Meet Mariella at Piazza Duomo and then walk to the neighborhood fish market in Catania. Visit Mariella's favorite vendors and help her buy fish and other ingredients needed for your cooking class. She will introduce you to the local ingredients and also teach you how to choose fresh produce. After the market tour walk through the historic district before getting back to Mariella's home for your cooking class and meal experience.
Mariella’s home is located in the historic center of Catania, with beautiful sea views from her kitchen. It is walking distance from the main squares in the historic center. During your 3-hour Sicilian cooking class in Catania, learn to prepare two dishes from scratch. Your Catania cooking lesson will be hands-on, and you will cook together a pasta dish and an appetizer or a dessert. You might learn to cook linguine with mussels or spaghetti with cuttlefish or pappardelle with clams or pasta alla norma and aubergine parmigiana or caponata or dessert. The dishes you will prepare will depend on the season and what is available in the market, as Mariella likes to use fresh, local and seasonal produce. She will share her family recipes and the tips and tricks to cook a traditional Italian meal, that you will later enjoy with some local Sicilian wine.
Maria speaks limited English but she will have a friend or guide present who can speak English, and Japanese. The cost of your experience includes two glasses of local Sicilian wine.
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.
Please choose ONE menu while booking your experience:Traditional Sicilian menu: Caponata with eggplant (salad) or Parmigiana (baked dish) + Pasta alla norma (eggplant pasta) or Pasta with fish + Cannoli with ricotta or Biancomangiare (milk pudding) + Two glasses of local Sicilian wineSpecial Christmas menu: Cauliflower Catanese style or Broccoli with red wine + Pasta alla norma or Pasta with seasonal fish + Cannoli with ricotta or Biancomangiare (milk pudding) + Two glasses of local Sicilian winePizza menu: Pistachio pizza or Pizza with aubergine or Sicilian pizza with anchovies and olives + Two glasses of local Sicilian wineMariella was born and raised in Catania, and after working in the confectionery and gift sector for 35 years, she has now decided to dedicate herself to her family and to cooking. She is so excited to share her passion for food with travelers visiting Italy, who are curious to learn about the culture through food. At Mariella’s home you will get glimpse into Sicilian cuisine, an expression of art influenced by the historical, cultural and religious events that have taken place over centuries on the island. From the Greeks - with their passion for fish, olives and pistachios, to the Romans - with their cultivation of wheat and grapes and to the Arabs - for introducing couscous. Gastronomy has always been an integral part of the Sicilian identity and through this experience you will learn all about the local ingredients, cooking techniques, cultural traditions and family recipes.
"The hosts were incredibly friendly, and we learned how to cook some of the most delicious
foods! They were accommodating to our vegetarian diets and gave us a rich background
on Sicilian cooking styles along with the recipes we followed."
"My mom and I did the fish market shopping and lunch. It was a beautiful, unforgettable day!
Mariella and Gino are wonderful hosts. I highly recommend!"
