A cooking week in southern Puglia...

"If you prefer freshly made pasta to processed food, you can choose us..."

Discover Lecce & the best of Puglia with this 7 days exclusive cooking week exploring the Apulian culinary heritage and local traditions... one of the most enjoyable ways of experiencing the local culture.

Giuliana, the chef of our cooking school in Lecce, will follow you through this journey, our experienced guides will tell you all about the art & history of this region and our sommelier will guide you to the perfect mach beetwen traditional recipes of Puglia and the best Apulian wine.

On this unique cooking holiday of Puglia you will meet local chefs and expert to enjoy different cooking style while discovering the local traditions. You will spend 7 days in Lecce, with daily fields trips to local markets & producers, while touring the Salentine peninsula from Otranto to Gallipoli, including the ionian and adriatic coast, enjoing small cooking classes with hands on lessons though in english. A completely new and authentic way of touring southern Puglia while learning something and having fun.

The course will focus on recipes from the Apulian culinary tradition, based on local and seasonal ingredients, either picked from our own organic garden or from the local market. You will enjoy a new way of experiencing Apulian culinary culture, learning a language having fun and being creative at the same time.

Non cooking travel companion can join the group and enjoy all field trips at a discounted price.

Sample program

day 1 & 2 | Lecce old town & the fresh pasta tradition
day 3 | The greek villages and the local buffalo cheese makers
day 4 | Gallipoli & the fish market cooking on a traditional fishing boat
day 5 | Otranto & the adriatic coast cooking at the local boutique winery
day 6 | the olive oil tradition & the primitivo wine recipes
day 7 | Departure

Cooking like the local do...

8.30am - Enjoy Giuliana's cakes
8.45am - Make love with the caffè while everybody is chatting about the program of the day;
10.00am - Visit to the local market trying to get the best deal on chicory pretending you understand the local slang.
12.00pm - Tough choice: big aperitif in front of the roman amphitheater or light lunch at villa Giuliana ?
3.00pm - First cooking lesson, hands on food while Giuliana refreshes you the basic rules of mediterranean cuisine: fresh ingredients and simple recipes.
3.30pm - Your fava been pure does not look too good, but it smells great and you feel you are getting there. Quick walk to the back garden looking for fresh herbs...
4.00pm - Your pure is looking better and smelling gorgeously and you start to feel peckish
5.15pm - The pure is ready, the first lesson is almost over, you feel quiet proud of yourself and decide to join the group for a coffee on the terrace while Andrea is talking about how hard is to find a good coffee, when you are north of Napoli !!
6.30pm - You feel you need a rest and a shower just before your dinner
9.00pm - Time to explore a local tratoria, the one not on the Lonely planet...
10.30pm - Amaro, limoncello, grappa, sambuca, zedda piras, bay leaf rosolio? you just can not decide...
10.45pm - Relaxing night walk through the historic center, talking about the Duomo, but you are not too far from the bed...
11.10pm - The day is over and you just cannot wait for the dolce vita to start again...

Please enquire for a detailed itinerary and program of our cookery school in Lecce.

Grab a group of friends and enjoy a private cooking course and holiday in Puglia...
This is the perfect opportunity to experience Apulia culinary heritage, to spend a few days being creative, exploring Lecce and the surroundings with our knowledgeable guides having fun. All private cooking classes in Lecce can be themed to suit your requirements and culinary desires. You can choose to either focus on homemade pasta, pizza or simply choose a selection of you favorite dishes from Apulian or Italian regional cuisine. Just let us know.....