Cooking classes in Italy

[hathor]

Ciao! Very glad to hear that you had a good time!

[Everett2006]

Try Apicius if you're in Florence.  They have a nice facility and lots of recreational courses.  I saw lots of tourists there for short classes with their family and friends.  www.apicius.it

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Apicius is probably OK for short tourist-type courses, but I don't recommend the professional programs.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Everett2006 (log)

[divina]

I remember there was an egulleter that flew out for the weekend to TOUR the campus... it is a school in my friends old storeroom, rebuilt and probably fun.. but as mentioned.. NOT the CIA or Cordon Bleu..

I would highly suggest ITALCOOK in Jesi for a professional program.

I wish it had been around when I first came here 22 years ago!

[TheUnknownCook]

Megan Blocker:

Shaw Guides-Italy might be useful to you.

[Catriona]

Megan,

I spent some time in Florence a few years ago, and absolutely adored it... Didn't do any classes when I was there (I was too poor).

The one thing I wished for was for someone to give me an intro to the mercato. Stumled upon ome fun things and great producers, but I'm sure I would have done better with some help. I think that trip on its own would sell divina's course to me. The other is her blog for a couple of months ago which brought back such memories... seemed like she would be the right kind of person to spend a few food-filled days with.

[divina]

Thanks... glad to know you like my blog!

I am thinking of adding a market day next year.. like Monday...

when museums are closed and the market is slow!

I adore the market and have been shopping there since 1984!

home sweet home!

[jmhayes]

I'm looking for a half-or-full day class somewhere in Piedmont, bonus points for being in Monferrato, Alba, etc. I've seen the kind of thing we're looking for in other places (Provence, Lyon, Tuscany) but I'm not having any luck in Piedmont. Basically the kind of thing I'm looking for is where you go to the market in the morning, pick up the stuff and go back to a farmhouse to cook it up, learn a few new techniques and recipies, and eat it with a glass of wine by the early afternoon.

Thanks!

[divina]

I would suggest staying in an agritourismo ( farmhouse) and ask if they can do a class.

going to a market though may be tough as in the countryside market day is once a weel, but with clothese more than food.

Judy ( from walnut creek in my previous life)

[jmhayes]

I would suggest staying in an agritourismo ...

I would like to do that some time, but alas we're a group of 6 with some newbies and already have our housing situation worked out, thus the search for something a little more entry-level If you could recommend an agritourismo near you in Florence for another time, that'd be great!

I found one on actividayz.com but it's in the Veneto and kind of far to drive for the day.

Edited October 21, 2007 by jmhayes (log)

[SWISS_CHEF]

When are you planning this?

Edit....and where are you staying?

Edited October 21, 2007 by SWISS_CHEF (log)

[Frog1879]

The tourist information office in Alba had some brochures for what seemed like exactly what you're looking for. I can't remember any of the details since I just glanced at the brochures while I was there but didn't have time on the trip to explore it further. Here is the contact info for office:

Piazza Risorgimento 2 - 12051 Alba (CN)

Ufficio Informazioni:

Tel. +39.0173.35833 - Fax +39.0173.363878

As an aside, if you're in Alba this is one tourist information office worth visiting. It had the most useful and varied information and most helpful staff I've ever found in a tourist office.

Frog

[divina]

http://www.lacortechiusa.it/uk/cucina.html

I googled Scuola di cucina Monferrato and got this

[Sampaguita]

Its not my intention to use this forum for advertising and indeed I write for the pleasure of talking with food loving people about la cucina di Piemonte. However my husband who does our marketing says post this link, so apologies, but here it is. PS we will be putting together something like what you are looking for for next years season so watch the link.

http://www.villasampaguita.com/Live/Cucina.cfm

[jmhayes]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I probably asked too late for this trip, but the info was useful anyway. I thought I was going to have better Internet access along the way on this trip, but it turns out I had very little ... so we didn't take advantage of any of these ideas. Had a great time anyway, tho!

