I guess that depends on your definition of from scratch? I'd say it's good to know the basics (knife skills, some basic cooking knowledge, etc) before going.
It really depended on the day! Most of the time we had class starting around 8am and then demos until around 12/1pm. A break for lunch where we all ate together and then hands on work in the afternoon. They give you the option to help make dinners for more time to practice cooking, so if you participate in that there's not too, too much free time on class days. Check out the calendar on ICI's website. They usually put "off" days on the calendar so you would know when you'll have some free time. We definitely had people in our group who had friends/family visit throughout the program, so it's definitely possible!
Totally get it! I'm hosting a 10 day retreat there in 2025 if you want a similar experience but just not as long! I can share the wait-list info if you're interested!
@@HomebodyEats Im looking for a cooking class in Italy- I like how the ICI's class you describe is intensive and takes up a good part of the day. Is the 1 week and 2 week programs similarly intense?
