Ever since I can remember, my parents have always considered me a "pasta monster". I have always said that I can live without rice but I would never be able to survive the world wihout PASTA. Italian food has always been a favorite of mine since I began chewing with my teeth. I've been cooking since the age of 7 (but I'm definitely not the chef in the family) so maybe I've been making pasta for myself for that long too-- because I honestly don't remember when I started cooking main dishes.
Going back to my point... Given my love for Italian food, I promised myself I was going to attend as many cooking classes as I could in Italy. So I did. During one of my Saturdays in Rome, I headed of to the Trastevere area of Rome and welcomed myself into the kitchen of the talkative and uberly charming Andrea Consoli.
There was a small group of people waiting for him to come out of the kitchen when I arrived. If I remember right we were probably 11 or 12 people in the group-- one of the reasons why I liked the class was the number of participants. The group was intimate so the lunch afterwards was nice. We all talked and bonded over the 4 - hour course-- eating included, of course.
Our Menu for the Day:
Appetizer: Figs stuffed with goat cheese and honey, and with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts
First course: Gnocchi al pomodoro fresco e basilico
Second course: Chicken scaloppini with prosciutto, cheese and sage
Second Course: Chicken Breasts in Orange Sauce (for the people in class who did not eat pork)
Dessert: Tiramisù
The class started with a short history lecture of the typical Roman dishes. I was surprised to learn that Romans had their own version of typical Filipino dishes like isaw (chicken intestines), diniguan (pork blood), and sisig (pork face?? LOL). There is definitely more to Italian cuisine than pasta, prosciutto, and parmesan cheese!
My highlight of the lecture was when he discussed to us (and demonstrated, of course) the difference between making tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes and canned. I now have a way of making my canned tomatoes not taste like the can! It was also during this class I learned how easy Tiramisu was to make! I made our dessert for the day (along with 2 other girls, Nikki and Lauren). I did the dipping of the lady fingers, which was definitely fun. He also taught the class how to de - bone a chicken, and how to make gnocchi in 3 hours - it takes 3 days to make gnocchi.
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| My coffee - covered fingers! |
I had so much fun in the kitchen. The class was interactive-- we talked, laughed, and took tons of pictures. We even got to pick on anything that was available in the kitchen! Chef Andrea was very nice and would always crack jokes. He kept the atmosphere light and totally enjoyable. The kitchen though was pretty small so it was a bit hard to move around, but I believe this contributed to the group's bond. (haha)
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| Looking stressed, but happy with my dessert |
This Saturday was probably one of the most enjoyable one I had in Rome. Learned a lot... and of course.... ate a lot!!!
When in Rome, do more than site - seeing and restaurant - hunting. Live like the locals and bring Italian cuisine back home by learning how to cook. I promise you it's worth every cent.
Andrea Conosoli's classes are held in his family restaurant in the Trastevere are of Rome called Le Fate (The Fairies). To learn more about the cooking classes, check this out. You can also go to the restaurant's site here. They're open only for dinner since they have classes during the lunch hour. And for the students, we have a meal price! This got me really excited :-)
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| Slicing my Gnocchi |
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| My only BLURRY picture with the Chef |
More pictures here!
we MUST cook when you get back! :)
ReplyDeletewe will!! hahaha and mom has the new kitchen already.. perfect!
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