Workshops
Themed and guest-led culinary experiences
WHEN
Sept 30- Oct 5, 2024
PRICE
Single Room: €3,550 Double Room: €6,390
Costs include accommodation at Case Vecchie or one of the nearby cottages, shuttle from/to Roccapalumba train station, indicated lessons, meals, wine and excursions. Lunch and dinner are served with wines from the Tasca d’Almerita estate. Typical meals and cooking lessons include three or four courses.
info
Airfare and private transportation to and from Case Vecchie are not included in the cost. At the time of booking, please let us know if you would like to book a ride to and from the estate. Planned activities and schedules may change at short notice due to seasonal rhythms of life in Sicily.
Baking and Preserving Sicily
with Sarah Owens
Join James Beard award-winning author, baker, and preservationist Sarah Owens for an adventure of baking and preserving with Sicilian ingredients. As the surrounding countryside of Case Vecchie transforms into an autumn landscape rich with culinary inspiration, you will learn its history and study its terroir utilizing ingredients in both traditional and modern contexts, we will not only go deep into its grain culture, but also wine and cheese making, very important products in the Sicilian food landscape. Learn to make sourdough breads and pastries using Sicilian heirloom grains as well as preserves to take home as delicious memories for the months ahead. We will visit a local mill to learn more about local grain and bake recipes appropriate to these flour’s potential using both electric and wood-fired ovens.
Example Program
September 30: Settle in
3:00 to 5:00 pm | Arrive and settle into your rooms
7:30 pm | Welcome aperitivo and dinner with the group
October 1: Flatbreads and Flavors
9:00 am | Breakfast around the table
10:00 am | First kitchen session. An introduction to Sicilian heirloom grains and sourdough baking techniques and some seasonal spreads and salads
1:00 pm | Late lunch al fresco (weather permitting) to enjoy the bounty we cooked together
2:30 pm | Afternoon break to rest, relax and enjoy the surroundings
5:00 pm | Meet to forage in the garden and move into the kitchen to explore making some syrups and infusions using ingredients
8:00 pm | Dinner around the table
October 2: Preserving the Season
7:45 am | Visit to the local shepherd to see the fresh ricotta and pecorino making process with a picnic breakfast
11:00 am | Return home for a walk through the ornamental gardens followed by a Sicilian cheese tasting and light lunch
1:30 pm | Afternoon to rest, relax and enjoy the surroundings
5:30 pm | In the kitchen to make preserves and jams followed by delicious dinner around the table
October 3: Jam, Bread and Wine
9:00 am | Breakfast bounty using your breads and jams
10:00 am | Prepare hearth-style sourdough loaves using Sicilian flours. Learn to make a chilled (Spanish inspired) bread and almond soup. Finish up preserves that were macerated overnight
1:00 pm | Lunch around the table and shaping of your breads
5:00 pm | Tasting and tour at the Tasca D’Almerita winery followed by dinner
October 4: Pizza Party, and Bake-Off
9:00 am | Breakfast around the table
10:00 am | Baking sweet treats: biscuits, breads and more
1:00 pm | Lunch around the table
5:00 pm | Prepare pestos using foraged ingredients and toppings for pizza. Learn to make vermouth. Fire up the wood oven! Bake pizzas and hearth breads made the previous day
October 5: Goodbyes
9:00 am | Breakfast
10:00 am | Goodbyes and departure
Booking requests
Excursions
All overnight stays of more than one night include excursions to the surrounding areas to explore local artisans and food producers. You’re welcome to request specific excursions at the time of booking but due to the seasonal rhythm of life and agriculture in Sicily, planned activities and schedules may change at short notice.
Agrigento
Take a half-day trip to explore the famous Greek archaeological site The Valley of the Temples. Enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch in the garden of Kolymbetra, an ancient citrus grove.
Pasta Factory
We might make pasta by hand in the kitchen, but here’s a chance to visit a large scale dry-pasta maker in the town of Valledolmo. Get to know what makes packaged pasta delicious.
Pizza Making
Visit a local pizzeria for a lesson in pizza making using local Sicilian flours and then enjoy your own pizza creation from their wood-fired oven.
Coffee Roasting
Meet Carmelo, the local coffee roaster in Valledolmo who creates a powerful blend of robusta and arabica beans to get your day started right.
Wood Working
The Cilano family have been woodworkers for centuries, but they are now leaders in making wine boxes for Sicilian wine companies. Experience local craftsmanship firsthand.
Olive Oil Mill
During the fall, the opportunity to visit local olive mills is one you don’t want to miss. Understand the picking and processing of these century-old trees and learn how good olive oil is made.
Wine Tasting
A visit to the Tasca D'Almerita winery will demonstrate the process of a company that produces 3.5 million bottles of wine annually, yet still does most of their grape harvest by hand. Sip and savor a number of wines from grapes cultivated right under your nose.
Ricotta Making
Join us for a morning visit to a local shepherd and cheese-maker, where we will watch traditional ricotta-making and learn more about Pecorino aging. This excursion is typically followed by a Sicilian cheese tasting back at Case Vecchie.
Artisan Visits
A half-day visit to Polizzi is worth the hour-long drive and winding roads to this hill town in the Madonie mountains. Visit a local ceramicist or take a trip to taste the Slow Food Presidia products followed by lunch at a local salumeria.
Flour Mill
A trip to Mussumeli to the Lo Manto mill will introduce you to two types of wheat processing: stone ground and cylindrical mill. Learn about the differences in wheat and grinding for the best breads and pastas.
The whole experience, from the accommodations (food, the beautiful location) to all the people we encountered was top notch. The kitchen crew was awesome in every way! I will definitely recommend to friends. David was great, enjoyed his casual style and expertise.
J.N.
David Tanis Workshop
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and thought the standard of the course was exceptional. I have taken other cooking classes in other countries, and this course was by far more authentic, serious, in-depth and has inspired me.
J.S.
David Tanis Workshop
Everything about the week was worth the effort to get there and the planning was well worth it. It was a week of gourmet eating. The participants were all enthusiastic about being there and that helped make the overall "experience".
S.M
David Tanis Workshop
I loved everything, beyond beautiful surroundings, fabulous food, wonderful instruction and opportunity to learn about Sicilian cooking, as well as the knowledgeable and very helpful staff. The flowing wine and other guests, who just happened to be amazing also added to my exceptional experience!
B.W
Tomato Paste Workshop
We've been telling everybody what great experience we've had at Case Vecchie: breadmaking, Sicilian cooking lessons, daily walks to the winery, visit to the flour mill and ricotta maker and the sheep, your beautiful grounds filled with fruit trees and vegetable gardens and the chicken coop.
Y.W.
Breadcamp
My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me. My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me.
J.C.
Pasta Workshop
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
Pasta Workshop
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
Pasta Workshop
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