Cooking Classes In Italy
Vacationing with a purpose adds more zing to your downtime especially if your relaxation is peppered with new cooking skills you can use for a lifetime! Be careful though, cooking vacations in Italy can be addictive. "My husband and I have traveled all over Italy and have attended six different cooking schools from Bologna to the Amalfi Coast," laughs Sheila Osann.
There are many cooking tours available, some taught by Italians and some hosted by chefs here in the states. For example, Joanne Weir, a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, chef and public television personality, teaches hands-on cooking courses in her professional kitchen in San Francisco, California and conducts week-long culinary journeys to Provence, Tuscany, the Piedmont, the Veneto, Italian Riviera & Cinque Terre, Seville and La Rioja. "I have been teaching in Italy for 12 years in several wonderful locations. I am teaching there in October 09 in a new location for me, the CinqueTerre, Italian Riviera," she says. The 2009 tour is one week long with five hands-on cooking classes.
Other fabulous cooking vacations are offered solely in Italy. For example, Hotel Caesar Augustus is renown for its innovative use of local ingredients in their two restaurants, Terrazza di Lucullo and the Terrace & Lounge Bar.
Sautéed mussels and clams with garlic croutons, beef fillet with bacon, chestnut sauce, mushrooms and thyme, and lamb "scottadito" with spinach and sautéed potatoes are just a few of the items on the menu that use locally sourced produce and herbs. Chef Resta Giuseppe has just announced a new Cooking Class Program for the 2009 season, beginning in April 2009. The Relais and Chateaux hotel on the Isle of Capri will begin hosting small intimate classes where visitors will receive personalized one-on-one guidance, suited for any skill level.
Guests will cook unique recipes provided by the Chef in three-hour sessions then enjoy the dishes together, with an expertly paired glass of wine. Guests who sign up for the new "Capri Gourmet" getaway will receive three-nights accommodation in a Deluxe Sea View or Junior Suite Sea View room, island tour by boat, a personalized apron from the Chef, and of course all of the cooking class offerings! Package pricing starts at € 1,718.
Enjoying the meal after preparing it is a staple of cooking tours. "I did it with my ex-husband who is a hobby gourmet chef and I am a novice," says Teri Sawyer. "Everyday we cooked from about 10-2 or so, ate some of what we made for lunch, and then did some touring. We had a gourmet dinner every night - sometimes some of what we cooked and sometimes all of what the staff prepared." Teri says the fun stretches beyond the good food and chef secrets. "We had a dozen people in our class and we all stayed at the school, which is at a 15th century villa in an olive tree grove in Tuscany. The cooking was wonderful - great recipes, great fun, great teacher, and the mix of touring, eating and cooking was perfect," she says.
TIP #1: Book well in advance.
These trips are extremely popular. Make reservations well in advance of your trip.
TIP #2: Check Menus Before you Book the Tour.
A cooking tour is less fun if the food is not too your liking. Be adventuresome and try something new but do look to see the menu is not loaded with foods you cannot eat for health reasons (heart conditions, diabetes, etc) or that you truly abhor. Plus, you want to look for menu items you are likely to cook at home when you return with all the chef’s secrets.
TIP #3: Dress Smart.
Dress casually (no jeams) and in materials you can easily launder if spills occur during your cooking classes. Wear either short or ¾ sleeves during class, or a blouse or shirt with sleeves that are easy to roll-up out of the way. Leave the jewelry in your room safe as it will only get in your way while cooking. Shoes should have soles that will not slip easily on a wet kitchen floor.
Additional Source
- Cooking tour in Italy run by Italian, Sandra Lotti
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