Cooking Class – Hands in the Dough, Heart in the Tradition
After the market, it’s off to the kitchen—either a private home, a countryside villa, or a boutique cooking studio tucked into a stone palazzo. Here, you’ll roll up your sleeves and dive into the tactile, joyful experience of making a full Sicilian meal from scratch.
Your class begins with a traditional antipasto, such as caponata or panelle (crispy chickpea fritters), followed by handmade pasta—perhaps busiate twisted by hand, or ravioli filled with local cheese and herbs. You’ll prepare sauces using fresh tomatoes, anchovies, saffron, or citrus, depending on what you found in the market.
Next comes the secondo, which might include involtini di pesce spada (swordfish rolls), sarde a beccafico (stuffed sardines), or a rustic meat dish like agnello alla messinese. All the while, you’re learning the stories behind each dish—how it came to be, what it means to locals, and how it ties into Sicily’s long history of culinary fusion.
And finally, dessert—perhaps cannoli made by hand, cassatelle, or almond-studded biscotti. Served with espresso or a splash of local sweet wine, it’s the perfect finish to a full culinary journey.
Your host won’t just teach—they’ll share. About their grandmother’s kitchen, about Sunday family lunches, about the pride Sicilians take in food made slowly and with love. It’s less like a class and more like being welcomed into a tradition.
