Cooking with Olive Oil
Olive oil is synonymous with healthy Mediterranean food, from cooking meat and fish, to serving raw to season vegetables, salads and pasta. The more people use extra virgin olive oil, the more they learn to enjoy it. These Sicilian cooking classes offer the possibility to learn how extra virgin olive oil can become a part of your diet.
Your hands-on cooking experience highlights the use of extra virgin olive oil in daily Sicilian cuisine. All classes are held in English in the Villa’s country kitchen providing an informal atmosphere for learning and tasting. Learn family recipes using the freshest seasonal produce and ingredients. Following your cooking class, enjoy the foods you made in class in the solace of the Villa’s summer patio.

Sicily
Sicily has a fiery passion about it, a vivacity and spirit that extends from the top of Mount Etna, to the waters that surround the island, to the hearts of its people. Sicily is the melting pot of the world, a great marriage of civilizations and cultures, since it was first inhabited. The island is Asia, Africa, and Europe melded into one spectacular place; it was once home to a Greek colony, a Roman province, an Arab emirate, and a Norman kingdom. Each group left behind traces that weave into a rich tapestry of timeless beauty and eclectic history. Sicily is all at once complex and simple, a land like no other; a world and entity unto itself. Orange and lemon orchards color lush forests, vineyards and ancient olive groves line the rugged lands, and almond orchards and wheat fields embellish the rolling hills.
The Sicilian cuisine is often described as del sole e mare, of sun and sea, and it's something of a magical symphony, combining elements of Arab and Greek spices with Spanish and French influences, making it the world's tastiest seafood. The people of Sicily are genuine, passionate and friendly. They are always willing to help or stop to have a conversation, and it is not uncommon for visitors and tourists to receive invitations to a local's house for dinner. All who encounter Sicily and all her charm, diversity, and beauty are always reluctant to leave.

Menfi~Western Sicily
The Villa is located on a Sicilian estate in Menfi, close to the archeological sites of Selinute, Mozia, Segesta and Agrigento. Not far from Marsala, famous for its namesake wine, and Palermo, one of Sicily’s major cities, Menfi provides a quiet and convenient setting for day trips to visit your surroundings.

The oldest part of Menfi is Arabic in origin, yet the modern town was founded in the middle of the 17th century by the granddaughter of Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes, leading to an unusual mixture of traditions reflected in its food and culture.

Accommodations
Stay with Natalia at her Sicilian summer residence, and experience a fine example of Sicilian neo-classical architecture with frescoed ceilings in the enclosed courtyard. The stables of this ancient estate have been converted into guest rooms with all modern amenities. Each room has an en-suite bathroom with shower and is fitted with hairdryers and air conditioning. Each room also opens onto its own patio courtyard facing the portico of the main building.

Itinerary~ 3 days, 2 nights
This program is available 12 months per year. You can check in and start your program on any day of the week.

Day One:
Arrival and check-in

• Arrival and check in at the Villa.
  
• Relax and explore into your new surroundings.
  
• Dinner is free and on your own.
  

Day Two:
Olive Oil Tour and Cooking Class

• Breakfast is served at the Villa.
• Head out with your host for a morning farm tour to see where the olives are grown and how they are harvested. Sample a selection of olive oils, all extra-virgin of course and taste the differences in the acidity and flavor of the different types of oil.
• Lunch is on your own.
• Then it’s off to the kitchen to learn the techniques hands-on of using extra virgin olive oil to make delicious and healthy Sicilian dishes. From appetizers to dessert. Sauté eggplant in olive oil to make the traditional pasta alla siciliana with eggplant and mozzarella, or use the olive oil as a marinade for tuna, sardines, or another fresh catch of the day. Sicily boasts wonderful desserts from the infamous cannolo siciliano, ricotta-cream filled shells with candied lemon and orange peal, or the cassata, a yellow cake with ricotta cream that is said to be the ancestor of today’s cheesecake. Menu varies based on seasonal, organic ingredients.
  
• Dinner follows on the foods prepared in class, along with local wine to celebrate your creations Bacchus-style.

Day Three:
Arrivederci and departure

• Breakfast is served.
  
• Morning checkout and departure.
  
• Say ciao and a presto to Natalia, until the next time in Sicily.