
Periodically I take groups on culinary tours where we undertake hands-on foodcraft classes as well as some touristic opportunities around local cuisine.
October 6-12, 2016: Autumn in Italy
- Six nights at a family-owned hotel on the Adriatic Coast, in the heart of Romagna.
- All meals, including drinks and local wine selection.
- Experience the food culture of Emilia-Romagna including hands-on cooking classes.
- Forage for porcini mushrooms in the Apennine mountains, and learn to cook with them.
- Attend a traditional sagra, a festival of truffles in a quaint medieval town.
- Make savòr, a local conserve of autumn fruits and nuts with a local artisan jam maker.
- Make hand-rolled pasta with a sfoglina, or pasta maker.
- Make piadina, the local flatbread of Romagna, at Casa Artusi, a museo del gusto.
- Experience formaggio di fossa, sheep's milk cheese that's stored in limestone pits.
- Shop the markets of Bologna, and cook a delicious meal from them.
- An English-speaking guide throughout the tour.
- Click here for the full itinerary and logistics.
Price per person, based on double occupancy, is 3,500 USD. Single accommodation is available for an additional 500 USD.
Interested in joining? Contact us or fill out the form below for more information.
See some highlights from our previous trips here:

Preserves with MarziaWe work with local artisan Marzia Brigante to make local varieties of preserves. In 2015 we made four: Abate pear conserve with lemon and walnut, lemon marmalade, green tomato jam, and Tropea onion jam

Making Pasta in CesenaticoLearn how to make hand-rolled pasta from scratch: Strozzapreti, cappelletti, tagliatelle, tagliolini, and passatelli, a dumpling-like pasta special to Emilia-Romagna.

Formaggio di FossaWe'll take you to to experience
formaggio di fossa, a sheep's (sometimes cow's) milk cheese aged in
tufa pits in the town of Sogliano sul Rubicone.

Truffle FestivalMany people know about the famous truffle festival in Alba, but the smaller one in Sant'Agata Feltria is more intimate and full of delicious things.

Parma and Modena: Parmigiano-ReggianoWe've gone to a
caseificio in Parma to watch the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of Italian cheeses. This is a truly artisanal production done on a large scale.

Parma and Modena: Prosciutto di ParmaAfter seeing Parmigiano-Reggiano, we headed to the nearby Prosciuttificio San Giacomo to see how prosciutto is made. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto is a case of a truly artisanal product that is made on a very large scale.

Parma and Modena: Aceto BalsamicoWe also went to an acetaia to learn about the production of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena -- true balsamic vinegar, not the stuff you find on the grocery store shelves.

A Fish, a Fish, DelishWe visited Cesenatico's pescheria, or fish market, saw the conserve where fish were stored before refrigeration, and learned how to prepare Adriatic fish. And, of course, we ate a lot of fish.

SalumiIn 2012, we worked with a local butcher to break down a hog and turn it into salame, salsiccia, cotechino, pancetta, guanciale, strutto, ciccioli and fegatelli. And, I am confronted with a cosmic conundrum. (Warning: Graphic images of pig butchery.)