Chef Mariella's Kitchen™

Chef Mariella heads up the kitchen set between Palermo and Trapani for your Sicilian cooking week. Mariella has been cooking for over 30 years and has compiled a cookbook on the colorful history of Sicilian cuisine. As you slice, simmer and sauté in the kitchen, you’ll enjoy uncovering Mariella’s vast culinary knowledge of the area almost as much as her signature dishes. Sicilian cooking blends Spanish, Arabic and Norman flavors in recipes such as pollo Marsala, Caponata, eggplant and caper salad, Pasta, fennel and sardines, red mullet in sweet onion sauce, fresh calamari stewed in sweet tomato sauce, Coniglio con Salsa Mandorle, lots of artichoke-served roasted on an open grill, stuffed or sautéed, Sicilian orange salad, and Zabaglione. Mariella whips up tasty and healthy pasta with local herbs and spices, baking or grilling Mediterranean fish such as swordfish, tuna, sardines and mackerel, and sharing her tricks for mouth-watering pastries Cassata, Cannoli and pistachio biscotti, some of Sicily’s sweet traditions.

The city of Alcamo is a small city in the province of Trapani, situated in the center of the Gulf of Castellammare. Alcamo, unknown to most travelers, is known for its nature reserve –the Zingaro Nature Reserve. The town also has magnificent castles and churches blending the Byzantine beauty and Arab symmetry of Monreale’s cathedral. Also nearby are the saltpans of Trapani and the ancient Greek monuments of Segesta, all a reflection of the extraordinary heritage of this corner of Sicily. For the food, art or history lover, there is something for everyone.

Cooking Classes

Sicilian cooking is seasonal and staple ingredients include: tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, artichokes, along with fresh-daily ricotta cheese, almonds, pistachios and an infinite variety of fresh fish. These ingredients make up the basis of your cooking classes with Chef Mariella who will have you creating a variety of her specialties such as pasta allo scoglio, which include piles of fresh clams, mussels, prawns sautéed in a light sauce, Pasta la Norma alla Siciliana-pasta and eggplant melted with Mozzarella, and endless Sicilian desserts such as Ricotta pie, pistachio biscotti, Cannoli, and almond paste cake. Local wine is included. Cooking classes also include learning the ancient and modern styles of Sicilian pizza, rustic Antipasti, hearty pasta, meat and fish, with pastries and baked goods served for a final ending always with local sweet wines.

Classes and menus vary with the seasons and the availability of fresh produce, and can be tailored to accommodate food allergies, diet needs and vegetarian request.

Trapani & Alcamo

Trapani offers the enchanting panorama of the most important saltpans of Europe with Sicilian sea salt being known throughout the world. Located in a sickle-shaped peninsula, myths surround the origins of this city.

Alcamo, rising at the foot of Monte Bonifato, represents one of the most important locations in Sicily for wine production. Historically, Alcamo became famous for the writings of poet Cielo d’Alcamo, and had a boom in its cultural and artistic growth with the building of churches and buildings at first in Baroque style, then Renaissance style. This was followed by an influx of numerous international painters, sculptors and artists who have helped this small city gain international recognition.

“I have searched Calabria, Tuscany and Lombardy, Puglia, Constantinople, Genoa, Pisa, Syria, Germany, and Babylon, and all Barbary: I have not found a woman so gracious. I have taken you to be my queen.”
~ Cielo d’Alcamo

Accommodations

Your residence hotel is situated in a quiet area near the historic center of Alcamo, on a low hill that offers breathtaking views of the Gulf of Castellammare. The 25 rooms, which include 4 suites, are all unique and take their names from important characters from Sicilian history. All rooms are attractively furnished with carefully chosen quality furnishings that reflect Sicily’s rich history, and are equipped with modern amenities: air conditioning, in-room bathroom with shower, TV and pay TV, wired DSL Internet, minibar and safe.

Naturally, all other areas of the hotel are equally comfortable: the lobby, a small gem hewn from stone and furnished in 18th-century pink and black marble; the restaurant, where guests can sample the delicious local cuisine, the Solarium and pool; and the internal dining area in the splendidly decorated glass gazebo with waterfall view. During your stay you will be taken care of by warm Sicilian hospitality, at your service for any thing you may need.

Photo GalleryClick Here For Property Photos

Itinerary: 6 Days, 5 Nights

Day 1: Arrival & Check-In

• Arrival Transfer from Station to residence.
• Welcome Drink and introduction to your cooking program.
• In the evening, a Welcome Pizza Party at the hotel.

Day 2: Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, head to the kitchen for your Cooking Class 1 with Chef Mariella. Learn the basics of choosing and preparing fish and make a full menu from appetizer to dessert. Lunch follows on the foods prepared in class, along with water and local wine. (Menu can be substituted for non-seafood eaters.)
• Afternoon free to explore your surroundings.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 3: Cooking Class 2 & Wine Tasting

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, tie on your apron and head into the kitchen for Cooking Class 2 with Chef Mariella who will help you prepare ancient and modern styles of Sicilian pizza, pastries and baked goods. Lunch follows on the foods prepared in class, along with water and local wine.
• Early evening Wine Tasting paired with typical Sicilian finger food snacks. Sicily is famous for its finger foods such as arancini, rice balls, crocché, potato croquettes, panelle, chickpea fritters, and more. These foods are often bought a your favorite street vendor or friggitoria, for a quick snack or late night treat. A trip to Sicily would not be complete without tasting these little delights.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 4: Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, head to the kitchen for your Cooking Class 3 with Chef Mariella and learn the delights of Sicilian Rustic Antipasti, a variety of local meats prepared in different ways, and also a delicious Cassata Siciliana. The Cassata has a long tradition, originally from the Palermo area of Sicily and Mariella shares her prized recipe with you. Layer sponge cake with just the right amount liqueur, fresh Ricotta and canditi, and top it with colorful marzipan to make this Sicilian specialty. Lunch follows on the foods prepared in class, along with water and local wine.
• Afternoon free and time for touring on your own. Suggested itineraries provided. Dinner is free and on your own.

Day 5: Excursion to Palermo-Monreale & Vineyard Visit

• Breakfast served.
• Full day excursion to Palermo & Monreale. Palermo, the capital city of Sicily, is bustling with markets and street vendors, and around every corner is an incredible church- almost always with architectural styles blended like a colorful collage. Roman, Baroque, Byzantine, Norman blend together, just as the culture of Sicily. Stop in Monreale with its beautiful medieval cathedral and picturesque cloister where monks still stroll seeming to count the 228 columns that line the courtyard.
• Lunch included and a stop at a local vineyard for a visit and tasting. Informal discussion on prized Sicilian wines such as Moscato, Zibibbo, sweet Marsala, Catarratto from Alcamo, and more, and taste, too.
• Evening return to the property.
• Dinner free and on your own.

Day 6: Departure & Arrivederci

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and transfer to local train station.

*Note: This schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days or festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the program.