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Parma's Food Lover Kitchen™

Parma Cooking Classes & Culinary Tour~ 5 Day

Meet our Michelin Star Chef in a culinary adventure in Parma.  This glorious 8 day food adventure heads to the culinary heart of Parma for an authentic hands-on cooking class and food tour like no other.  Tie on your aprons for a cooking experience in a Michelin Star kitchen with Emilia Romagna’s high quality products such as prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan cheese, aged balsamic vinegar from nearby Modena.  Learn the art of making tortellini and tortelloni and delicate sheets hand-rolled pasta in our small classes with personal attention to each cooking guest.

Imagine an immaculately restored antique court rescued from the waters of the Po, gradually rebuilt, brick by brick, room by room and returned lovingly to its original glory. An ancient dwelling that was once home to Maestro Giuseppe Verdi, now an impressive structure of ancient red brick sitting grandly on the banks of the Po, a luxurious, welcoming retreat for discerning guests. Our exclusive Prestigious Parma program brings you to the lush rolling countryside of Parma, the very heart of Reggio Emilia, where renowned Chef Massimo will welcome you into his kitchen and introduce you to local traditional flavors, using organic produce that comes directly from his vegetable garden and the estate’s working farm. Chef Massimo’s cuisine is elegant, fresh and colorful, and is based on exalting the natural goodness of truly fresh produce.

Our week-long program offers a guided tour of Parma with its theater, duomo and its baptistry, as well as a boat trip along the Po, and a fascinating visit to an artisan Parmesan cheese maker. Enjoy a cycle along the riverbanks where you can stop off for a picnic, relax and enjoy the thermal waters of the Terme di Salsomaggiore, and learn more about the Parma of Maestro Verdi. The perfect program to bring you closer to Italy’s celebrated gastronomic heart.

Parma Cooking Classes

Cooking classes take place in the property’s beautiful Michelin star kitchen with Chef Massimo and his team, and make full use of the excellent organic produce that comes from the kitchen garden. But that’s not all. On the estate, there are also cows, geese, pigeons, ducks, rabbits and chickens, all of which make their way into the kitchen, as well of course, as the area’s famous pigs which are transformed into artisan produce such as culatelli, salami, preti, coppe, spalle, and many other types of salumi. And don’t forget that this is the land of handmade pasta, and Chef Spigaroli and his team will soon have you rolling out paper thin sheets of pasta to create anolini, tortelli, ravioli, tagliolini, tagliatelle, stringoni and pasta rasa. Learn how to conserve the fruits of all the different seasons, making jams and marmalades, crystallizing fruits, making tomato conserve and preserving vegetables. And (depending on the season), pick up tips on how to create delicious traditional liqueurs and herb teas like Nocino allo Sbùrlon (walnut liqueur), Bargnolino al Luigino (prune liqueur), and Canarino a digestive drink based on hot water and lemon zest, all wonderful traditional remedies and tipples to recreate at home.

Parma

Cooking classes take place in the property’s beautiful Michelin star kitchen with Chef Massimo and his team, and make full use of the excellent organic produce that comes from the kitchen garden. But that’s not all. On the estate, there are also cows, geese, pigeons, ducks, rabbits and chickens, all of which make their way into the kitchen, as well of course, as the area’s famous pigs which are transformed into artisan produce such as culatelli, salami, preti, coppe, spalle, and many other types of salumi. And don’t forget that this is the land of handmade pasta, and Chef Spigaroli and his team will soon have you rolling out paper thin sheets of pasta to create anolini, tortelli, ravioli, tagliolini, tagliatelle, stringoni and pasta rasa. Learn how to conserve the fruits of all the different seasons, making jams and marmalades, crystallizing fruits, making tomato conserve and preserving vegetables. And (depending on the season), pick up tips on how to create delicious traditional liqueurs and herb teas like Nocino allo Sbùrlon (walnut liqueur), Bargnolino al Luigino (prune liqueur), and Canarino a digestive drink based on hot water and lemon zest, all wonderful traditional remedies and tipples to recreate at home.

Parma Accommodations

This unique property makes the perfect destination for anyone wishing to experience the very particular countryside and atmosphere of Parma’s lowlands, where the scenery is dominated by expanses of flat fields and woodlands and of course, the windings of the River Po. The property offers six rooms, and two suites, each warm and elegant, furnished tastefully in a style that blends modern accents with period details and furnishings, and featuring magnificent sixteenth century ceilings. All rooms offer splendid views over the nearby fields and rivers, have functioning fireplaces, a minibar and a basket of fresh fruit, and private bathrooms where you’ll find beautiful linens, marble baths and handmade artisan soaps scented with olive oils and wines.

