Cook in Umbria

"I asked several friends to join me for a cooking class with Raffaella in Umbria. We enjoyed the most memorable cooking vacation. Raffaella's home is welcoming and her style of teaching delightful. The food was delicious! I can't think of eating pasta from a box after this class! The afternoon trips were interesting and pleasurable. I would highly recommend this cooking vacation to anyone who enjoys Italian food and culture. Rate this a 10+++"

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"I was just with Seanette Messerole at Lets Cook in Umbria. It was a fantastic experience. The recipes were simple enough or at least they made it seem simple enough that anyone can make them. And the food was fantastic. We all felt like gourmet cooks and loved our food. I will be making the recipes for my husband this week because I want to relive the experience I had in Umbria! Thank you."

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"We are two friends from Sydney, Australia. We had a delightful 5 days at Cook in Umbria. Rafaella is an experienced and charming host and a wonderful teacher. We enjoyed staying on her farm and we learnt so much about traditional cooking in a pleasant and relaxed setting. Would highly recommend the experience and rate it very high, at least 9/10."

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"It took a bit for the taxi to find the house, but I am glad that he did. We were visiting Perugia for the second time and wanted to get more in tune with the Umbrian way of life. This was done in an expert manner. We learned about the food of Umbria, a little about its history and we did all of this a not only had a great meal but helped in its preparation. Thank you, Raffaella, for the wonderful time. This is one of the must do things in Perugia. Enjoy, Harry."

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"The highlight of our honeymoon! Such a wonderful day! Raffaella is a gem and quite a cook! She was so much fun and we learned so much! It was thee nicest meal in all our time in Italy (1 month!) and I look forward trying to recreate it back home in Canada! Thank you for a wonderful cooking lesson!"

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"What a perfect way to learn to cook regional dishes from Umbria with such a wonderful person. Raffaella makes you feel so at ease, her explanations are clear and the hands on experience of making a 4-course meal was delightful. She shared some great tips and techniques as well as helping you to prepare a great menu. You use fresh seasonal produce and then enjoy the fruits of your labor along with a great bottle of local red. A real highlight of our holiday and one we would love to repeat another day. Thank you, Raffaella."

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"What a wonderful way to spend the day! We signed up for 1-day cooking class and truffle hunt, and couldn't have been happier. Raffaella is a great cook and teacher and the recipes are amazing."

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"I attended three classes with Rafaella while staying at her agriturismo. In each class we prepared four courses and everything was delicious. Meal preparation was fun and informative, and well organized. The olive oil used in cooking and the wine with meals all come from her farm. Rafaella is so welcoming and fun - I felt like a friend from the very first minute I arrived."

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"Great day of cooking - we did half a day of cooking and a hike, both great. Would do it again - only next time I would stay at the agriturismo, rather than driving in from elsewhere - it was lovely. The food we made was great, Raffaella was a good teacher, planned well and gave good directions. Haven't made the food at home yet, but feel certain we can more or less recreate it. We are vegetarian, she was totally able to accommodate us."

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"One of our Plene Aire painters suggested we take an Italian cooking lesson and so we did, all 18 of us. We hired a van (large) to take us from Il Casale Grande to Perugia. Our instructor was Signora Raffaella who is a treasure in the kitchen. We made eggplant with tomatoes, a cheese appetizer, pasta from scratch, and had an asparagus pasta dish (I do not like asparagus but this was very tasty), pork tenderloin with grapes and juniper berries and a delicious cherry tart for dessert. The wine and fruits were grown on their farm. You may purchase their wines, jams, and jellies. The drive to La Vole e Iuva is very picturesque. I highly recommend anyone to book this experience. Ciao."

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"My vacation to Italy was the vacation of a lifetime! But I have to say one of the Highlights of my trip was the cooking class that I took at Let's Cook In Umbria! Not only was the class and the chef excellent the farm where they live and grow all their own herbs was Quaint and nice. We basically cooked in their kitchen and ate our delicious food afterwards! (With homemade wine) This experience is one that I will never forget and it is truly a memory of my Italy vacation I will remember forever! PS. Better than my cooking class in France!"

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"We finished our trip to Florence and Rome in Umbria. Raffaella was very welcoming. The apartment was comfortable. The scenery beautiful. cooking classes are held within Raffealla's home. The recipes were easy and delicious. I have made them since returning home. Would recommend this to family and friends visiting the area,"

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"I stayed with Raffaella on her farm in the beautiful historic area of Perugia. She made me welcome and really personalized my trip. The cooking classes were wonderful. We cooked in Rafaella's home and I thoroughly enjoyed the hands on experience of cooking a four course Italian meal. She made it seem easy and even better you eat the food you have made afterwards with wine produced on the farm. The trip also involved tours to local museums, a chocolate factory and nearby Assisi with English speaking guides on all of them. Having a planned itinerary kept me busy and let me experience local culture and history whilst also leaving time for clothes shopping in Perugia. All of this and there was still time to relax in the comfortable apartments on the peaceful farm. My friends and family have enjoyed eating the recipes since I came home."

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"Raffaella's class was like a day in a family kitchen with an experienced aunt. From the warm greeting at the door to the dog in its basket by the fire, this is a family home. Raffaella has a background in science and her lessons covered both the art and science of cooking. I've never had much success with pastry and Raffaella showed me why! The resulting crostata was perfect.We cooked four courses in a few hours, so it is a busy session, but Raffaella is professional and organised and you will leave inspired. The recipes are delicious and repeatable but most cooking schools will supply that. There is a joy and character here that set this school apart. If you are even toying with the idea of a class like this, take this one!"

