New Tortellino cooking lesson

As of today Taste of Italy offers a class centered around Bologna's most famous of pastas: the tortellino.

Making tortellini is an art, something that deserves time and attention to detail. Bolognese tradition rules are very precise on what goes into the filling, the broth and the pasta (only the finest ingredients) and how to best prepare these ingredients in order to obtain the best end product. We will talk about the ingredients as well as prepare the different parts that make this dish so famous.

The lesson covers:

1. How to make the filling
2. How to make the broth
3. How to make pasta dough
4. How to close the tortellino

As usual with all Taste of Italy lessons, the lesson includes the meal, beverages and dessert/fruit as well as apron and recipe booklet. In this particular lesson typical regional antipasti and aperitivo will be served and are naturally included in the price. 75€ per person.

New Cooking Classes

Cooking lessons for Fall 2009

Taste of Italy offers authentic home Italian cooking in a home setting. Learn the secrets, curiosities and traditions related to the foods we will cook. The cooking lessons listed below are adapted to your level of experience and personal taste as well as the availability of ingredients according to the season.

Traditional Bolognese Hand Made Pasta I
You are in Bologna, Italy’s gastronomic capital so why not learn how to prepare its most famous dishes? These are made with fresh pasta such as tagliatelle with ragu’, tortelloni and other pasta shapes in a seasonal sauce (each season will have a different third sauce).

Traditional Bolognese Hand Made Pasta II
Colored pasta is a Bolognese tradition that embellishes your dining table and pleasures your palate. We will prepare differently colored doughs: red, green, yellow or … with only vegetable colors such as spinach for the green and we will teach you some tricks for the successful result of your colored plates.

Handmade Pasta Vegetarian Style
Fresh made pasta is delicious with vegetarian sauces. You will learn how to make the traditional sfoglia on the wooden board and rolling pin, vegetarian style.
We will prepare at least 3 types of handmade pasta including the famous tagliolini, the tortelli bolognesi and strichetti (or garganelli) and to prepare the sauces. We will take advantage of the best and freshest seasonal produce to make some traditional and simple sauces.

Cook with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Did you know that this excellent cheese varies flavor, color and use according to its aging? After a brief description and tasting of the Parmigiano Reggiano’s different agings (18, 22 and 30 months) we will prepare a menu based on this marvelous regional specialty made up of antipasti, a first course, a second course and a side course.

Cook with Modena’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
Italy’s black gold is a precious and artisanal ingredient that can be used in different ways. After a brief description and tasting of what makes Modena's Traditional Balsamic vinegar different from other "balsamic vinegars" we will prepare a menu based on this magnificient regional specialty made up of two antipasti, a second course, a side course and dessert.

Vegetarian Cooking, Italian Style
Italy boasts a great variety of vegetables, fruit, cereals and cheeses so the vegetarian, by choice or by taste, will find an infinite variety of dishes to prepare.We will let the seasons be our guide to prepare dishes that are both easy and tasty; guaranteed to be a success among non-vegetarians! Our menu will include 4 or 5 dishes including antipasti, a first, second course and a dessert.

What’s included?
At the end of our cooking lesson we will sit down and eat all the delicious dishes we have created. Wine, water, coffee or tea are included in the price. Each participant receives a printed cloth apron and recipe booklet to take home.

Prices
>The price for a single class participant is 100€
Singles have a right to a discount if they reserve (and pre-pay) more than one lesson, at 75€

>Singles please inquire: if there is someone else signed up on the day you are interested and you both agree on the menu, the 75€ is applicable to both participants.

>For groups of 2 to 8 persons, the price per person is 75€

>Do you want to shop for our lesson’s ingredients in Bologna’s famous food market? A walk through the food market of about 1.5 hours is 25€ extra per group (in the morning only).


Important
1. The dishes listed may change according to the seasons and the availability of fresh ingredients. Variations to the lessons’ menu (where predictable) are available upon request.

