Cook like an Italian
. . . learn the basics of Italian cooking

Courses for people who love to cook and are able to do it, but also for those who cannot fry an egg and where better to learn than in the beautiful region of Tuscany with its hills covered by olive trees and fields of sunflowers.

Tuscany . . .

Tuscany is probably the most loved region of Italy and whilst Rome is the capital, Tuscany is the heart. Stretching from the Apennines to the sea, midway between Milan and Rome, the region is the picture of Italy we all have in our mind's eye.

Its changing scenery is unmatched anywhere else in Italy. Its towns are famous for their wealth of fine architecture and art, but visitors often go home even more enthusiastic about Tuscany's unspoilt hilly landscapes, about the delicious Chianti wines produced by vineyards on those hills, and about the robust and flavorful Tuscan cooking. Winding roads lead through the magical Chianti countryside, past small, picturesque hilltop villages and beautiful stone farmhouses.

Tuscany is almost certainly the most loved region of Italy. It presents that ideal green Italian landscape, dotted with pink stone hilltop towns, where cypress trees stand between olive groves and vineyards. The capital of Tuscany is Florence, a centre of the Fifteenth century Renaissance.

Siena is probably the most noble Tuscan city with its roots going back to the Etruscan period. It is probably best known for its 'palio' which has been passed down from generation to generation, and recollects Siena's rich history and frequent periods of war notably those conducted against the Guelfi Fiorentini. The Palio itself is a famous horse race whereby the horses hurtle around a shell shaped course whilst the jockeys use any means possible to get to the post first. The race takes place twice a year and keeps alive the fighting spirit of Siena's citizens.

Cook like an Italian is located in Montalcino

Montalcino, located 38 kilometres south of Siena, is said to be one of the most picturesque hill top villages in Tuscany. The name Montalcino derives from "monte dei lecci" and literally means "mountain of the oaks". The location on which Montalcino is built has been inhabited since the Stone Age but it was in the Middle Ages that it became famous for its fine cooking and its leather workers who produced fine equipment for the knights and horses of the day. These days it is famous for its wine . . . Brunello di Montalcino.

Surrounded by walls, the oldest part of Montalcino is located along the main street, the via Matteotti, which widens to form the Piazza del Popolo, the medieval centre of the town. At the point where Via Matteotti enters the piazza stands the Palazzo dei Priori, built in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth centuries, which is now used as the town hall. The facade of this fine example of Sienese architecture has two rows of windows whilst above it soars a tall tower. On the highest part of the hill is the fortress built in the shape of a pentagon - an outstanding example of military architecture, built in the second half of the Fourteenth century. The ground floor now houses a wine cellar and the view from the walls is beautiful on a clear day.

Your personal guide to Italian cooking

Your personal guide to Italian cooking is Teresa Galli. Born in Rome, Teresa is well-travelled and speaks fluent English and French. For over twenty-five years she worked for the press departments at the main International sporting events around the world.

As well as being extremely talented in the kitchen and a great teacher Teresa is also an amateur artist painting on ceramics, porcelain, canvas and on fabrics. Teresa sees cooking very much as an art and enjoys teaching both people who love to cook and are able to do it, but also those who are not able to fry an egg when they first meet her.

Tersa believes in teaching from the ground up - get the basics right and the rest follows . . . in Italian cooking everything starts with an onion! To the basics, she adds her imagination, which is her form of art and teaches how to develop it in your own cooking.

She will also explain the technical aspects of Italian cooking, which apply to all forms of cooking, such as the difference between cooking with or without a lid, adding red or white wine or vinegar and similar examples of simple, easy to learn and practical cooking methods.

The greatest pleasure for Teresa in teaching cooking is that it enables her to enjoy meeting people, especially from other countries . . . and she loves to speak English!

The Courses

The first cooking lesson starts with a short talk on the origins of the basic ingredients. The sort of interesting things my students learn is that the chicken and eggplant originally came from Tibet or tomatoes, which have so much influence in Italian cooking, originated from the New World and were first believed to be a poisonous plant. Tomatoes were first used in Italian cooking at the end of the Seventeenth century.

In the Italian kitchen, everything starts with an onion. Add it diced to extra virgin olive oil in a pan and this is the beginning of a tomato sauce or any other kind of sauce, a risotto or even a roast.

If you already know the basics the lessons will concentrate on risottos or on the many other ways to make a pasta sauce. If you are really experienced we can make pasta by hand or invent new fillings for cannelloni or ravioli. We can also make our own cakes. You will also be surprised on the many ways there are to make a good coffee!

Students start chopping, cooking, and tasting right away. As to how and why we do certain things, these will be expained and discussed as the lessons progress.

• One Day
  Preparation of different tomato sauces, risotto and vegetables in season (like eggplant, fennel, peppers, artichokes, etc).

• Two Days
  On the second day one can learn either gnocchi or lasagne, white sauce or béchamel, other tomato sauces, a different risotto, vegetables in season.

• Five Days
  This course is intended for up to a maximum of four people only. The course covers the making of sauces, risottos, gnocchi, hand made pastas, desserts, home made marmalades and more. The course also includes instruction on the use of seasonal vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, zucchini, etc. Over the five days you will prepare five dinners which you will then sit down to enjoy with a few glasses of excellent Italian wine.

• Cooking Demonstration Days
  For larger groups of up to ten people cooking demonstrations can be arranged. The demonstration can be done as a single group over the whole day or the group can be split into two sessions, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. For the demonstration courses Teresa will be doing the cooking, having prepared the sauces and other ingredients in advance, and explaining as the course unfolds how and why everything was prepared and how each dish is put together.

Teresa teaches vegetarian and gluten free cooking as well.

If your companion is with you but does not want to cook, or your children, they can join you for the meal that you will prepare!

Accommodation

Hotel Dei Capitani is located within the historical town of Montalcino and offers an ideal location for a relaxing cooking holiday in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. The Hotel is an eighteenth century building which has only been converted to a hotel in recent times. With uninterrupted views over the surrounding countryside its glorious terrace garden, which aslo has a small swimming pool, is great for realxing in.

The hotel has a total of twenty-nine rooms, all of which have private bathroom, air-conditioning, hairdryer, telephone, satellite television, safe, mini-fridge and central heating. The majority of the bedrooms are situated at the rear of the building, enabling guests to enjoy the wonderful views of Val D'Orcia and Val D'Arbia.

A recent guest said of the hotel, "Beautiful hotel with large rooms. Postcard views of Tuscan countryside around Montalcino from every room. Lovely outdoor beakfast area with very good breakfast Welcoming helpful staff. This building looks quite old but it was only recently converted into a hotel. I liked it so much that I extended my stay. Would happily stay there again." - August 2005

If you need help finding accommodation in Montalcino just contact Teresa.