cooking classes in Italy

Go here to browse prior posts on cooking classes in Italy: http://www.google.com/search?q=italy+%22cooking+class%22+site:www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/&hl=en&newwindow=1&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images

Here is one we might try in March. I think it looks interesting. www.coltibuono.com

In September while we were staying in Varenna (Lake Como) we attended a cooking class at Il Caminetto. It was one of the highlights of our trip, and well worth the very reasonable price they charge. We were picked up at our B&B in the morning for the class. They dropped us off at the end of the day. If Lake Como is a place you are considering, I strongly recommend the class there.

totally agree about Il Caminetto

We just returned from Italy and took a wine and cooking tour with Accidental Tourist. They can be separated as well. For the cooking part we were taken by van to a private home where we each made ravioli from scratch and then were served a wonderful lunch and wine by Patricia the owner of the house. Everything was homemade including the terramisu and we were stuffed. They have a website www.accidentaltourist.com

I would concur with Norma. We visited Florence in Feb. of 2008. We reserved with Accidental Tourist. We did a wine tasting/cooking class.--We didn't really "cook" but I was shown how to make pasta at a private home. Christina then made a fabulous meal for us with unlimited amounts of chianti. It was the best food we had in Italy and we had some great food. It was a wonderful experience and left me with a permanent memory of Florence. Upon my return, I purchased a pasta machine and almost exclusively have made homemade pasta since our return, a very special souvenoir. It was all good. Regards, John

we went here in Sept...it is in Florence near Pitti Palace, it was AMAZINGLY good and the price was really good. Ask for Roberto http://www.intavola.org/index.html?Pagina=/news/primapagina.asp?idLingua=2&PrimaPagina=X&idSito=1

The cooking class with Chef Moreno at Il Caminetto (above Varenna) was one of the highlights of our two weeks in Italy. We took our two teenage/young adult daughters and they loved it too. We learned to make fresh pasta and gnocchi, each with a fresh and delicious sauce. There was some "hands on" time, and for the rest we watched while Chef Moreno instructed. He is very low-key and full of wisdom. Afterward they dropped us off at the ruined castle and we explored and admired the falcons (one of which was out flying for a demonstration) before walking back down to Varenna.

I concur with everyone about Chef Moreno...I stayed at his villa for a week and it was great. i took his class and also ate at his restaurant one night. If you have a car or even take the train, look into staying at his villa. It was extremely cheap and so is the class. it is not that hands on as some other classes are but theose classes also charge 3 times as much and you don't get as much time. Your time is valued though and you get to drink all the regional wine you want. it was an accident i was able to spend a great week there due to the french train strikes but it ended up being worth it. Chef Moreno will as he told be "be your taxi because i have nothing better today" so don't worry about getting to and from his village to varenna, it is a 5 minute drive. I walked into varenna each morning(half hour walk due to the hills)but if you trip is as open as you say, go there

Imagine yourself... curled up on the couch with an aged glass of Chianti in a charmingly decorated Italian villa complete with a medieval tower boasting 360 degree views of the Tuscan countryside. You can see the radiance of the moon from the skylight situated above you and can determine the hour as you count the chiming of the bells from the church nestled below your stately residence. The cares of the world diminish completely as you hear the robust sounds of Italian families loving life all around, you can't help but partake. You feel as though you've steeped yourself in the Renaissance, after all you ARE staying in a tower built over 900 years prior to your arrival. Are you Repunzel? Are you just dreaming a wonderful dream? No, you're living la dolce vita with Accidental Tourist! If you thrive on authenticity when you travel and crave the adventure for "off the beaten path," then look no further. You've found the treasure of Tuscany!! ACCIDENTAL TOURIST! Accidental Tourist will far exceed any expectation you could dream of. I'm still in such awe, even as I type this review... I am indeed nestled on the couch of this dream medieval tower apartment, with stomach full of home-made pasta I made myself this afternoon - all with the aid of Accidental Tourist. Majla and her team will amaze amaze you with their genuine hospitality! After bargaining our time and service in exchange for two nights in the medieval apartment we also chose to participate in the Cooking Class offered by Accidental Tourist. Our wonderful hosts, Majla & Marco, drove us through the winding hills of the Tuscan countryside to the picturesque destination which would serve as the backdrop for our culinary excursion. Patient instructor Steve served this novice pasta maker with grace and wit as he led us through the process of pasta-making from scratch to consumption! Number 1 Recommendation!!!

Judy, First you need to decide how many days you want to do a cooking school for! If you want to do a week with a local experiance and have a blast, learn a little Italian, make'a some pasta, do some local buying of meats and vegatable plus drink and eat to your hearts desire...Check out awaitingtable.com as the website will wet your salivarory glands for sure!!! Located in the "heel" of Italy (Lecce)

Is it just me, or for her very first post does Cierra sound like an advertisement for Accidental Tourist?

Andrea,
It's not just you.

Struck me that way, Andrea...

I find it perfectly natural that while Cierra was drinking her "aged glass of Chianti in a charmingly decorated Italian villa complete with a medieval tower boasting 360 degree views of the Tuscan countryside" that she should go online and post on a site that she's never posted on before.

Nice over-use of superlative adjectives, however.

My wife and a couple friends took a one day class with "Taste of Italy" this past weekend and they absolutely loved it. It's all in English, highly recommended. http://taste-of-italy.blogspot.com/p/cooking-lessons.html

Sorry, forgot to mention, "Taste of Italy" is in Bologna...

In you're interested in joining a one-day cooking class in Rome, take a look at this post!

Hello, We took a class with Elisabetta in Siena during our stay. Was a wonderful experience. We cooked chicken with grapes, spinach ravioli and cantocini (a biscotti-like biscuit served with vin santo dessert wine) [email protected]

In late May 2012 I did a one day class with Chef Lorenzo from Zeppelin Restaurant in Orvieto. It was fabulous. We started with a tour of the local market where we tasted different cheeses and porchetta, and bought supplies for our "lunch". We returned to the restaurant where we prepared deep fried zucchini blossoms, wild boar ragout, roasted asparagus, gnocchi flavoured with argula, arribiatta sauce, gelato and several types of breads and pizzas. All from scratch of course. This was an amazing experience, well worth the price.

We chose a class in Florence for convenience- it fitted well with our itinerary- and had a really nice time with Manuela at Cook Eat Italian. They do a range of regional cuisine classes and a classic italian recipes class which was just perfect for my husband and I together. http://cookeatitalian.com I can't remember exactly what we paid (somewhere under 100 euros) but it was a lot more reasonably priced than some of the classes we were looking at.