During the lessons, according to the season and to your taste, you will prepare wild figs preserves, cannelloni filled with nettles and ricotta cheese, mint smelling omelettes, hazelnuts biscuits, tagliatelle al pesto, zuppa with pecorino cheese....

... and will know something about the many different regional cuisine . From North to South, along  the  3000 years  long  History of Italy food  became one of the foundation of Italian culture.

Spaniards, French, Arabs, Germans... every population added some "flavour" to the local ingredients and recipes: the result is the Italian cuisine.

You will prepare delicious preserves  ,jams and marmelade to take home, wonderful souvenirs to take home and delight your friends.

Fresh from the garden and in season, sweet or savoury are the memories of grandma's recipe book.

You will know how to cook the real "pasta al dente" - easy, yes, but you need to know some tricks - or the best risotto in your life. And home made "agnolotti" stuffed with meat and vegetables.

And the "tiramisu" as it is made by mamma e nonna (mom and grandma), different from what you get in some restaurants. 

Every day a different menu, from "antipasto" to dessert, every dinner a treat, but never too rich, always with a look at the healty way to eat that is so important in our life, and so deep-rooted in Italian cookery  

From the basic of Italian dishes to the historical recipes, step by step you will taste the flavour of culture passing through the ages with the fantastic progress which leads from Pompeian to this new century cookery.
 

A special "focus"

on extra virgin olive oil,

the pride of the farm;

used for every dish that needs oil, it will become a "must" for every meal!

Laura sometimes goes "over the Ocean" to convey Italian taste and recipes abroad.

These are the menus of  dinners served in March 2010 at Casa Somerset in Kansas City.   

The dishes are chosen from different areas of Italy.

I

from Northern Italy

antipasto

Vitello tonnato

(cold meat seasoned  with a tuna sauce)
 

Acciughe in salsa verde

(anchovies fillets with a parsil and oil sauce)
 

Peperoni arrosto con "bagna cauda"

(roasted big peppers with an olive oil/garlic warm sauce)

first course

Minestra di frittatine

(light beef broth poured over thin sliced stripes

of frittata as tagliolini)

main course
Brasato di manzo alla langarola

(Braised beef simmered with herbs, spice and red wine)
 

Cardi gratinati

(Cardoons "au gratin")
 

Radicchio arrosto al gorgonzola

(red radicchio au gratin with gorgonzola sauce)

dessert
Pesche ripiene

(peaches  stuffed with amaretti cookies and chocolate and baked )
 

Torta sbrisolona

(crispy cake from corn and wheat flour and nuts)

II

from Central Italy

antipasto
Crostino toscano

(toasted unsalted bread with Tuscan style liver patè)

Frittata di carciofi

(fresh artichokes frittata)

Asparagi al prosciutto

(asparagus rolled in ham and baked with butter and  cheese)

first course

Lasagne alla bolognese

(world famous pasta laid in layers with meat, cheese and tomato sauce)

main course

Arrosto di maiale con pere e cipolle

(pork sirloinr oasted over a bed of pears and onions; dish from a Renaissance recipe book )

Patate all'alloro

(roasted potatoes with bay leaf)

Fagioli bianchi all'uccelletto

(white cannellini beans seasoned with garlic, sage leaves and tomato)

dessert
Crostata con marmellata

(tart filled with  fresh fruit

or jam mostly plum or apricot)

III

from Southern Italy

antipasto
Insalata siciliana

(  a salad with fennels, oranges, olives etc)

Pomodori gratinati

(baked tomatoes stuffed with parsey and capers)

Insalata "di rinforzo"

(cauliflower salad with anchovies, olives, origano,pickles, capers)
 

first course

Orecchiette con cime di rapa

(Pasta "orecchiette" sauté in olive oil with rape broccoli, garlic, chili pepper...)

main course

Pollo alla "Franceschiello"

( savoury and spicy chicken, recipe from Naples dedicated to the king Franceschiello )
 

Melanzane ripiene

(eggplants stuffed with tomato, basil, parsley 

and breadcrumbs)
 

"Gattò" di patate

(Mashed potatoes baked with cheese eggs and diced ham)

dessert
Pastiera napoletana

(tart filled with cooked wheat grains, ricotta, candied fruit )