On the estate there is a working farm where most of the fare that reaches the table is grown, raised and produced, including the many excellent pork products the area is famed for, which are aged in the cellar which dates back to 1320. The property’s exclusive restaurant boasts open views over the surrounding countryside and the River Po, and guests are able to soak up the atmospheric panorama while cozying up close to an open fire.

Itinerary: 5 Days, 4 Nights

Day 1: Arrival, tour of property, welcome dinner

• 11 am: Arrival.
• Check in and welcome.
• Picnic lunch on the property, overlooking the hills of Emilia-Romagna, featuring the estate’s organic produce, artisan cheese, ham and salumi.
• Tour of the property, including the working farm and cellar.
Welcome dinner with Michelin-Star Chef’s menu and wine included.

Day 2: Cooking class 1

• Breakfast is served
•9.30am – Cooking Class 1. Aprons on and into the kitchen with Chef Massimo and his team where you learn how to transform fresh organic produce from the estate’s vegetable garden into delicious local dishes. You will make a full four-course “Starred” menu, from starters to dessert. Lunch follows at the Chef’s table and includes the foods prepared in class. Local wine included.
•Afternoon and evening free to relax, or perhaps explore your surroundings.
•For dinner, enjoy a light Chef’s tasting menu featuring cured meats, Parmigiano Reggianofocaccia, home-made dessert, and wine.

Day 3: Cooking Class 2 & Verdi tour

•Breakfast is served
•9.30am – Cooking Class 2. Back into the kitchen with Chef Massimo and his team where today’s lesson covers the creation of handmade pasta and risottos. Learn the secret of turning out delicious anolini, tortelli, ravioli, tagliolini, tagliatelle, stringoni or pasta rasa, and how to dress pasta and risotto dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Lunch follows at the Chef’s table and includes the foods prepared in class. Local wine included.
•In the afternoon, explore and follow in Maestro Giuseppe Verdi’s footsteps with a guided tour that takes you to places and monuments marking important moments in Verdi’s musical career.
•In the evening, enjoy a light Chef’s tasting menu featuring cured meats, Parmigiano Reggianofocaccia, home-made dessert, and wine.

Day 4: Visit to Parmesan Cheese producer & cycle trip

•Breakfast is served
•8.30 am  – visit to a local cheese artisan to find out more about the production of the renowned Parmesan cheese.
•Pick up bicycles for a trip along the banks of the Po.
• Picnic lunch on the property.
• In the evening, enjoy a full-course traditional dinner at the property’s medieval Hosterie restaurant.

Day 5: Guided visit of Parma & Arrivederci

•Breakfast is served
•Morning: enjoy a guided tour of Parma where you will visit the Duomo, Baptistry, theater and other important monuments.
•Free for lunch: pick out a pretty, little trattoria and sample some delicious Parma specialties
•Checkout & Arrivederci!

Program Includes:

5 days, 4 nights accommodations, based on 2 guests in a room.

Daily breakfast and maid service, included.

2 hands-on cooking classes, preparing traditional full course lunch with wine included.

1 Full-Course Welcome Dinner with traditional fare prepared by the Chef with wine included.

2 Chef’s Light Tasting Dinners at the property with wine included.

1 Full-Course Traditional Dinner at the property’s medieval Hosterie restaurant. Wine excluded.

1 Picnic Lunches in the countryside with home made foods from the Chef’s kitchen.

Guided visit of property, including a working garden farm and beautiful 14th-century wine cellar.

Guided visit of the famous Parmesan cheese maker with discussions and tastings included.

A guided tour of the city where Verdi lived and played his music.

Guided visit of Parma, a food lover’s dream tour.

Cooking Vacations welcome bag with Chef’s apron and recipe book.

Program Prices

$2,795 per person, based on 2 guests.

For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.

Check Availability

2024 Dates: This program is available throughout the year. You can check in and start your cooking program any day of the week, as this program is offered 12 months per year. Rates are subject to change based on currency exchange. Call for updated rates. Airfare not included. Group transfers for any cooking tour or tours that include transfers, are for the group and are not private. Transfers before, after or to another destination outside of your cooking tour are not included in the program price. If you would like to add on a private transfer or transfers, let us know and we will send you pricing.