farm to table lifestyle + culinary group travel
Welcome to Fall 2025
Savoring Italy continues!
2025 is the year of Italy in the cooking studio. Our culinary trip this year is to Tuscany in early October.
Since only 14 of you are going with me, I’ve been bringing Italy to the cooking studio for everyone to enjoy.
We’ll conclude this year with some very exciting regions and special celebrations!
Let's get cooking!
Special Event!
The Food & Wine of Sardinia with special guest, Sommelier Steve Decina
Roasted Pecorino with Focaccia, Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli and Pardulas
I’m so pleased to share my friend Steve with all of you for a VERY special Sardinian wine tasting class paired with the delicious food specialties of the island. This is a jammed packed class - 3 courses with hands-on pasta making and 4 wines direct from Italy, with at least one that you’ve never tasted, unless you’ve been to Sardinia. You’ll make pasta like the Nonnas, right on the counter (or in the bowl if you prefer) with whole eggs, using your hands, no machines! We will hand roll, shape and fill our Sardinian Ravioli with the star of the season, pumpkin, the Sardinian way. Cannonau is one of the specialty wines made on the island and great bottles of Cannonau like the one you will try are very hard to find in the states. But Steve has brought some of these wines home from Italy specially for us. We’ll enjoy wines with and between courses, and while I educate you about the food we are making, Steve will educate you about the wine you are tasting. And we’ll both educate you about the uniqueness of Sardinia. This class will be 2 ½ to 3 hours and includes an additional charge for Steve’s portion of the class.
Hands-on class with wine tasting. Vegetarian class, dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts and honey used.
$150 per person, bring a rolling pin, wine provided.
Thursday September 11th, 6pm
Thursday September 18th, 6pm
Celebrate la Vendemmia! A Tuscan Grape Harvest Dinner
September and October are grape harvest time - la vendemmia - and I will have just witnessed it for myself in Tuscany on the Fontodi Wine Estate (where our villa is located) as well as all around Tuscany during my trip in early October. I’ll bring some Vendemmia spirit back with me to celebrate with you! We’ll enjoy Focaccia in one of my favorite ways, with grapes pressed into the surface before baking. This is often made with sugar sprinkled on top as a dessert when using wine grapes, but we’ll enjoy it without the sugar, as a starter, to enjoy the natural sweetness of roasted seasonal table grapes. Our main course and dessert will remain a little secret. While I have a plan already based on recipes from Siena and Florence, I want to reserve the opportunity to change it in case I find something even more exciting while I’m on my trip. Be prepared for a roasted meat of some kind and an ancient dessert. (Vendemmia is pronounced ven-dem’-me-ya)
Demonstration class with helping hands, 2 hours. Meat, dairy, wheat, nuts and eggs used.
$85 per person, BYO wine from the Tuscany region.
Thursday October 23rd, 6pm
Thursday October 30th, 6pm for Gift Certificate Holders Only (email me to be added to the class)
Lombardy & Veneto - Host of the 2026 Winter Olympics
Filascetta, Tortelli di Zucca & Torta di Zucca
Let’s get into the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics spirit by enjoying the cuisine of these two Alpine regions. First, you’ll enjoy Filascetta hot out of the oven, the onion and cheese focaccia of Lake Como. I have to make the dough the day ahead but some of you can help add the cheese and onion “stuffing” just before it goes into the oven. Our main course will be Tortelli di Zucca, a Christmastime pasta stuffed with a specific type of pumpkin and amaretti. You will make the dough just like Nonna, on the counter with your hands. You’ll knead, roll, fill and shape the tortelli by hand. Bring a rolling pin! I’ll cook them all together and finish them in butter and sage. Our dessert will be a Pumpkin Torta, an Italian pumpkin pie. Due to time, cooling and chilling constraints, the pie crust and filling will be made ahead but we’ll finish it together and I’ll explain how everything is made.
Mostly hands-on, 2 hour class. Vegetarian class, wheat, dairy, nuts and eggs used.
$85 per person, bring a rolling pin, BYO wine from these regions.
Thursday November 6th, 6pm
Thursday November 13th, 6pm Gift Certificate Holders Only (email me to be added to the class)
Friday November 14th, 3pm
Mary’s Slovak Kiffles
An annual tradition here at the cooking studio, my Slovak Grandmother’s scrumptious - or as she would say, luscious, yeasted pastry the size of a cookie, filled with traditional ground walnuts and the not so traditional raspberry. It’s not Christmas in my mind and heart until we make the Kiffles, so let's get baking! Bring a rolling pin and containers to take your finished kiffles home. Of course, I won’t say anything if you eat them all here (I saw nothing). This is strictly a baking class. A meal will not be served during class.
$85 per person, hands-on, 2 hour class. Dairy, nuts, eggs and wheat used.
Thursday December 4th, 5pm
Friday December 5th, 1pm
Most classes listed above are 2 hours in length except where noted.
Please note there are several different class start times this season for both evening and daytime.