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"Raffaella was absolutely fantastic. My wife and I wanted a cooking class in Italy, and Raffaella managed to work us in on short notice, which was amazing enough - but then we had the class! Raffaella (and her sleeping cats) taught us how to make an eggplant appetizer, homemade pasta with a delicious tomato sauce, a pork loin (with an amazing sauce - I can't remember what it was called, but it had grapes i it, which were a surprisingly delightful addition), and a fig crostata.Most of the ingredients came from her farm, so everything was fresh. When everything was finished, we ate. And boy did we eat! I wasn't hungry for days after that! She topped the meal off with some homemade wine, which was so good we bought a bottle. We also bought some new olive oil and fig and cherry jam. I highly suggest Let's Cook in Umbria. You won't be dissappointed!"

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"We had the best time ever here! Rafaella saw to every little detail to ensure that our stay was perfect. From stocking our rooms with cakes, jams, wine, coffee, to organizing tours to nearby villages. The cooking classes were so much fun and we learned a lot about how to cook the Italian way. This was my second visit and I hope to return again ayny time soon. Thank you Raffaella for everything!"

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"My sister and I had a fantastic cooking class at Raffaella's lovely rural home / retreat in Perugia. The setting is a lovely hidden-away home and gardens near the top of a winding residential hill area, very convenient for those visiting Perugia, Assis, Umbria. When you arrive, by car, you find yourself in a quiet, secured, green space with birds chirping and a warm welcome from Raffaela. We had signed up for a 4 hour, half day cooking class. This concluded with a huge lunch from the foods we made. The cooking class was taught by Stefanie, who was excellent.The class was informal, fun, and very participatory. Our class included one other couple from Australia, who were saying for several days at Raefella's bed and breakfast. We all stood or sat around a large dining room table that was completely covered with this huge peice of smooth, clean wood, almost like a gigantic rolling / cutting board.Also, we each had separate cutting boards available, aprons, other tools needed. Stefanie spoke Italian and English very well (as did Raffaella) and gave us such good instructions for each of the items made; appetizer (brushetta), pasta (handmade spaghetti with sauce), second course (rabbit), and dessert (tiramisu). The class was most organized, with plenty of hands-on experience and perfectly timed. It was done slow enough so we could add our own simple, handwritten notes notes on the recipe pages that we were given.Stefanie also added other very practical tidbits of info, as we went along. She helped us learn what order to make the items, so all would be ready at once. She had a "pasta guitar" which was much easier to use than this more bulky, metal pasta maker we had used in an Italian cooking class back in the US. When the dinner was complete, Raffaella ushered us into a beautiful dining area in her sunroom.There, she had set up such a lovely table for us all to enjoy our huge lunch (with local wine and a nice salad she had made). So, besides the wonderful lessons and food, Raffaella provided a delightful setting, and she talked with us as if we were friends. The experience was not only about cooking lessons and delicious eating, but also about good conversations in her warm and welcoming eclectic home, about sharing and connecting with people from around the world!"

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"We spent two days in a lovely apartment with a countryside view. The apartment was fully equipped, including foods for breakfast, as well as, a bottle of olive oil and wine from Raffaellas farm. We thoroughly enjoyed our two days of classes which included a four-course meal and wines each day. We have since made several of the recipes, some of the favorites included chicken arrabbiata, millefoglie di melanzane, and torta al testo.All of the recipes were easy to make and always had fresh ingredients. Rafaella was generous with her time, as she gave us many tips of what to see, and even drove us into Perugia one afternoon. Her farm is about a 20-25 EUR taxi ride from Perugia. We highly recommend the cooking classes and the accommodation. Thank you Stefania and Raffaella for your wonderful hospitality. Who knows we may visit you again in the future."

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"Raffaella was super quick on my last minute request for a class and was able to accommodate us the very next day! The instructor, Stefania was super sweet and funny! She really loved food and to cook and it showed!! The food was delicious, torta with stracchino cheese with rocket, homemade pasta with pork cheek, zucchini and saffron, chicken arribiata and a fig and walnut crostada.Oh my God, I am salivating as I type! Can't wait to try these recipes at home (yes, they give you the recipes to take with you, along with a cute certificate we framed and have hanging in our kitchen, and an apron!) Met 2 wonderful ladies in the class too! The one issue we had was finding the place. Perugia is tough to get around, would have been helpful to have directions given to us, otherwise it was Perfecto!"

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"Rafaella was able to accommodate me even though there was only one other mother and her eight-year old daughter available on the day. Stefania and Raffaella made us very welcome and taught us how to make delicious panna cotta, pizza dough, tagliatelle with two different tasty sauces and fantastic chicken and proscuitto roulades. Then, our husbands joined us to taste the fruits of our labors and were equally impressed with the beautiful table setting and delicious meal, including homemade wine from the farm.Stefania made everything seem so easy and really got us involved in rolling, stretching and feeling the dough so we would know what to do when we got home. I have made everything back in Australia and my family and friends have been very impressed. Thank you, Raffaella and Stefania, for this magnificent experience in such a beautiful location! Hopefully one day, I can come and stay at the farm and spend more time cooking and learning more of your culinary secrets!"

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