Today was the last day of our tour, and there were no wineries on the agenda. Instead, we went to a farm in the Dolomites for a cooking class. Our hosts at Lafogl (the farm) were Claudia Rier — a promoter of tourism in the Dolomites — and her mother, Regina Rier. 

In addition to cooking classes, the farm offers a range of activities, including caring for the animals on the farm, accommodations for vacationers, and a range of summer and winter activities. The nearby Alpe di Siusi — the largest high-elevation Alpine meadow in Europe — offers hiking in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

After petting the horses and fending off attacks from a giant rooster…

… we were given aprons and put to work making Tyrollean dumplings (Knödel or Canederli, in Italian). We made three recipes — with herbs from the garden plus onions; with beets; and with cheese. Breadcrumbs, milk and egg form the base of this dish. Everything is mixed together and the mixture is formed into balls. Getting the right consistency is key to having these dumplings keep their shape. After a few minutes of rest, the dumplings are simmered in a big pot. Simple but delicious. For me, it was a fun way to celebrate a birthday.

On this last day, Heather, co-owner of Tourissimo with Beppe, our in-country guide on this tour, brought their dog, a truffle-hunting Lagotto. After eating our dumplings, Beppe had us walk down the road a bit and put on a demonstration of the dog’s truffle-sniffing abilities. He had us hide a truffle in a container with holes, and the dog quickly sniffed it out. 

After the truffle demo, we got back on the bus, drove through the beautiful scenery of the Dolomites, and returned to the hotel, where a farewell aperitivo with the group had been arranged by Elizabeth.