| Class | Details | 2011 Dates | Time |
| "Long Italian Lunch Style" Week Day and Evening Classes: "Menu Classico" - Highly Recommended | This class is the must of Cucina Italiana. Due to the enormous popularity of the "Long Italian Lunch Style Classes", we are replicating these in the evenings. Everyone seems to be coming to one or booked for one! With such a huge demand we will have this class available every month. As usual we will be preparing a full Italian meal. This includes a tuscan antipasti, fresh pasta, a meat dish and dessert. We use the best ingredients....recipes will vary from different corners of Italy....the flavours will deliver the magic that this hands on class brings. |
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| Schedule for classes | IF THERE IS NO DATE OR TIME NEXT TO THE CLASS IT MEANS THE CLASS HAS TAKEN PLACE ALREADY AND WILL BE SCHEDULED AGAIN NEXT YEAR. |
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| Cooking with Fire: The art of mastering your wood-fire oven. | For this class, Andrew and I will guide you on how to make pizza dough from scratch. You will come to understand yeast and how much is needed, as well as the right mixture of flours and the right time to add salt and oil. All these things are important for the right pizza!
We will cover the way to make pizza in your wood fire oven and in your conventional oven, as I understand most will not have a wood-fire oven. This way you can keep practicing and improve your technique until you are ready to purchase your own. While we wait for the dough to rise and the oven to reach the optimum temperature, we will be making some antipasto together (a mixture of demonstration and hands-on might be involved), which will be a variation on bruschetta with roasted capsicums and goats cheese. For dessert we will be delivering a seasonal fruit baked in the oven, hopefully we will find figs in season so we can make them with a delicate wine sauce or a glorious Italian dessert to end your meal.
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Sun Feb 6
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Menu Classico" - Highly Recommended! | This class is the must of Cucina Italiana. Everyone seems to be coming to one or booked for one! With such a huge demand we will have this class available every month. As usual we will be preparing a full Italian lunch. This includes a tuscan antipasti, fresh pasta, a meat dish and dessert. We use the best ingredients....recipes will vary from different corners of Italy....the flavours will deliver the magic of our so popular "Long Italian Lunch".... |
Sat Jan 15
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Sat Jan 29
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Sat Feb 19
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Sat Mar 26
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Sat Dec 10
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| La Cucina del Friuli | Friuli, the region that produces one of the best white wines, the outstanding Prosciutto San Daniele, the unique Montasio Cheese!
It is in Friuli that they love their cjalcons, one of the best pastas I have ever had! Yes, we will make it by scratch, cook it and then toss it with butter and ricotta affumicata finely grated. Yes, this is Italy at its best! For the main we will make the most tender pork cooked slowly to perfection with a seasonal contorno( vegetable dish).For dessert the exquisite torta di Rucola (rocket cake - not bitter at all - just perfect!) I certainly think this is one of the best menus of the year - do not miss it as this is a unique menu! |
Sat Apr 9
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - Remembering the Simili "Menu Toscano" | The Tuscan Hills menu will take you through the best kept specialities of one of the most famous areas in Italy. Famous for carrying the hearty food in Italy, the Menu Toscano will teach you that it is the simplicity and freshness of the ingredients which deliver the real flavour! This menu includes: Panzanella, Tortelli al Sugo Toscano (fresh pasta tortelli served with the typical ragu from Tuscany), Pollo alla Fiorentina and Il Zuccotto. A superb class - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! |
Sat May 28
Sat Oct 29
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Squisito" | Squisito in Italian means exquisite and there is not much to say about this menu except you will remember this experience for life!
Triangoli Arcobaleno ai Porcini (3 different doughs) will come together to make this beautiful triangle Arcobaleno (rainbow in Italian). You will learn to make pasta with spinach, with tomato and join it to make the colours shine through your table. This pasta will be delicately tossed with funghi porcini and thyme. "I secondi" will be Stracotto di Manzo (slow cooked beef). To end this celebration we will make Torta Ricciolina - the most beautiful torta made with tagliatelle, rum, cocoa and candied fruits. It is definitely a unique menu!!! |
Sat Sep 10
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "The splendour of Emilia Romagna" | Emilia Romagna is one of the best regions in Italy for food. So much to choose from...and some classics recipes which will stay with you forever...Insalata di Rucola, Raspberries and Pears with aged balsamic, Il Ragu alla Bolognese or tortellini in brodo, Beef cooked in balsamic and Panna Cotta. |
Sat Aug 20
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "The Tales of Puglia" | Puglia "the quintessence of the mediterranean diet" will come to life in this light and refreshing menu.....great served anytime. For this class we will be making orecchiette and cavatelli by hand and toss with rocket, ricotta e pecorino. The Antipasti will be the unforgetable Pomodoro Secchi con Origano and for the main we will stuff lamb cutlets with ham and ricotta. No desserts from Puglia can be without their "mandorle" and for dolci we will make Torta di Mandorle (Almond and Lemon Torta). |
Sat Oct 1
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| La Vera Cucina Toscana | Toscana that enchants all foreigners! Toscana which is so rustic but so elegant. It is here that we master the simplicty....the classical flavour. This is a unique journey where you will discover Pappa al Pomodoro.This is followed by Gnocchi ai Porri (potatoe gnocchi tossed with a light sauce of leeks, chillies and walnuts) and Peposo, the classical meat dish that melts in your mouth. We end the class with Pinolata,a Cake with Crema Pasticcera, raisins and pine nuts!!!! So Tuscan, certainly a must in my repertoire. |
Sat Oct 15
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Menu Festivo" | The elegant & unforgettable menu for Christmas. Tortelli al caprino con salsa al limone( fresh Pasta Tortelli stuffed with goat chesse served on a lemon bechamel), Poussins with fennel and prosciutto, Melanzane Festiva (eggplants for celebration) and Torta Bianca (glorious white chocolate cake.....). |
Sat Dec 3
Sat Dec 17
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Pasta al Forno" | Back after huge demand, this class used to be available when we I first started running classes in Australia. In this class we will prepare Chiocciole al Caprino con Salsa al Limone (fresh pasta shaped into a snail stuffed with goats cheese on lemon bechamel), Cannelloni di Verdura (vegetable Cannelloni), Lasagne ai Funghi (Lasagne with mushrooms). This is one of the best classes we have so please do not miss it. It is suitable for vegetarians. |
Sat Nov 12
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Scent of Basil, Liguria a Tavola | It was on the hills of Liguria, overlooking the majestic scene of Cinque Terre in a little restaurant on the corner of nowhere that I was introduced to the magic flavours of this region. And so I worked in the kitchen and harnessed the knowledge, and it is this that I will be sharing with you today. We will go through making home-made pasta Trenette and Pansoti all from scratch.Of course, no menu from Liguria can exist without the classic Pesto. For the Pansoti, you will be delighted with the traditional Walnut sauce which we will go through together. To end there will be a mouth watering dessert: Zabaglione Semifreddo with Amaretti. |
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Toscana a Tavola" | During the winter we will be preparing a real Tuscan experience!
La Ribollita is one of the most famous Tuscan dishes and a must in our repertoire. This is followed with a beautiful fresh pasta tortelli stuffed with almonds, spinach and ricotta tossed gently with a vellutata! We will also prepare one of the finest chicken dishes cooked gently with mushrooms and wine. To end the feast a classical Pine Nuts Torta. |
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Menu Siciliano" | After my wonderful time in Sicily, I am happy to introduce you to the best of the best....Maccu - a wonderful starter slow cooked with fava beans and herbs. Fresh pasta wonderfully flavoured by mint and ricotta - the mint permeates the pasta sheets. Swordfish with Putanesca sauce and to end the best cassata (the real one). If you have attended the last Sicilian class you will be delighted to add the new dishes to your repertoire. Sicily carries a variety of wonderful dishes which are light and exquisite. These dishes are always unique and different from the main land. Highly recommended. |
Sat Feb 12
Sat Apr 23
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - Remembering the Simili "Menu Emiliano" | Emilia Romagna is the home of the best products Italy has to offer including Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Balsamic Vinegar. This Region is well known in Italy for its food and being the regional home of the Simili Sisters. The Traditional dishes of Emilia Romagna are rich in flavours using ingredients such as game, prosciutto, mortadella and the excellent touch of parmesan will give the final flavour! Probably the most famous Italian dishes belong to this region and will be a journey to remember. This menu includes: Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Maiale al Latte (Fillet of Pork slow cooked in milk), Spiced pears and Chocolate and Almond Torta. |
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| "Long Italian Lunch Style" Signora Sampogna Classics | Oh mamma... the real gnocchi, tender with very little flour - melting in your mouth leaving the little smooth flavours of the sauce. I loved it....For this class we will discover some of my mother's recipes. Bruschetta con peperoni e caprino (the sweet flavours of capsicums blend perfectly well with the goat cheese), Signora Sampogna gnocchi di patate, light and delicate, Pollo con Olive e Rosmarino (Chicken with Olives and Rosemary),Frittelle di Ricotta (Ricotta Fritters served with thick and pure hot chocolate). Not to be missed!!!!!
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Sat May 21
| 10 00 AM - 2 00 PM
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Bologna a Tavola" | We will make Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese with il vero Ragu and of course spinach sheets of pasta. Then we will make a scalloppine with lemon for main and followed by a Strawberry and Mascarpone Torta. |
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| Challenging the Weather, Making Bread with Love and Wisdom | Let’s discover what all of Italy is talking about. Yes, the latest is now natural yeast, how to get it and how to make your bread even more delicious and crusty. So lend me your ear and I will teach you the secrets of the weather and we will go through the challenges of making Natural Yeast from scratch. We will be making Pane Toscano, a bread that takes 3 days to be fully completed, but each stage will be taught to you using the natural yeast that has been made previously. We will make Le Streghe, the witches of my dearest Sorelle Simili. And finally we will bring you back to your childhood and make Grissini, turning the dough like a jumping rope. |
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| The Long Italian Lunch - "Remembering the Simili" - Bologna | Bologna's specialties will come to life in this menu where you will discover the secrets of fresh pasta, the famous ragu, the richness of flavours.... Bologna is renowned for its culinary approach making this city the epitome for good food and good living and the number one in Italy for cuisine! Being the home town of the Similis, this menu is a must to be experienced! This includes: Cannelloni with Ricotta, Cotolette alla Bolognese, Verdure alla Parmigiana and Zuppa Inglese. |
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