The School
Villa Maria cooking school, founded in 1974, has more than thirty years experience and is renowned both in Italy. The courses include:
Teaching techniques from the oldest to the most advanced cooking styles with recipes from both classical and historical research, as well as more modern and creative cuisine
Active participation (hands-on) of the "pupils" in the preparation of the dishes
Practical courses in each culinary section
Courses provided in several languages
The opportunity for the participants, to collect the vegetables for the course, from Villa Maria's organic garden;
Full menu from starter, first and main courses, vegetables to desserts from Amalfitan, Neapolitan and Italian cuisine; what is commonly called "Mediterranean cuisine"
School run by a famous gastronomy historian, author of several books and of renowned culinary recipes
The cookery school founded in 1974 as the "Accademy of High Medieval Conventual Cuisine" and "Nonna Orsola" in honor of the hostess and lastly “Villa Maria Cooking School”, organizes daily cooking classes for individuals or groups.
The initial intention was to teach the true Italian cuisine to the many tourists who visited Ravello as gastronomy is one of the fundamental customs of the people. The great travellers of the past, Goethe, Wagner, Reid, Lawrence, besides discovering the beauty of our villages, learned about customs of our people and our culinary traditions.
This continues to the present day: to travel and visit new countries also means to know the tastes and flavours. On the Amalfi Coast thanks to the mild climate and traditions of a people with over fifteen hundred years of history, there were favourable conditions to develop a pleasant culinary evolution.
Moreover, thanks to the value of the structure, organization and professionalism that "Villa Maria" can boast, the idea has proved over time of great interest both nationally and internationally. In fact the school has become a destination for students from all over the world. Many of the weekly courses are attended by professionals, lawyers, doctors, engineers and even chefs. They are particularly popular with Americans, who have come to discover the secrets of Neapolitan cooking.
The school offers different levels of courses for all students who wish not only to learn the thousand secrets of cooking, but also spend 3 hours in a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere. In addition to the Italian and Mediterranean cuisine his experience and availability in teaching our courses, we can also organize cooking classes customized to the wishes of "pupils".
Courses
Group and individual cooking lessons for Italian and foreign amateurs. The school offers different levels of courses: basic and advanced courses for all students who wish not only to learn the thousand secrets of cooking, but also to spend 3 hours in a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere. Classes take place in a large and well stocked kitchen where students will have the opportunity to practice the school's teachings.
During the lessons, besides learning to cook, there is also an opportunity to exchange views, comments and questions. All classes end with a tasting of the dishes prepared during the lesson. The courses vary in length, from a minimum of a single lesson to a maximum of one week. After the week's courses students will be awarded a certificate of attendance.
At the beginning of the course the culinary history of dishes and ingredients will be explained. There will be classes on culinary techniques and the history of the products that you will use in the day's menu. Participants will be accompanied in Villa Maria's organic garden where they will gather produce that will be used and enjoyed during the preparation. Very interesting also is the cave with a medieval chapel, located in the garden and open to the guests. In this place, in the past, the farmers gathered in prayer in their times of rest from work.
It starts with a demonstration of the preparation of fior di latte. An expert cheesemaker will transform the curd into mozzarella with the help of the participants, who will taste the product they have made.
The list of dishes in the menu of the day is always made up of: - a starter - a first - a second - dessert. Classes are held in the kitchens of Villa Maria, Villa Eva and the organic garden. All the planned menu will be prepared in collaboration between chef and students. There will be a practical demonstration of how to make the dishes by our kitchen Maestro who will assist the "students" as they prepare the dishes. At the end of the class, students will enjoy the meal they have prepared, with local wines - a culinary experience they will never forget!
Wine Tasting
To enhance and protect one of the most prestigious Italian destinations , the Amalfi Coast, a Wine Route was created, one of the most beautiful Wine roads of Campania Region embracing those which according to many, are the most charming Italian vineyards, lost between sky and sea. Established on August 10 1995, it includes Vietri Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Scala, Atrani, Furore, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Conca dei Marini and Tramonti.
The name that characterizes this Wine Road is the Costa d'Amalfi Doc (grape allowed in the list include for the production of red and rosé: Aglianico, Piedirosso, Sciscinoso, Tintore, Tronto, Serpentara; for whites: Biancolella, Falangina, Fenile, Ginestra, Repella and Ripolo). The Wine Road includes thirteen municipalities and protects and enhances a viticulture hampered by scarcity of land and the rocky nature of the places, terraces around which roads, hairpin bends and trenches are draped, testimony to a tradition dating back to the wine-growing imperial Rome, or even to more remote times, surrounding archaeological sites of extreme importance as the Villa Romana in Minori dating back to the 1st century A.D.
REGIONAL WINES
This course gives students a taste of the exceptional wines produced in the DOC Costiera Amalfitana. A sommelier will accompany them on a tour through the vineyards that produce local wines and explain its characteristics. Excursions to the historic cellars of the area can be organized.
The tasting phase: is certainly the most interesting part. In this course we will discuss the temperature of service, choice of glass and tasting approach:
The Temperature: I vini bianchi si bevono freschi, mentre i vini rossi si bevono a temperatura ambiente I rosati... una via di mezzo. Occorre inoltre distinguere tra vini spumanti e vini fermi. Vi daremo semplici regole generali seguendo le quali difficilmente si commetteranno errori grossolani.
The choice of the glass: To appreciate a good wine, the choice of glass is very important. A good glass should support the decanting of wine and the concentration of odours. We will also discuss the ideal form, depending on the type of wine.
Taste wine: Now is time to drink. How to grasp subtle nuances and aftertaste. In fact watching (the clarity and colour elements that already say a lot about the quality of a wine, smell (to bring the glass to nose and inhale gently) and enjoy.
Pizza Experience
The Neapolitan Pizza is a "miracle". From simple and popular ingredients such as flour, tomato, mozzarella, oil is born a dish fragrant, smooth and colourful, which has won the palates of the world.
The course offers the opportunity to learn the techniques and secrets of preparing a "true Neapolitan pizza".
Contents of the pizza course:
- History and culture of the Neapolitan pizza
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- The dough
- Shaping the pizza
- Toppings and garnish
- The oven
- Cooking
- Finished product
During the course, students will follow and repeat all stages of preparation and cooking of the pizza, thus becoming an expert in "the art of pizza".
Packaged Tours
At the conclusion of this course the participants will receive recipes of all dishes prepared and a certificate of participation.
Photo Gallery
Where We Are
Cooking Ravello
- via Santa Chiara
84010 Ravello SA
Book Now
