Come fly with me: A bite of Italy

I set off with two friends in a hired car from Florence (thankfully I wasn't driving) and headed straight to Chianti in Tuscany. In such a short time, the entire landscape changed from city shops and bustle to sweeping views of green fields and hills, cypress trees and grape vines. Driving in Tuscany is entirely calming (that is if the windy roads don't make your stomach churn).

This region of Italy, renowned for its dramatic beauty, has a history which dates back to the ancient times, which is so apparent when browsing through the small towns. It seems frozen in time, transporting me to another century.

Even though I'm not a real foodie, five days of travelling around Tuscany transformed me somewhat, though it may have lasted just those few days. And the highlight of the trip had to be the cooking course.

"For Italians, entertainment and conversation revolves around food," said Tina as she and Manuella taught us how to knead and keep kneading the dough for the fettuccine we were making. It was right near the end of our trip and we had therefore come to understand the Italians' riveted passion for food and cooking… much like the Indians, it seemed.

As we aesthetically cooked each dish, picked the herbs from the garden, chopped and sprinkled them, as we drenched the dishes with fresh olive oil, the kind that you just don't feel guilty about, and as we much to our surprise made fettuccine pasta from scratch, I came to really grasp something about the intertwined nature of food, wine and culture in this country.

It all smelt and looked so rich, colourful and delicious as we made it that I could not resist but have a bit of everything as it simmered on the stoves. Fresh red and yellow pepper soup with a dollop of thick garlic yoghurt, tomato and vegetable pasta sauce, zucchini risotto, aubergine and pepper crostini with goat's cheese and a baked aubergine and cheese dish were all mouth-wateringly delicious and so rich in flavour, we simply sat at the table for two hours trying to eat, digest, make space and eat more.

The sweet ending - fig crumble made with fresh figs we had picked from their tree outside accompanied by cream we had just whipped - had to be my ultimate favourite. Simply mamma mia!