You can have the best of both worlds. A day trip to Florence for a personalized tour of the Central Market to learn about and to taste first-hand Tuscany’s finest produce and regional products, followed by a hands-on cooking class. It’s a splurge, but experiencing a class with Judy makes for a unique and unforgettable experience. Classes begin at 11 a.m. at her cooking studio near Florence's historic Central Market. The cooking day includes: shopping the Central Market and planning a custom menu based on the season's best, touring the market and tasting olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheeses, and more, wine pairing by a sommelier for your unique menu, hands-on class; each class meal consists of a first course (soup, pasta, or risotto), main course, vegetable course, and dessert, Divina Cucina cookbook and apron. Visit www.divinacucina.com for more details.
*****
For a more down home,
Tuscan farm experience, we can arrange (with advance notice) a morning or afternoon spent with Mamma Donatella in her rustic farmhouse kitchen outside Cortona, where you will work with her, learning to prepare fresh pasta, antipasti, a main course and dessert, all to be consumed immediately at her long table in the company of new friends. She does not have a website, but this can be arranged by phone from El Marsam. Classes are not offered every day, so it is best to let me know early if you would like to participate in one of Donatella’s classes.*****
Cooking professionally for nearly 20
years, Christine Hickman
offers private cooking classes in Perugia.
Her classes are small and she works with participants on a personal basis,
creating menus according to their individual interests, while focusing on the
freshest seasonal ingredients and typical
Umbrian specialties such as truffles, Pecorino
cheeses, and Torta al Testo. Traditional pasta dishes, specialty desserts, and
distinctive local wines are also featured. Technique classes on specific
subjects (hand-made pastas, gnocchi, desserts, sauces, porcini, and truffles for
example), as well as 2 to 5 day sessions, are also available by special
arrangement.
Classes typically begin at 10AM and last approximately 6 hours, at the end of
which time participants will enjoy the meal that they have prepared. Classes are
available mid-May through mid-October, Monday through Saturday. Market visits
beginning at 9AM may also be pre-arranged any class day. For additional
details, visit
www.sonomarcella.com.
Perugia is 30 minutes from El Marsam by car or by local train.
*****
Finally, if time in the kitchen is what you have little of, but would still like to learn how to make home-made pasta, Ginda will be happy to pull out her pasta board and give an informal lesson in the making of a specialty pasta and sauce – this dependent on her available time as well yours.
If interested in any of the above cooking opportunities, please inform us in advance and we will see what arrangements can be made and provide you with details and costs.
In an effort to make the discovery of Umbria and Tuscany more convenient and enjoyable for our guests, we have prepared and provide an up-to-date guest booklet with day trip itineraries from El Marsam. These pages include directions, restaurant and shopping suggestions, and sights to be seen.
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