THE WAY MAMMA MADE IT

Perfect your culinary skills and discover the secrets of local cuisine on this hands-on cooking class. Under the guidance of an expert instructor, gourmands will learn how to create a delicious meal in true Sicilian style.

This cooking school was established in 1989 by a marquise and acclaimed Sicilian cook whose desire was to promote the region’s rich, diverse gastronomic culture worldwide. In spite of her lofty credentials and sophistication, this noblewoman was a fervent ambassador of country cooking and the Sicilian way of life, following nature’s slow rhythms and using what the local land offered. Today the founder’s farm-to-table philosophy and gastronomic wisdom live on thanks to the efforts of her daughter who took over the school management in 2010.

Your private chauffeur will meet you at your accommodation in Agrigento and drive you to the location of your cooking class. The school is set inside a collection of farm buildings amidst a prestigious wine estate in central Sicily. The favourable microclimate and geologically varied composition of the property’s terroir allows for both indigenous and international grape varietals to be planted successfully, from the ubiquitous Pinot Noir and Sauvignon to flagship Sicilian vines, such as Perricone, Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Inzolia. Vegetables, fruits, olive groves, almond trees and wheat are also lovingly cultivated on the farm while meat and milk are provided by the native Comisana breed of red headed sheep that graze freely on the estate’s pastures. Such an abundance of fresh, top quality raw ingredients available on site is at the root of the tempting range of home-made delights featured in the cooking classes.

After an introduction to the activities carried out here, an instructor will guide you through the preparation of a mouth-watering four-course lunch by using the ingredients that grow on the estate or on nearby farms. Depending on the season and day of the week, tasty inclusions might be fried chick pea panelle, caponata with aubergines, olives and capers, arancini stuffed with rice and sweet cannoli filled with ricotta cheese. After the experience enjoy the meal you just prepared accompanied with a selection of the estate’s wines… Buon appetito!

In the afternoon your private chauffeur will drive you back to Agrigento.