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 Thursday, 09 February 2012 |
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Put a Cooking Holiday on the Menu |
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Written by Graeme Willingham
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Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
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Put a cooking holiday on the menu
With Ribollita (first course with bread and vegetables), Coniglio alla
cacciatore (second course with rabbit) and Schiacciata all uva (cake with
grapes) found on the menus of some Tuscan restaurants, you can expect that's
what you'll learn to cook in a Tuscan cooking holiday experience.  Cooking holidays in the likes of Italy's Tuscany and France's Provence can be found in the brochures of those holiday companies catering for discerning, Free Independent Travellers (FIT, as they say in the travel industry) seeking a hands-on experience unique to a particular region, away from the crowds.
What do they offer? Certainly, aspiring chefs need take no cooking utensils, just a fine sense of taste, adventure and fun.
Cooking classes vary from just a single lesson as part of a more general tour of a region to several days' intense lessons with local short tours featured as the add-ons.
For example, a five days cooking course based at the 12th century Villa Casagrande at Figline Valdarno not far from Florence, starts with dinner in local restaurant Torre Guelfa.
Chef Claudio Piantini then runs lessons there over three days, with lunch based on the participants' culinary efforts.
After the first lesson and lunch, participants visit a family owned winery and farm for tasting wine and food specialities.
The next day's classes could include Gnocchi al ragu (hand made pasta), Quaglia all Fiorentina (Florentine recipe with quail) and Schiacciata alla Fiorentina (traditional Florentine cake).
Another post-lunch excursion, but this time to the historical centre of Arezzo.
The last lesson could well be Papa al Pomodoro (first course with tomatoes and bread), Crostini di fegatini and porrata (croutons with liver-sauce and leeks soufflé) and Cenci (cake with chestnuts, pine kernels and rosemary).
Again, yours for the eating!
Greve in Chianti region and the castle village of Montefioralle are visited that afternoon and dinner is served at Fattoria di Montagliari before returning to Figline.
Breakfast next day and private car transfer to Florence concludes the experience.
A gourmet/scenic experience like this is priced from $2340 per person twin share, which covers four nights accommodation, return transfers from Florence, the three lessons, daily breakfast, three dinners and the three afternoon excursions.
Similarly, in France's Provence, you will find most courses set aside mornings for cooking and the afternoons are free to explore the local district.
An example of a more intense experience is the six days Passport to Provence, set in the enchanting ancient hilltop village of La Cadiere d'Azur, dominating the fertile vineyards and orchards of Bandol on one side and the sparkling Mediterranean sea on the other.
Profoundly attached to this land and its traditions, local restaurateur Chef Rene Berard describes his cooking as the "Cuisine of the Sun". Expect lessons on the likes of bouillabaisse, ratatouille, tapenade as well as breads and pastries.
Daily activities are organised from 10.00am - 4.00pm and include early morning visits to the local markets. Evenings are at leisure.
Home for five nights is the elegant family-run Hostellerie Berard, situated in a restored 11th century monastery. The hotel has a heated outdoor swimming pool, sauna, gardens, restaurant with panoramic views of the Bandol vineyards and countryside.
The ancient monks' cells in the monastery have been transformed into 36 rooms, grouped around the pool.
This package is priced from $2403 per person twin share, covering five nights accommodation at Hostellerie Berard, four days practical cooking courses in "La Bastide des Saveurs" including lunch with drinks, breakfast daily, welcome dinner on Sunday evening, visits to the local market, oil-mill, vineyards and herb-picking in the hills.
La Cadiere d'Azur is located 68 km from Marseille Airport and local transport is poor so a rental car is recommended.
Details. Tempo Holidays has seven cooking class packages for Italy-France. Contact tel 03 9646 0277, see www.tempoholidays.com.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 July 2006 )
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