Leigh Anne Farrell (the reader who recommended an Amalfi Coast villa rental) took a cooking class with Accidental Tourist out of Florence. She said - that was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. I bought a pasta machine soon after returning, and my son and I have made a lot of fettuccine!
Accidental Tourist operates one-day cooking classes, winery tours, and walks and half-day picnics and wine tours in the Chianti region of Tuscany. They pick up participants in Florence so it's a great way to see some of the countryside without renting a car.