Imagine having your favorite chef uncle let you into his kitchen where he spends almost six hours with you discussing the mysteries of food, cooking and life, shares his tips around the stove and cutting board and invites you to try your hand at a few cooking maneuvers.. . That sums up our day spent with Chef Moreno Maglia. Chef Moreno, together with his wife Rossella, have been serving marvelous meals for over twenty years at the Ristorante il Caminetto “Fireplace,” their intimate gathering place located in a 500 year old building high in the hills overlooking Varenna. Chef Moreno prepared fresh pasta, ricotta and tomato sauce for tortelloni, a larger version of tortellini, plus yummy risotto and roasted lamb chops in a fresh bread crumb and herb coating. The restaurant was certainly a house of good smells. Needless to say, we indulged in a fabulous lunch as the wine flowed freely. Altogether we joined twelve other culinary adventurers, all Americans, for a lesson in the celebration of Italian food, life and culture.