Visite du marché et cours de cuisine chez un local à Côme

Our cooking class with Vincenzo and Stephania today was perfect and Delicious! We shopped for our fresh ingredients and helped with the meal from step one. Homemade pasta, homemade tiramisu and our polpo Ragu came out perfectly! We enjoyed their terrace and sitting and conversing with them. Such a fun and lovely couple!

Our Chef Anna first took us through a local fresh market to explain where all the food comes from and why it is so important to the taste. We were able to sample some of the produce and cheeses. Then as we strolled back to her home kitchen, she gave us a mini tour of the medieval parts of Como. Once we were in her kitchen she instructed us in preparing some fresh pastas, sauces and tiramisu. All delicious. We loved this activity! She even sent us some recipes to try at home.

A terrific Day today! We booked a cooking class, Viator hooked us up with Cesarina Vincenzo e Stefania. We started the day with Vincenzo taking us to the supermarket to purchase the ingredients. He showed us how to find fresh ingredients and taught us about Italian wines. He then took us to their home to teach us how to cook an authentic fresh Italian meal. While he started the ragu (sauce) he had us prepare the appetizer, which was basically a crescent roll filled with smoked cheese and braciola (meat) topped with an egg wash and sesame seeds. The whole time the Prosecco was flowing. While the appetizer and the ragu were cooking Stefania showed us how to make Tiarmasu. We had a little break and ate our appetizers and the white wine was flowing. If Vincenzo saw an empty glass he would get the bottle and pour more. After our appetizers they taught us how to make fresh pasta, making the dough from semolina flour and water. Once this was done and cooked the pasta was added to the sauce and our meal was ready to eat. And the red wine flowed. After the meal we ate our Tiarmasu and had limnocello. I know it seems like with all the wine and limnocello we should be getting drunk but we were not. With all the activities and food it didn't really have that affect, we just had a great time immersing ourselves in the culture. Eating , drinking and conversing over the meal, swapping stories of how each couple met and fell in love. It was a great experience! Stefania and Vincenzo were marvelous hosts and made the day very special.

What a delightful couple who welcomed us into their home and served us a delicious lunch. They were expert teachers and had us participating in all stages of our lunch which included appetizer of salmon and cheese wrapped in a stuffed pastry, homemade pasta with clam sauce and tiramisu. This was all accompanied by delicious Prosecco and white wine throughout. We would recommend them for all visitors to the area.

This was SUCH a delightful way to spend a day in Como!! Anna was so, so, so lovely and I enjoyed my time with her immensely. The market tour/experience was truly one-of-a-kind, and the class was so enjoyable. The class was also held in the most beautiful building (in the process of being renovated) for an added benefit of the adventure. Anna was a fantastic host and I learned so much! Extra appreciation bc I was a solo booker/attendee - and she still held the class for me. Thank you so much, Anna!

Our host was wonderful. He was patient and helpful. We had an amazing day. He went out of his way to make us feel welcome.

Monica was our generous chef & teacher. We were teamed with a young couple that were on their honeymoon from North East US that fit us well. We learned pasta skills, sauce and Teramisu for desert. All parts of our experience was an A++. All food and wine were perfect and we would and have highly recommended this for anyone with a slight interest to do this if you can. The store/market visit was nice and informative, but it was still shopping! 😉

The experience was great. We visited a goat farm where a specialty cheese was produced. Had a tasting. The baby goats were so cute. Next we went to a berry farm. It was May so the blueberries were not ripe but the strawberries were. The owner make jams. We came back to Cesarine's home and made cream desert, a rustic buckwheat flour pasta and an appetizer with the goat cheese and saffron honey (which complemented the cheese exellently). The dinner portion of the reservation was great. The owners and ourselves had lots to talk about and they were great hosts. Wine was great and pasta dish exceptional. I don't like crudo so she tailored the meal around that.

A fabulous day with Vincenzo! He welcomed us into his beautiful modern apartment with a glass of Prosecco. First he guided us through a dessert recipe and then a fun-filled and ultimately delicious pasta making session. He provided info on cooking techniques and ingredient selection to ensure freshness and vibrant flavors. He also creatively modified the recipes for my niece who has food allergies. Dining out on his deck under a blue sky was capped off with generous pours of Amarone and Limoncello. Bellisimo!

This was a rare experience to discover. Being in a local home and cooking alongside a traditional cesarina! Wonderful experience and great food!