Abbondanza Toscana is staffed with people who have an unending love of all things Tuscan and an overwhelming enthusiasm to share them. We’re Italians, Europeans and Americans. Some of us are recent arrivals to Italy, others have been here much longer and the roots of a few are lost in Italian antiquity.

Paula Sullivan, Abbondanza Toscana Director,"Aren’t we fortunate!" has become the chosen toast with wine at Selva, my farmhouse home on a wine and olive oil estate in Italy. Living and traveling in Europe for more than ten years, I've had the opportunity to explore European cultures and to seek out those special experiences not found in guidebooks. I've made Italy my adopted home, and Tuscany has become my touchstone. Sharing my home with friends has always been a pleasure for me, and now I can also share the bounty of Tuscany and its jewel city, Lucca, in the form of courses and tours, so you can learn to know and love it as much as I do. I am also fortunate to have found an incredibly talented and knowledgeable group of people whose unbounded enthusiasm for Italy will make your visit here unforgettable.

Our talented and fun chef, Emanuela Dini, learned to cook from her mother, who learned from her mother, in the traditional way; but Emanuela’s own innovations and personality shine through in her cooking. You’ll want to reproduce all her recipes at home, and her techniques are invaluable. She can teach you which "weeds" are good food and how to take the sting out of nettles for nettle pie. She is our connection to the tradition for "bread day" using the wood-fired oven.

Phillip Peterson is a true Renaissance man, a gifted professional singer, contributor to Italian cookbooks, knowledgeable guide of Italy, exceptional speaker of the Italian language, teacher of both Italian and English and expert translator. At one time or another, he will lend his expertise in all of these talents.

Jo Sheres (center, in full story-telling mode) resides in the absolute center of Lucca and delights in exploring every nook and

cranny and getting to know every resident, historian, shopkeeper and artist. Few people know more about Lucca, its history and lore, than Jo. A delightful and intelligent raconteur, Jo will share her knowledge and experience with us as we explore Lucca.

Eduardo Dalcin, our pizzaiola (pizza-maker) is a delightful feature of all our courses and tours. Using the wood-fired oven, he makes all your pizza dreams come true, from antipasta pizza to dessert pizza! He teaches the basics of pizza dough, while expanding your horizons about pizza ingredients. "Eddie" is also intrigued by new ideas, including a reindeer calzone invented by a group of Norwegian guests!