Workshops
Themed and guest-led culinary experiences
WHEN
October 9-14, 2023
PRICE
Single Room: €2,850 Double Room: €5,150
Costs include accommodation at Case Vecchie or one of the nearby cottages, and indicated lessons, meals, wine and excursions. Lunch and dinner are served with wines from the Tasca d’Almerita estate. Typical meals and cooking lessons include three or four courses.
info
Airfare and transportation to and from Case Vecchie are not included in the cost. At the time of booking, please let us know if you would like us to book a car to and from the estate. Planned activities and schedules may change at short notice due to seasonal rhythms of life in Sicily.
Salt Water Farm
with Annemarie Ahearn
Annemarie Ahearn, founder of Salt Water Farm Cooking School, located on her family’s farm on the coast of Maine (USA) believes that good cooking has nothing to do with fancy equipment, complicated recipes, or hard-to-find ingredients. The fundamentals are really quite simple: it’s all about instinct, technique, and freshness. Join her in Sicily for a week of modern country cooking and a series of delicious meals inspired by Case Vecchie’s freshest ingredients.
Annemarie Ahearn
is the founder of Salt Water Farm Cooking School, located on her family’s farm on the coast of Maine (USA) and author of two cookbooks: Modern Country Cooking and Full Moon Suppers. Annemarie believes that good cooking has nothing to do with fancy equipment, complicated recipes, or hard-to-find ingredients. The fundamentals are really quite simple: it’s all about instinct, technique, and freshness. Annemarie has been teaching at her cooking school for over a decade and believes that developing these essential skills can lead to a greater sense of confidence and fulfillment in the kitchen. Join her in Sicily for a week of modern country cooking and a series of delicious meals inspired by this unique and stunning location.
Her credo:
Cook with local, seasonal foods to better connect with the earth and the nutrition it provides.
Be familiar with a range of cooking techniques so you can develop flexibility and intuition in the kitchen.
Master age-old cooking skills that will serve you your whole lifetime—like cooking in cast iron, sharpening knives, cooking over fire and using a mortar and pestle.
Example Program
October 9: Arrival
3:00 to 5:00 pm | Check-in
7:30 pm | Welcome aperitivo and Sicilian style dinner
October 10: Kitchen Garden Foraging
9:00 am | Bountiful breakfast with seasonal fruits and homemade jams
10:30 am | Lunchtime cooking lesson learning about local ingredients from the farm and the wild followed by lunch around the table
3:30 pm | Garden tour and afternoon walk with a glass of rose
6:00 pm | Afternoon to rest, and relax
7:30 pm | Dinner at Case Vecchie
October 11: Cheese Day!
7:45 am | On the road to see a local shepherd and cheese-maker perform his daily ritual of ricotta making. A picnic breakfast with tea, hot coffee and cakes included
12:00 pm | Sicilian cheese tasting followed by a light lunch
5:30 pm | Cooking meats and vegetables in a wood-fired oven followed by dinner
October 12: Learning about Sicilian Wines
9:00 am | Leisurely breakfast
10:30 am | A lesson of cooking fish followed by lunch around the table
4:00 pm | Wine tasting and tour of the Tasca D’Almerita cantina followed by dinner at Case Vecchie
October 13: Ancient Wonders
8:00 am | Breakfast and departure to Agrigento’s ancient “Valley of the Temples” where we will sightsee and picnic under the citrus groves
4:00 pm | Return to Case Vecchie for a farewell cooking lesson on fritti, the perfect spritz, and dinner to follow with an amaro tasting
October 14: Goodbyes
9:00 am | Breakfast followed by goodbyes
10:00 am | Check out
Booking requests
Excursions
All overnight stays of more than one night include excursions to the surrounding areas to explore local artisans and food producers. You’re welcome to request specific excursions at the time of booking but due to the seasonal rhythm of life and agriculture in Sicily, planned activities and schedules may change at short notice.
Agrigento
Take a half-day trip to explore the famous Greek archaeological site The Valley of the Temples. Enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch in the garden of Kolymbetra, an ancient citrus grove.
Pasta Factory
We might make pasta by hand in the kitchen, but here’s a chance to visit a large scale dry-pasta maker in the town of Valledolmo. Get to know what makes packaged pasta delicious.
Pizza Making
Visit a local pizzeria for a lesson in pizza making using local Sicilian flours and then enjoy your own pizza creation from their wood-fired oven.
Coffee Roasting
Meet Carmelo, the local coffee roaster in Valledolmo who creates a powerful blend of robusta and arabica beans to get your day started right.
Wood Working
The Cilano family have been woodworkers for centuries, but they are now leaders in making wine boxes for Sicilian wine companies. Experience local craftsmanship firsthand.
Olive Oil Mill
During the fall, the opportunity to visit local olive mills is one you don’t want to miss. Understand the picking and processing of these century-old trees and learn how good olive oil is made.
Wine Tasting
A visit to the Tasca D'Almerita winery will demonstrate the process of a company that produces 3.5 million bottles of wine annually, yet still does most of their grape harvest by hand. Sip and savor a number of wines from grapes cultivated right under your nose.
Ricotta Making
Join us for a morning visit to a local shepherd and cheese-maker, where we will watch traditional ricotta-making and learn more about Pecorino aging. This excursion is typically followed by a Sicilian cheese tasting back at Case Vecchie.
Artisan Visits
A half-day visit to Polizzi is worth the hour-long drive and winding roads to this hill town in the Madonie mountains. Visit a local ceramicist or take a trip to taste the Slow Food Presidia products followed by lunch at a local salumeria.
Flour Mill
A trip to Mussumeli to the Lo Manto mill will introduce you to two types of wheat processing: stone ground and cylindrical mill. Learn about the differences in wheat and grinding for the best breads and pastas.
The whole experience, from the accommodations (food, the beautiful location) to all the people we encountered was top notch. The kitchen crew was awesome in every way! I will definitely recommend to friends. David was great, enjoyed his casual style and expertise.
J.N.
David Tanis Workshop
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and thought the standard of the course was exceptional. I have taken other cooking classes in other countries, and this course was by far more authentic, serious, in-depth and has inspired me.
J.S.
David Tanis Workshop
Everything about the week was worth the effort to get there and the planning was well worth it. It was a week of gourmet eating. The participants were all enthusiastic about being there and that helped make the overall "experience".
S.M
David Tanis Workshop
I loved everything, beyond beautiful surroundings, fabulous food, wonderful instruction and opportunity to learn about Sicilian cooking, as well as the knowledgeable and very helpful staff. The flowing wine and other guests, who just happened to be amazing also added to my exceptional experience!
B.W
Tomato Paste Workshop
We've been telling everybody what great experience we've had at Case Vecchie: breadmaking, Sicilian cooking lessons, daily walks to the winery, visit to the flour mill and ricotta maker and the sheep, your beautiful grounds filled with fruit trees and vegetable gardens and the chicken coop.
Y.W.
Breadcamp
My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me. My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me.
J.C.
Pasta Workshop
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
Pasta Workshop
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
Pasta Workshop
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