Host offerings
Maria was born in a small village in central Portugal surrounded by green forests, farms, rivers and waterfalls. She moved to Porto to study management and soon after moved to Scotland to follow her childhood passion – cooking! As a little girl, Maria helped her mother bake traditional sweet treats. She and her sister used to enjoy whisking the cake batter and then licking the bowl at the end! This is what made Maria curious about food and ignited a passion for cooking and baking in her. Even though Maria graduated in management and worked at a Port wine cellar company for a few years, she later professionally studied to become a chef in Scotland. Maria is a food and wine tour guide who loves creating memorable experiences for her travelers – sharing tips, recipes, cultural and historical information about Portugal by offering cooking classes in her own kitchen!
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal (1 - 5 guests) Maria loves to meet new people and share her knowledge and passion of food with others. Sharing Portuguese food with the world is one of the reasons she started hosting travelers in her home. Maria learned to cook traditional Portuguese dishes from her mother and aunt. During this meal experience with Maria, you can expect to share a traditional, home-cooked Portuguese meal, with a local in her home. Join Maria and her boyfriend at the dining table to share dishes she cooked, using her aunt’s family recipes. A few dishes that you might try are clams à bolhão pato (clams in a white wine sauce) served with crusty bread and Portuguese style chicken curry with rice. Your meal concludes with a dessert such as jesuitas (flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar).
Cooking experience (1 - 5 guests) Join this professional chef in her home kitchen and learn to make traditional Portuguese dishes. Maria will teach you to cook dishes she learned from her mother and aunt. During your 1.5 hour cooking class learn to make two authentic Portuguese dishes from scratch - choose from one of three menus below. After cooking, join Maria at the dining table to share the dishes you helped prepare. Maria is excited to share her Portuguese culture through food and offers an authentic/traditional cooking class in Porto. She can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan diets.
Notes: Maria can offer a lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan meal, if informed in advance.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007f9c82fb6230>
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.
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | $40 | $30 | $28 |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $50 | $40 | $38 |
| Alcohol | $4 per person | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | 7:00pm - 09:00pm | |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 10:00am - 01:00pm | 7:00pm - 10:00pm |
Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.
