“You have to taste a culture to understand it.” – Deborah Cater

In Italy food is more than just sustenance, it is art, tradition and community rolled into one; specialized butcher and bakery shops where the proprietors have served the same clients for years and where they know the providence of each cut they sell; weekly community markets where local farmers sell their produce, and dish gossip, with their friends; 0km restaurants who believe in sourcing locally grown vegetables and meats, hand-making their pasta and working with fresh, not frozen, ingredients. These things combine to create a culture of food that not only tastes better but also reminds us to slow down and enjoy our meals instead of rushing through them.

Over the past six years of La Dolce Vita our culinary lessons and activities have been undisputed guest favourites. We are pleased to present two featured culinary workshops in 2020. Won’t you join us as we delve deeper into the food culture of Italy?

Cooking with Orsa

Our first lesson will be under the direction of Orsa Pellion, our on-site hostess at Borgo Personatina. Holding a Doctorate in culinary anthropology, she looks beyond “just food” to find its relationship to cultural history and art. More than simple cooking lessons, Orsa’s workshops are encounters of cultural exchange, where the flavours and richness of the Italian gastronomic world are discovered. Uniting theory, practice, research, her workshops rediscover classic Tuscan favorites and interprets them as new creations. It has been said, “cooking is a delicate and friendly art that overcomes language barriers, bonds populations and warms the heart.” This is what you will experience in Orsa’s hands-on cooking class.

An Italian Feast

Our second culinary lesson will take place at a 14th century villa and wine producing farm, tucked into the hills surrounding Siena. The villa, its gardens and 18th-century decorations have been carefully renovated and restored. After a tour of the property and its rooms, many which are museum quality, we will embark upon our group cooking lesson. Once the meal is ready, we will sit down together to enjoy the fruits of our labor.