There are very few places in this world that are tied to culinary traditions as much as Italy. I don’t think I’ve ever met a person that does not love Italian food. And rightfully so. I remember my first time in Italy. I was in Florence eleven years ago staying at a small bed and breakfast. The host invited us to have dinner with them. I was taken by the simplicity in which our host prepared our meal but the complex flavors we tasted in our dinner. I wanted to dive deeper into these traditions, and that is how I found out about Le Cesarine, a tour company that provides culinary experiences across Italy. About our experience:
What is Le Cesarine?
Le Cesarine is a tour company that matches travelers with local cooks, chefs, and gourmands across Italy. The hosts welcome you into their home and provide cooking lessons and other culinary experiences. The experiences are as diverse as their hosts. You can find yourself foraging for mushrooms in the Italian countryside or in our case, shopping for at the local market with your hostess in a neighborhood market in Milan.
Getting There
I connected with the representative at Le Cesarine and she asked me detailed questions in order to come up with a fitting experience for us. I was traveling to Milan on business with my husband and daughter and wanted them to be part of the experience was well. The rep connected me with Annamaria, our hostess. Le Cesarine sent me the particulars on how to get there and asked me if we had any allergies.
The Hostess
Annamaria is the friend I wish I had in DC. We arrived to her apartment which is located in a small side street on an unassuming apartment building. Once inside, we’re taken by the beautiful penthouse apartment with a wraparound terrace and gorgeous open kitchen. She’s extremely open and welcoming, the perfect hostess. As a food expert and former restaurant owner, she knows Italian cuisine inside and out giving us many great cooking tips along the way. The Dutchman having lived in Italy is such an italophile was in his element trading stories with her.
The Experience
After some quick introductions and we headed to her neighborhood market. Needless to say, we’re completely overwhelmed with all the deliciousness that we encountered: handmade cured sausages, big chunks of Parmigiano at a fraction of the cost we find back home, and colorful piles of seasonal fruits and vegetables. We picked up some items for our cooking class and headed back to her kitchen. That’s when the true Le Cesarine experience begins.
Annamaria begins by telling us the basics of risotto: the temperature of the rice, what type to rice to buy, and other essentials on how to create the perfect risotto. She makes the first dish, mushroom risotto with dried porcini mushrooms that she picked herself in the Northern Italian countryside. We then proceed to make a pumpkin risotto with fresh pumpkin. The final product is a deliciously creamy risotto topped with raw pistachios. One of my favorite dishes during my trip! We ended the class with veal Milanese, a traditional dish of the area of veal, lightly breaded and fried.
Annamaria’s house was so cozy and she truly made us feel like we were part of the family. Her college-age son stopped by during the class and helped out in the kitchen. It was refreshing to see a 20 year-old so passionate about food. Goals for my mini Dining Traveler!
Le Cesarine: The Verdict
We left our class with a full belly and hearts after our experience. We have already made the porcini risotto twice and are planning to recreate the veal and the pumpkin risotto soon. I cannot recommend this experience enough. One of my biggest takeaways from travel is eating and meeting interesting people in the process. This checked both of the boxes.
Disclaimer: I was hosted by Le Cesarine, but as always, opinions are my own. I truly hope my travels take me to Italy soon and book more experiences like these on our own.
