A Feast at the Villa Table

Porto Ercole, Italy

Oct. 10-19, 2012

Learn how the Italians prepare their food so that is is more than just a sit-down dinner – it is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate and a meal that you wish would never end. Discover the secrets behind the incredible dishes that have made Italian cooking one of the most popular cuisines in the world. The tour culminates with a grand feast with a local chef.

All of this beautiful imagery takes place in Porto Ercole, a lovely village located right on the Mediterranean in the Tuscany region of Italy. The tour consists of 4 days of learning to prepare classic Italian dishes using ingredients found in the local markets. You will learn the secrets of preparing incredible antipasto as well as creative ways to present these tasty appetizers. The tour culminates in a grand multi-course dinner that you and the other guests have actually created. And after you have returned home, the sights and sounds of Italy will be renewed as you unlock the mysteries of this incredible cuisine in your own kitchen. The cooking classes are conducted by Suzanne McNeilly, a graduate of the Seattle Central Community College of Culinary Arts (accredited by the American Culinary Federation).

On the days you are not cooking, you will be shopping for the best ingredients in local markets, visiting wineries, and meeting extraordinary people such as local families from the village. (You may even get to cook dinner for some of them – a true Italian party at the villa!) There will be a day trip to Sienna. We will also take you to the heart of Tuscany to shop at the world famous San Lorenzo Market in Florence. There you will find stalls overflowing with the most incredible selection of food Italy has to offer. You will spend the night in this fabulous city, so there will be plenty of time for sight-seeing.

Casa Moorehead, the country estate you will be staying in at Porto Ercole, has 8 bedrooms, 4 full baths, and garden terraces for dining and relaxing.

This could be one of the greatest times of your life. As one previous guest commented, “It is the most wonderful vacation I have ever experienced.” When you return home, your trip will only be as far away as your kitchen when you prepare one of the fantastic meals you mastered in Italy. The best place to learn Italian is in the kitchen!

Tour Details

Price of this culinary tour is $3750 per person.
This 10 day package includes 4 days of hands-on cooking instruction, printed recipes of all meals prepared in class, a special cooking lesson from a local chef, lodging at the villa and one night in Florence, all meals served at Casa Moorehead (including wine with dinner), breakfast and dinner in Florence, tours of local markets and wineries, transportation to and from the Rome Airport.

Limited to 8 persons.
Price does not include airfare.
Day by day itinerary available upon request.
Registration

The deposit required for this tour is $400.

This deposit will reserve your space for the tour. The balance is due 30 days prior to the start of tour. Click the button below to register for the tour.

For reservations made after August 1, 2012 (60 days prior to departure), full payment for the event will be due at time of registration. Please use the contact page to request registration for this tour.
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