[PaoloF]

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I probably asked too late for this trip, but the info was useful anyway.  I thought I was going to have better Internet access along the way on this trip, but it turns out I had very little ... so we didn't take advantage of any of these ideas.  Had a great time anyway, tho! 

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Why don't you contact the Gourmet's School in Asti? It's run by my friend Enrico Trova: Enrico has two restaurants in California, but also opened a cooking-school in Asti, the capital of Monferrato, last October. Actually he's in Asti and we'll do a wine-tasting class together next months. Check his website: www.scuolagourmet.com

He speaks perfectly English and I'm sure he'll be pleased to help and assist you!

[Genetti]

What are the best culinary schools in Italy? I'm currently in the process of applying and trying to find the most thorough and best renowned schools. Thanks for your help.

[markabauman]

Check out:

ItalCook

[divina]

I second Italcook, all my friends who have gone have been VERY pleased!

[The Chubby Chef]

Hi everybody

May I join this thread as I'm after very similar thing:

I'm looking to get some more training and looking for an intensive cooking course (5 days a week, 4-8 weeks, in English). I'm thinking about Southern France, Italy or Spain as my cooking style is Mediterranean and I'd like to study this cuisine. Top level French cuisine (like the cordon bleu) is not what I'm after.

I'm available to start it from mid May onwards and I'm asking you if you know and can recommend a school or know someone that can help me find the right place for me.

I have an EU passport which makes life much easier. I also speak more then basic French so looking at France as high priority to use this opportunity to improve my French as well, but my heart says Italy and the simplicity guiding the Italian cuisine as well as the whole Italian food culture is very attractive.

I had a look on the Italcook site, they say that the lessons will be held in Italian with the translation to English. Do you know how it works exactly?

I've already started to search around the net but prefer personal recommendations.

Thanks

Edited April 11, 2008 by The Chubby Chef (log)

[hathor]

Ciao Chubby Chef!

Ital.cook has an exceptional program, if you are looking for a thorough overview of regional Italian cooking, it is the place to be.

The instructors are Italian, while some speak some English it is certainly not the preferred language. That being said, translators are used for the instruction/lecture portions of the classes and recipes are provided in English and Italian.

Having a rudimentary understanding of the Italian language will help you have a richer experience at the school. If you know French, picking up Italian is not that hard, and I believe Ital.cook offers a short crash course in Italian before the cooking school begins. A couple of the students took the class before our course and they all seemed pretty pleased with it.

Please...PM me if you want more specific info, but for the time frame that you've indicated, this could be a great school for you.

[The Chubby Chef]

cheers for the info, I'll get an Italian friend of mine to help me talk to them and to another school in Milan ( Cucina Italiana) that was highly recommended by another friend from Milan. Any info if it fit what I'm looking for?

[cfmiles]

Greetings All: I have been looking at several cooking courses in Italy and would like to know if anyone has heard of the Culinary Institute of Bologna (CIBO). They advertise what looks like a very nice week-long course for professional chefs. Before contacting them I thought I would see if anyone in eGullet has any experience with the school. (It is difficult these days to distinguish "real" organizations from, let's say, "unreal" organizations!). Any input would be greatly appreciated. Coe.

[cfmiles]

Since several folks responded to my cry for help, I thought I would update you. K attended a 1 week course on pasta making from CIBO in Bologna Italy. Because I am a trained chef, they assigned a single teacher-chef to me. It was one of the most outstanding experiences I have eveer had in the kitchen. Every day we met at 8:30 to discuss what past a=we were going to make that day and what fillings and sauces would be required. We then walked to the open air market and got what we needed for that day, returning to the kitchen until 7:00 or so. Absolutely wonderful 5 days. I am by no means an expert (yet), but I can mix a dough and roll it out, all the while noting the dough’s consistency and need for more or less work. Great people. Great town.