This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Main: Homemade pasta 'alla chitarra' or Gnocchi with natural and healthy ingredientsSide: Fresh vegetables and wild herbsVivi has a PhD in Natural Sciences and has incredible know-how on the functioning of biological systems in the fields of health and the environment. As a woman-of-the-earth, her heart is committed to doing things in a sustainable way and is known as an expert in the field of herbs. She grows her own herbs, fruits and vegetables and uses organic ingredients that nature provides us with. Vivi was raised in the Piemonte region, where she learned to cook northern Italian cuisine, and her mother who hails from Sicily taught her the flavors of the south. She has a special eye for identifying what the land can provide us, and Vivi will teach you to identify the things around you that provide you vitamins, and rich flavors in your diet. Everyone who cares about the earth and sustainable practices, should visit Vivi!
"Bring an open mind, an open heart, and an open stomach - Vivi will feed all three. Vivi, as her name describes, imbues life in her garden of Eden. Her quaint home is extremely welcoming and a wonderful place to have a home-cooked meal with an old friend that it feels you haven't seen in a long time. Not only will you connect with Vivi but with the Italian countryside - even the taste of familiar foods will feel new and you will gain an understanding of your relationship with food. We consider ourselves to be richer for the experience we had with Vivi and would highly recommend to anyone."
"Viviane is very enthusiastic and really committed to her ambition to live her life in a different and sustainable way. And
very much sharing her ideas and practice with others."
"It was such a great experience. One thing was the philosophy of Vivi how she is gardering. If you're interested in a sustainable way to live and work in your garden, Vivi is an expert.
Secondly, we liked her passion for herbs and cooking. We collected almost all the ingredients for our dinner in the garden. While collecting the herbs and vegetables she was sharing a lot of useful information to all the plants in the garden. Then we cooked together. Easy style, Italian way and healthy. Very much in touch with the nature. We learned a lot.
And then there is Vivi as a person... very unusual, very, very kind and full of intersting ideas.
Thank you, Vivi. You are an inspritation!"
"My boyfriend and I decided to take a cooking class and when we saw the words "sustainable farm" and "forage" we knew we had found the right one. Vivi was such a wonderful host and so passionate about what she does. We met the animals around the farm and got to work identifying and foraging our herbs (definitely make sure to wear pants and t shirt, you're going to be on your hands and knees plucking the perfect herbs from the dirt). Once we finished collecting our herbs, Vivi explained all the different properties and uses of each. She assigned us various tasks-homemade bread, herb and egg salad (this might have been my favorite dish), vegetable soup, and pasta with a delicious, light tomato sauce- everything except the flour came from her farm! The class is supposed to last about 4 hours or so, but we were all having such a wonderful time enjoying each others company, that we must have spent 6-7 hours just talking and eating. This is not your conventional cooking class, but we had the most amazing experience. Vivi even sent us home with some seeds to plant in our own garden back home. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to do something off the beaten track!"
"Husband and I LOVED the immersive experience with Viviana Acosta. Her knowledge of local customs and food history was impressive. We chopped, mashed, cooked and laughed and fully enjoyed our evening. Highly recommend and will be back with friends. Thank you Viviana!!"
"Vivi is quite simply an amazing human being with a depth of knowledge that is so incredible and a love for others that is palpable. My kids and I came to her class expecting to learn a little bit about foraging and Italian cooking, but we received such an experience of depth and warmth that I feel like we are truly friends now. The food was so good and wholesome. And she was so positive and loving with my small children in her kitchen and even taught them how to make baskets at the end just because they were curious and then made me a little tonic for my bad cough that she noticed that I had. I felt like we were visiting an Italian auntie who we had known for years. You will not regret booking this experience... You receive so much more than a sterile cooking class in a restaurant that you could book elsewhere. You truly experience Italian generosity."
