1 . I love cooking. Food has always been a love language in my family, and I seem to speak it well-both in consumption and preparation.

I love cooking food, whether it’s a holiday feast or a quickly imagined meal.    1    : grilling and smoking, recipes for slow cookers and Dutch ovens, and simmering (煨) soups and pasta sauces all day on the stovetop.

    2     It makes me feel like I’m being better for them, showing love and gratitude. And since cooking is an art that takes practice to get better, I enjoy the feeling of making a meal that earns a bit of praise. I think I inherited (继承) this relationship with cooking from my mother.

My memory of her food probably goes back to a day when my mother was making Bolognese-style spaghetti sauce (意大利面酱). The kitchen was small, but the centerpiece was a stove. That’s where my mother showed her art of cooking with love.     3    

One of my first memories of cooking for my family was making my mom’s spaghetti sauce for my wife when we began to live together. I left work early to prepare dinner, before heading back out to pick her up.     4     I knew the sauce wasn’t as good as my mom’s, but it was good enough.

Cooking for my family is a way of connecting with my mother, even though she’s no longer physically with us.     5     I feel happy in the kitchen, and I try to put my heart into the food-when my family loves it, it feels like a hug.

3 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris. We were determined to experience the city like locals and immerse ourselves in the culture. So, we decided to attend a traditional French cooking class.     1    Not only did we learn how to prepare classic dishes, but we also got a glimpse into the passion and artistry that goes into French cuisine.

The chef guided us through the process of making coq au vin, a famous French dish. We chopped vegetables, marinated the chicken in red wine, and patiently simmered the ingredients to perfection.     2    The aromas filled the kitchen, transporting us to a rustic farmhouse in the French countryside.

After hours of cooking, we finally sat down to enjoy our creation. The flavors were exquisite, the chicken tender, and the sauce rich and flavorful.     3    The chef even gave us some tips and tricks to replicate the dish at home.

The experience left us with a deep appreciation for French cuisine and the dedication it takes to master it.     4    We vowed to experiment with more French recipes and continue to explore the world of culinary arts.

Overall, our cooking class was a highlight of our trip and allowed us to connect with the essence of French culture through its food.     5    It was a truly unforgettable experience, and we look forward to sharing our newfound culinary skills with family and friends.

4 . My career as a chef started at the age of 25, but my ______ for cooking started at an early age, when I was about 5 years old — by watching my grandmother and my mom in the kitchen ______ daily meals for the family. I was also ______by going with my grandfather to markets to ______ the freshest ingredients. My grandfather taught me the art of picking and recognizing “the ______.”

From my youth, I have had this passion for food. Growing up in Morocco, I witnessed the most amazing hospitality and ______ through my grandparents. They opened their ______ to everybody, and fed and sheltered the poor, travelers, family and friends.

I remember as a young kid coming home from school to the ______ of fragrant (芳香的) fresh bread coming out of the oven. Those smells stimulated (刺激) my senses at a young age. The ______were fresh and seasonal — they were very simple dishes but delightfully ______.

Food is almost as ______ as it is necessary. Food makes people feel things. I really think that food tastes its best when there is a ______ behind it. It shapes cultures, religion, politics and health. Food brings people together, and goes straight to the ______.

In my kitchen, I try to duplicate (复制) smells and flavors that make me think about more than what I’m actually smelling or ______ — it makes me think of life, my family, and my history. I love to cook food that ______ people’s emotions and memories; my philosophy is to “keep food real and simple.”

Many Italian culinary (烹饪) schools offer food-related tours that give you hands-on experience with food preparation, as well as a close-up view of traditional Italian cuisine.

Organic Tuscany

Organic Tuscany focuses on vegetarian cuisine and organic ingredients. Guests stay in a 19th-century castle surrounded by grape and olive orchards in Certaldo, and courses are taught by experienced local cooks. Their five-day courses are limited to nine participants, and they break up daily cooking classes with hikes, tours of Siena and Florence, meals at local restaurants and trips to nearby farms and vineyards.

Capezzana

Located within an hour of Siena, Capezzana offers an authentic experience into Italian food and wine. Guests stay in country farmhouses near Mount Albano. The school has its own olive oil and wine production facilities (场所) where guests can view the process from start to finish. Capezzana offers a one-day course where students tour the facilities and learn to make a meal. There is also a five-day course including trips to local markets, classes on wines, olive oil and bread-making.

DivinaCucina

DivinaCucina is an internationally known Italian cooking school located in the heart of Tuscany. Guests stay in nearby apartments, and the school offers two one-day courses and tours. The Monday tour centers around the historic San Lorenzo market, and the Wednesday tour includes a visit to the weekly market in Chianti followed by a hands-on cooking class. A five-day course includes daily cooking lessons and tours to surrounding towns and farms, focusing on sources of local meat, wine and produce.

The Awaiting Table

While most cooking tours are centered in scenic Tuscany, the Awaiting Table is located in the pretty town of Lecce. The Awaiting Table offers not only authentic local recipes, but also an enthusiastic introduction to the “Italian” experience. Guests meet the vendors (商贩) at the local markets, participate in daily cooking lessons and even learn some practical Italian. Each day of the week-long course focuses on one type of food, with an educational field trip before the lesson. One-day tours and lessons are also available, as well as lessons specializing in olives.