Stanley Tucci is again winning over audiences with his fervent travels across Italy, this time on the new Disney+ program Tucci in Italy on National Geographic and the BBC. But for those who want something more than watch time, there's another way to be a sharer and not merely a viewer. With Cesarine, Italy's oldest home cooking television channel, you can follow Tucci's footsteps and taste your way through the very same flavors and stories that characterize every region.
From Tuscan hills to Rome's vibrant city center and Trentino Alto Adige's alpine splendor, each bite on this journey is a meal beyond a meal. It's a memory created by centuries of recipes, home kitchens and tradition. For travelers with a refined palate and a taste for authenticity, it's Italy like never before.
Florence Awaits Your Arrival With Fresh Ingredients and Timeless Techniques
In perhaps the finest episode of Tucci in Italy, the actor walks through the Sant'Ambrogio Market in Florence, talking to vendors along the way and soaking up Tuscan culture. With Cesarine, you can do the same. You're welcome to walk through the very same stalls where Tucci picks out fresh vegetables and then into a local house to experience an interactive cooking class. There, with the help of a local Cesarina, you'll cook an entire Tuscan meal using market-fresh ingredients and traditional techniques.
This interactive combination of market and kitchen captures the essence of Florence, a city where food culture and modern culture combine so beautifully.
Taste the Secrets of the Marble Hills of Carrara
A bit farther north in Carrara, Tucci enters a realm that few tourists get to experience, traveling to Colonnata to taste the much-coveted Lardo di Colonnata. With Cesarine, it's not a tour. It's an invitation. Meet Daniela, a home cook who shares her family's version of the specialties of this marble-dotted area. Her creations reflect the flavors Tucci savored, infused with tradition and quiet pride.
You're not merely dining like Tucci. You're cooking, laughing, and learning with the locals who reside among these hills.
The Spirit of the Cowboys Remains in Tuscany's Maremma
One of the series' most delightful scenes is in Maremma where Tucci becomes a member of the butteri, Italy's old-fashioned cowboys. It's a rough and storied area where culinary tradition is as rustic as the terrain. Here, Cesarina Bruna serves "Pici ai Butteri," a dish that beautifully captures the pioneer spirit and tastes of the region.
Whether an experienced home cook or a hungry globe-trotter, this recipe asks you to taste a piece of Tuscany that is unrestrained, real and simply divine.
Siena Marries Timeless Events and Regional Cuisine
Tucci visits Siena, where he watches the classic Palio horse race, a spectacle of history, pageantry and local pride. Though the race itself is the spectacle, the city's culinary culture is rich too. In a central apartment close to Piazza del Campo, Cesarina Patrizia invites guests to share meals that have been passed down for generations. Each is a tribute to Siena's rich history and traditions that persist.
It’s an intimate complement to a city that thrives on grand spectacle.
Milan Brings City Sophistication with Comfort on Every Plate
As Tucci becomes acquainted with Milan, he discovers a city of bold contrasts, modern dynamism with comfortingly deeply rooted foodways. The Cesarine allows visitors to relive the meals with the same chefs who experience them day in and day out. Savor a rich Sunday lunch with Nicoletta and Fabio with the golden Risotto allo Zafferano. Or dine with Enrico on a rich Gnocchi al Ragù and Vitello Tonnato, a dish that unites Milan and the surrounding Piedmont region.
For cheese aficionados, there's a Grana Padano experience just outside the city, complete with risotto class lessons from Sissi. It's a masterclass in combining local materials with ancient techniques.
Rome and Roman Pastas Bring History to the Table
No Italian food tour is complete without Rome. Tucci discovers its symbols such as Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara and artichokes, and you can too with apron on and fork at the ready. In Parioli, cook with Valeria and Valentina and learn the art of Cacio e Pepe and fried artichokes. In Trastevere, learn Ofelia's secret to Carbonara. Or go just outside Rome to a private villa where Cesarina Cristina provides the ultimate experience with all four of Rome's legendary pastas, Carbonara, Gricia, Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana.
For a seaside spin, go to Ostia Lido with Giulia where you'll make ravioli, Amatriciana and Carbonara by the sea breeze.
Find Alpine Traditions in South Tyrol and Trentino Alto Adige
In northern Italy, Tucci discovers a rich mixture of Italian and Austrian traditions. With Cesarine, visitors can taste this distinctive gastronomic heritage firsthand. In Trento, discover how to prepare delicate-as-air Casunziei, beet-filled ravioli, with the Taxis family. In Mezzocorona, taste traditional apple fritters and tortelli. And in Baselga di Pinè, savor rich Spätzle and ravioli cooked the Trentino way.
These mountain resorts can be worlds apart from the Mediterranean but their culinary pull is unmatched.
Make Screen Dreams a Satisfying Reality
Cesarine's mission is straightforward and profound. To open the doors of true Italian homes and welcome you to the country as it is, through its food, people and traditions. It's a commitment to authenticity that is light years away from tourist eateries or generic cooking classes. That's Italy served family style with love and local pride.
With Tucci leading the charge on screen and Cesarine leading the charge on the ground, your next Italian adventure might be the most culinary one yet.
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