare the dishes again. Since we took her class we have flown home and actually made everything that we did in class for a dinner party!! Everyone cleaned their bowls and said it was the best pasta dish they had ever eaten!! Francesca's home is very inviting, her garden is spectacular, and everything was perfect! The weather was rainy outside and so cooking inside was perfect. This is most certainly a must do experience. Our menu was perfect, everything we had hoped to learn and wanted to try!! Orecchiette home-made from scratch with a fresh tomato sauce and ricotta salata on the top. As aperitivo, focaccia from scratch to have with salumi and cheese from the area and tiramisu for dessert.

It was a great experience to cook with Francesca- she has a beautiful place in the woods and her knowledge about cooking and baking is incredible. We learned a lot and had much fun. It seemed like cooking with a friend or family. There was no problem to follow the Covid-19 regulations. We will definitely come back! Kirsten and Carla from Freiburg, Germany.

Francesco is a a wonderfull host. She combines het coooking experience with a personal approach while teaching you the finesses of the Italian kitchen. She, and her husband, make you feel at home in their beautiful house and garden. We chose the regional recipes and Francesca included our special wish for a soup. Francesca, thanks a lot for a magnificent and tastefulll experience. If you are on a holiday near Lago Maggiore or Lago d’Orta you should really take a cooking class at ‘Cook on the lakes’! By the way, we felt very safe because she took all corona measures seriously.

our family had a lovely day with Francesca again. 5 years ago we learned the first time how to make real pasta at Cook on the lakes. The atmosphere at "cook on the lakes" is very relaxed, the food is delicious. Francesca is not only an excellent teacher but can also be very entertaining. Since everybody was vaccinated, Covid was not a topic.

My husband and I went to Cook on the Lakes yesterday for a nice sunday out of town. The cooking experience was amazing. Francesca, a very experienced chef, guided us through some very nice cooking techniques and recipes and, in the end, we were able to cook some amazing truly Italian dishes (vitello tonnato, orecchiette with a special sauce made of dry tomatoes and almonds and then also an exquisite focaccia). I was amazed: I am definitely not a cook!! We then ate what we cooked, all together with some good Italian wine. All the above in the middle of a wonderful garden just above the lake. I can only recommend this experience!

Francesca warmly welcomed us into her home and offered us a true Italian culinary experience. Everything from her cheerful and lively spirit to her cozy kitchen made us feel comfortable. Francesca's homegrown knowledge coupled with her culinary training provided the perfect blend of expertise. She taught us the history and fundamentals of pasta making like a local, while explaining the chemistry in the process - super interesting and helpful tips. After a morning of making and cooking our pasta, we enjoyed eating our delicious creations, which Giovanni paired with beautiful wines from the area. We could not have had a more enjoyable experience. We highly recommend "Cook on the Lakes" and can’t wait to visit again for another class.

Francesca is friendly, easy going and absolutely a good teacher. On this day we had 3 recipes: PIZZA , FOCACCIA and PANZEROTTI. I found very interesting particularly to learn about the the types of wheat and how they influence the dough. It was for sure a great experience that I’ll help me to bake much better pizzas in the future. Thank you very much for the amazing Sunday. I recommend fro everyone that is looking to improve their cooking skills and enjoy a nice day in Novara.