Workshops
Themed and guest-led culinary experiences
WHEN
September 16 – 21, 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 is not included in the price. 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.
Sketching and Drawing: A Daily Practice
with Samantha Dion Baker
During this week-long retreat we will work closely together to help guests establish and/or develop their creative journal and sketchbook practice. We will begin with getting to know one another, learning about our backgrounds in the arts, and sharing our goals. Then we will move onto basic drawing exercises that are useful for artists at any level. Contour line drawings, blind contour, practicing ellipses and straight lines are some of the exercises we will practice. We will then discuss the endless ways one can capture their dreams, memories, the mundane everyday, and the extraordinary moments on paper. Using a range of materials provided by Caran D’Ache, Blackwing and Sakura of America. At the end of each day we will share and talk about all we are proud of and what we wish to work on. This workshop retreat is a chance to build on a practice that can transform your days, along with delicious food and the most glorious backdrop, I am so excited for this unique experience!
Samatha Dion Baker
Artist, author and teacher, Samatha Dion Baker is known for her detailed illustrations and her daily sketch journal that she shares regularly on Instagram. She graduated from Cooper Union in New York City and spent more than twenty years working as a graphic designer with many iconic institutions including The Whitney Museum of Art, St. Regis Hotels Resorts, and The Shaker Museum. Some of her illustration clients include The High Line Hotel, Atelier Cologne, Kikkerland Design, Blackwing, and Gloria Steinem. Samantha’s self-published daily sketch journals are on permanent collection at The Morgan Library at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she is the author of Draw Your Day, Draw Your World, and Draw Your Day For Kids! Originally from Philadelphia, Baker lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband and two sons.
Example Program
September 16th
3:00 to 5:00 pm | Check in
7:00 pm | Aperitivo, welcome chat and a traditional Sicilian dinner at Case Vecchie
September 17th
9:00 am | Bountiful breakfast with homemade jams, cakes, coffee, tea and seasonal fruit
10:30 am | Painting session in Case Vecchie's garden - Intro/show and tell, first exercises, getting to know our materials and a talk on color.
5:30 pm | Traditional Sicilian cooking lesson followed by dinner
September 18th
7:45 am | Visit a local shepherd and cheesemaker, Filippo Privitera, to see ricotta making. Picnic breakfast included. Return to Case Vecchie for a Sicilian cheese tasting followed by lunch
4:30 pm | Enjoy the garden of Case Vecchie, drawing our days together freely with not much instruction, but encouragement and as much guidance as each guest would like, and then meet to discuss thoughts and share our journal pages
7:30 pm | Aperitivo by the pool followed by dinner
September 19th
9:00 am | Bountiful breakfast with homemade jams, cakes, coffee, tea and seasonal fruit followed by a walk in the garden in search of seasonal ingredients.
10:30 am - 2:00 pm | Cooking lesson and lunch
3:00 - 5:00 pm | Lots of time to draw, paint and experiment in new ways on our pages. We will discuss taking risks, trying new processes and materials, and working around mistakes. On this day we will also experiment with collage
4:00 pm | Visit the Tasca d’Almerita winery for a tour and wine followed by aperitivo and dinner at Case Vecchie
September 20th
9:00 am | Bountiful breakfast with homemade jams, cakes, coffee, tea and seasonal fruit
10:30 am | Workshop on natural dyeing and plant-based colour painting
1:00 pm | Lunch in the courtyard
4:30 pm | Painting session - Reflection, memory keeping, future goals, and a sketchbook share
7:30 pm | Pizza night in town!
September 21st
9:00 am | Bountiful breakfast with homemade jams, cakes, coffee, tea, and seasonal fruit
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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