Homecooked Italian Cuisine on a Rural Estate and 15th Century Stone Farmhouse - Day Trip

Chiara’s passion for cooking began as a young girl when she cooked with her grandmothers, both excellent cooks. She added to her culinary repertoire over time by working with a friend who owned a restaurant, and went on to fulfill her grandmothers’ dream of opening a restaurant! She is eager to showcase local produce and even has her own beehive, vegetable garden, and fruit trees, and grows ancient grain that she uses to make homemade bread. As much as possible, Chiara uses products from her farm. She enjoys using modern technology to experiment with new techniques of cooking and makes creative dishes using a sous vide machine and special freezer. Food allows Chiara to connect with her grandmothers – through cooking they shared a private vocabulary of care, love and passion. Meet your host Chiara at her family home, a traditional, 15th century stone farm estate that she restored and converted into a B&B. Enjoy a refreshing drink and hear the sounds of Italian music from the 20s before your host invites you to a tour of the ancient property and estate, during which you might pick a few herbs and flowers for your meal. You will then join Chiara at her dining table to enjoy a creative, regional Bolognese meal. Your meal will include an appetizer, pasta, vegetable side and dessert. Your menu may include dishes such as a crescentine (a typical fried bread only made in Emilia Romagna) or tigelle (fire-roasted bread) with parmeggiano reggiano or mortadella, tagliatelle with prosciutto di Parma and lemon zest or gnocchi with ragu, and a seasonal side vegetable like mangold (regional greens) cooked in olive oil and garlic. Your meal will conclude with a dessert of torta di castagne (chestnut cake) with zabaione (liqueur-flavored cream) or homemade ice-cream made from fresh, seasonal fruit. If you book a cooking experience, join your host Chiara at her professional, stainless steel kitchen to learn to cook a creatively-inspired regional Italian meal from Monte San Pietro recipes passed down from her grandmother. Your hands-on cooking will last about two hours during which you will learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Then sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare.