THE COOKING CLASSES

THE "in-villa" COOKING CLASSES (4 hours, min. 04 max. 10 persons -*for vegetarians)
(All classes can be held in either Italian, English or German language)

Chef Mattisse is happy to show you how to prepare and enjoy tasty meals. Every single dish will be prepared from scratch using only fresh daily shopped ingredients to prepare real quality food, a fact which you can see, touch, smell and taste. The following cooking classes can take place in your villa here in Tuscany. What is needed is only a clean and clear modern standard kitchen (sink with hot water, a clear dish washer, some fridge/freezer space, a working table or counter and a decent GAS cooker). Included are travel up to 100 km roundtrip, the groceries, the presentation and preparation of the final meal, dinner and the recipes.

You will see and learn secrets of cooking you will hardly find in cook books nor TV cooking shows – the answers to the famous why's and how's. On the program are basic kitchen knowledge, tools and ingredients, hands-on cooking, principals of good cuisine in general, design and layout a.m.o.

Arrival time and start is around 4-5 pm, dinner time between 7-9 pm.

A) THE CLASSIC COOKING CLASS

Together we prepare a complete traditional Italian/Tuscan Menu from scratch. Please select max. 5 dishes (1 starter, 1 first course, 1 main course, 1 side dish and 1 dessert) from the up following list.

Starter
1) Frittata con verdure (egg cake with vegetable of the season)* OR
2) Bruschetta tricolore (toasted garlic bread with fresh tomato, rocket and Parmesan)* OR
3) Involtini di melanzane con ricotta e capperi (eggplant rolls with Ricotta and capers)* OR
4) Carpaccio con vinaigrette bruna, rucola e Grana (Beef Carpaccio with dark vinaigrette, rocket and Parmesan)

First Course
1) Ribollita (the world famous Tuscan bread soup)* OR
2) Risotto allo zafferano (rice with onions, wine, cream, Parmesan and safran)* OR
3) Zuppa di farro (very tasty Tuscan spelt soup with vegetables)* OR
4) Pappa rosa (great Tuscan bread pudding with tomato and basil)*

Main Course
1) Saltimbocca toscana (sliced beef with prosciutto, fresh sage and flambee with amber Marsala) OR
2) Tagliata di pollo alla salvia flambé al Vinsanto (Tuscan chicken with fresh sage and flambee with Vinsanto) OR
3) Pollo alla cacciatora (Tuscan chicken with tomato, olives and pine nuts) OR
4) Pizzaiola (sliced beef with tomato, capers and Mozzarella)

Side Dish
1) Peperonata (bell pepper with red onions, tomato and garlic)* OR
2) Patate al rosmarino (rosemary potatoes with garlic)* OR
3) Fagioli all'uccelletto (Cannellini beans in tasty tomato sauce)* OR
4) Verdura di stagione saltata (Sauté season vegetable)*

Dessert
1) Panna cotta con salsa di cioccolato (fresh vanilla cream custard with chocolate sauce)* OR
2) Tiramisu classico (no comment !)* OR
3) Zuppa di cioccolato (Chocolate cream with Amaretti bisquit and toasted almonds)* OR
4) Gobbetto all'Amaretto di Saronno (vanilla creme with bisquit, coffee, Amaretto and chocolate)*

If you do not find your choices. please contact Mattisse, telling your likes or dislikes and ask for more menu proposals and an estimate.

B) THE PASTA CLASS (perfect for beginners and great also for children)

"Pasta my love" Fresh homemade pasta, pure satisfaction making it and … enjoying it. Together we will prepare three types of pasta from scratch:

1) Tagliatelle al ragù (long pasta with meat sauce),
2) Ravioli con burro e salvia* (stuffed pasta with butter and fresh sage),
3) Taglierini al Gorgonzola* (thin pasta with tasty Gorgonzola sauce).

The menu will be completed by a nice salad and dessert

C) THE PASTA SAUCES CLASS (perfect for beginners)

Pasta is a top hit all around the globe. But there are these delicious sauces which make the big difference. Together we cook 3 classic pasta sauces from scratch, please select 3 (three !!!) out of the following 15 possibilities. The menu will be completed by a nice salad and dessert.Here the pasta itself is NOT homemade.

01) Pasta strascicata (creamy meat sauce)
02) Pasta alla Carretiera* (garlic, chilly, tomato, parsley)
03) Pasta Carbonara (bacon, egg, Parmesan)
04) Pasta alla contadina (chicken, leek, white wine, milk, parsley)
05) Pasta al tonno (tuna, onions, tomato, parsley)
06) Pasta alla Norma* (eggplant, tomato, basil, ricotta)
07) Pasta al ragù del cortile (chicken, trinity, peas, white wine, cream)
08) Pasta aglio & olio* (garlic, parsley, chilly)
09) Pasta con le zucchine* (zucchini, garlic, Parmesan)
10) Pasta con pesce e zucchine (white fish, zucchini, white wine, cream)
11) Pasta alla Pomarola* (trinity, tomato, herbs)
12) Pasta all'ortolana* (trinity, fennel, white wine, herbs, cream)
13) Pasta con funghi* (mushroom, herbs, white wine, cream)
14) Pasta PPP (ham, peas, cream)
15) Pasta saporita (bacon, onion, tomato, chilly) trinity = onion/celery/carot

D) THE GNOCCHI CLASS (perfect for beginners and great also for children)

Many adore them, but some are getting really mad for these little soft dumplings with their tasty sauces. We will do three types of gnocchi from scratch:

1) Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce*,
2) Cannederli (bread, onions and Speck) with mushroom sauce and
3) Ignudi* (spinach and Ricotta cheese) with fresh sage and Parmesan.

The menu will be completed by a nice salad and dessert

E) THE COOKING SCHOOL – here you can book still more THEME COOKING CLASSES, very special COOKING COURSES and educational SEMINARS

If you desire a much deeper immersion into cooking, please come to Chef Mattisse's COOKING SCHOOL in the Chianti Classico, the very heart of Tuscany. Here you can book still more cooking classes (4 hrs.), cooking courses (8 hrs.) and culinary seminars (min. 2 days) for all those, who want to know it all. We will touch hygienic questions, calculation of time and food, extended kitchen knowledge and organisation, the various cooking methods, design and presentation of the dishes and many many more, and ... obviously lots of great food and wine. For further information please browse www.chiantichef.com and ask for cost, conditions, directions and further information

PLEASE NOTE !

Until it is possible Chef Mattisse prepares all your Menus mostly with organic or/and NO OGM ingredients. Usually all ingredients are available, but sometimes there might be a menu change. If so I beg your pardon and thanks for your understanding. Furthermore Chef Mattisse will not be responsible for any harm or injury, neither physical nor mental, resulting from any allergy or any hypersensitive reaction towards certain aliments.