Cooking Programme

Learning to cook Italian and Umbrian kitchen food

The Italian cooking course concentrates on genuine, basic Italian / Umbrian kitchen food.

You'll learn how to make fresh pasta, how to use the famous Umbrian wild mushrooms, make Umbrian regional bread and cook speciality meat and fish dishes, and delicious deserts.

Only fresh, local produce will be used.

You will prepare part of each day's lunch or dinner in close co-operation with the chef and kitchen staff, under the supervision of your tutor, Claudio Covelli. We will teach you how to present the food that you prepare, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labour together with a good local Umbrian wine.

COOKING PROGRAMME AVAILABILITY 2009:

31st May - 7th June	Full
5th July - 12th July	Full
12th July - 19th July	Full
6th September - 13th September	Available

Typical Weeks Menu:

	MONDAY
Aperitive with appetizer Battered Courgette flowers and Sage Leaves Tagliatelli with mushrooms Tomato Salad Seasonal Fruits
	TUESDAY
Bruschette – Tomatoes and mushrooms Sausages with lentils and peppers Potato and parsley Salad Cream desert
	WEDNESDAY
Grilled courgette and aubergine Oven baked fennel, peppers and tomatoes au gratin Gnocchi with tomato sauce Rissoto desert
	THURSDAY
Roquette, mushrooms and cheese Ravioli with butter and sage Crostata e torcolo with sweet wine
	FRIDAY
Assorted Pizza baked in traditional pizza oven

Typical Weeks Programme

SUNDAY

11.00	Collect from Perugia airport. Guests are able to reach the hotel by other means if they wish but this is not included in the price.
13.00	Lunch in the hotel
18.30	Welcome drink and introduction to the week given by tutors. The introduction will include a slide show aimed specifically at the painters but will be of interest to other guests because it will include Art History specifically relating to some of the excursions.
20.00	: Dinner will be served on the terrace of the hotel.

MONDAY

08.00-09.00:	Buffet breakfast is served
09.30	Drawing and Painting commences around the hotel
09.30	Cooking Guests Depart to Claudio’s home where they will have lunch.
13.00	Lunch served on the terrace of the hotel
13.45	Cooking Guests return to the hotel.
15.00	Depart for excursion to Cortona. Cortona is a very beautiful hill town made famous by Francis Mayes author of Under The Tuscan Sun.
19.00	Depart Cortona
19.30	Dinner in Ristorante Caligrano

TUESDAY

08.00-09.00	Buffet breakfast is served
09.30	Drawing and Painting around the hotel.
09.30	Cooking Guests Depart to Claudio’s home where they will have lunch. Guests choosing to walk to Claudio’s home (very beautiful) need to leave at 09.05.
13.00	Lunch served on the terrace of the hotel
13.45	Cooking Guests return to the hotel Afternoon spent relaxing around the hotel
20.00	Dinner in the hotel

WEDNESDAY

08.00-09.00	Buffet breakfast is served.
09.30	Drawing and Painting around the hotel
09.30	Cooking Guests Depart to Claudio’s home where they will have lunch
13.00	Lunch served on the terrace of the hotel
13 .45	Cooking Guests return to the hotel
17.30	Depart for wine tasting in Cantina Gritti followed by dinner in their restaurant.
22.00	Return to the hotel.

THURSDAY

08.00-09.00	Buffet breakfast is served
09.30	Drawing and Painting around the hotel.
09.30	Cooking Guests Depart to Claudio’s home where they will have lunch.
13.00	Lunch served on the terrace of the hotel
13.45	Cooking Guests return to the hotel
15.00	Depart for excursion to Lake Tresimeno including boat trip to the island Isola Magiore. A tiny fishing village with houses dating back to the 14th and the 16th centuries stands on the island, as well as the Romantic folly kown as the Guglielmi castle (Villa Isabella), built in 1885. This is seriously neglected and no longer accessible. It was built on the site previously occupied by the 1328 convent and church of St Francis. The island is very nice for walking and painting.
19.20	Return to the mainland (time of ferry).
20.00	Dinner in a local restaurant near to the lake.
22.00	Return to hotel

FRIDAY

08.00-09.00	Continental breakfast is served
09.30	Drawing and Painting around the hotel
09.30	Cooking Guests Depart to Claudio’s home where they will have lunch.
13.00	Lunch served on the terrace of the hotel
13.45	Cooking Guests return to the hotel Afternoon spent relaxing around the hotel
20.00	Dinner in the hotel.

SATURDAY

08.00-09.00	Buffet breakfast is served
10.00	Depart for Citta di Castello to visit the weekly market.
13.00	Lunch in Preludio in Citta di Castello.
14.30	Return to the hotel.
19.00	Review of the week.
20.00	Dinner in the hotel.

SUNDAY

08.00-09.00	Buffet breakfast is served
09.00	Coach departs for Perugia airport.

Click here to download 2009 Brochure

Weather in Umbria

Temperatures in June/July/September vary from 21 to 28 degrees. Evenings can be cool as the hotel is in the mountains. A sun hat is strongly recommended!

Suggestion

Why not book a second week to relax without tuition and excursions for an additional £800 half board (+£150 surcharge for single room occupancy).

Painting Courses

We also run PAINTING IN ITALY courses, offering painting lessons and excursions to places of artistic interest and significance, of which Umbria has an abundance. Please contact us for a brochure or click here visit our website.

We are able to combine the Painting and Cooking Course. Friends / Partners are able to do separate activities (Painting or Cooking) in the morning and join together in the afternoon for the excursions and visits to restaurants.

Notes

1) Although we supply all drinks, including wine, soft drinks and coffee during meals, we have to ask you to pay personally any other drinks ordered during your stay. The Hotel will open a “tab” account for you to be paid when you check out of the Hotel. This includes the cost of the telephone if used.

2) Please ensure that you have personal travel insurance, with full medical cover for sickness and accidents.