2. Please point out any dietary restrictions or any foods you don’t like when you book. We’d hate to prepare dishes with ingredients you cannot or will not eat!

3. Please point out your level of cooking expertise in advance: beginner, intermediate or advanced; all lessons can be adapted to your level.

4. The cooking lesson can be held in English or Italian and starts in the morning and ends with the lunch.

When are cooking classes held?
Whenever you want! Write to inquire about date availability and then choose the lesson you prefer!

Where are our cooking lessons?
Classes can be either held in a home kitchen in Bologna's historic center or in a charming B&B in Castel San Pietro or a large professional kitchen in Bologna (20 minutes from the historic center). The last two locations are subject to a mnimum number of participants.

To book or request availability, please call (+39) 3471550839 or write an email to info(AT) taste-of-italy.com

Where we are located

Taste of Italy now has the following locations available for its cooking lessons:

1. In the heart of Bologna and only a 10 minute walk from the central city open air food market (il mercato di mezzo), this location offers a typical Bolognese house as the setting for our cooking classes. This location is ideal for individuals or small groups.

2. Country house in Castel San Pietro offers a charming rustic setting for our cooking classes. We can prepare the pasta outside if the weather is nice or near the fireplace if its chilly. It is the perfect setting for those wanting an unforgettable day. The country house is only 27 minutes away from Bologna but is worth the extra travel time. This location is ideal for small groups and pasta classes feature Teresa, the sfoglina.
Afterwards, why not visit Dozza with its painted murals and the Region's Enoteca to taste or buy some wine!

One of the few streets of medieval Dozza.

3. Professional cooking kitchen in Bologna. Only 20 minutes from the city center, this location has a large kitchen with 5 workstations. It also has several helpers on hand, in addition to the teacher, available to answer questions or to help prepare a dish.
This location is perfect for large groups and costs 60€ per person.
This location is easy to reach with public transportation or by car (there is plenty of parking).

In addition:
If your group has private transportation we also have other large, charming locations available for the cooking lessons.

Tell us what kind of experience you are looking for or what your group's requirements are and we can suggest the best location for you.

Updates coming soon!

Hello everybody,

we have been busy working to add some of the things that you have been asking for (more venues, more classes) as well as updating our website.

Please be patient as we unveil them a bit as at a time!

Thanks to all for your wonderful support and great feedback,

Taste of Italy

Why subscribe to an RSS Feed?

By subscribing to an RSS feed you don't have to remember to check a site regularly to keep up with news. Anytime there is an update, the feeder will automatically send you an update on your RSS reader.

To subscribe all you have to do is click on the orange icon on the right and install an RSS reader which will receive the updates.

Really, its much simpler than it sounds so I will let the experts in explaining complicated things do this- they are Common Craft. Below you will find a link to their video and below that there is a link to their site so you can check out their other quite informative videos.

Enjoy! (and don't forget to subscribe!)

RSS Feed In Plain English

LINK: http://commoncraft.com/

Change in Menu of April 15th Traditional Pasta Lesson

We have decided to change the menu of the April 15th pasta lesson to accomodate participants who have taken the traditional Bolognese pasta lessons (tagliatelle and tortellini).

In this lesson, Teresa will teach you how to prepare traditional tortelli with cheese and spinach filling and learn how to make naturally colored green, red and yellow pasta. We will also prepare different shapes and as usual taste all the pasta we have prepared with their matching sauces.

The pasta lesson takes place at a charming country house in Castel San Pietro Terme, only a 15 minute train ride away from Bologna (the train ride costs 2,50€ each way). Transportation between the country house and the Castel San Pietro Terme train station is included in the fee.

Making Pasta with Teresa II– 50€

• on Wednesday April 15th from 10am to 14pm
• These lessons will be translated into English
• There is space for a maximum of 8 persons

Other details are the same as the Traditional Pasta lessons.