Sicilian Cooking Between Palermo & Trapani™

Chef Rosario leads you in the kitchen for your Sicilian cooking class week. Tie on your apron and get ready to cook Sicilian food while sipping local wine.  This five-night and six-day program will introduce you to western Sicilian cooking near Palermo. The food and cooking style of Sicily has influence from Spanish, Arabic and Norman flavors in recipes such as Pollo Marsala, Caponata, eggplant and caper salad, pasta with fennel and sardines, red mullet in sweet onion sauce, fresh calamari stewed in sweet tomato sauce, Coniglio con salsa di mandorle, lots of artichoke – served roasted on an open grill, stuffed or sautéed – Sicilian orange salad, and zabaglione.

Chef Rosario prepares fresh, healthy pasta with local garden herbs and spices, baked or grilled Mediterranean fish such as swordfish, tuna, sardines and mackerel, and shares his tricks for traditional local classics like cassata, cannoli and pistachio biscotti.

The region from Palermo to Trapani is famous for its history and natural beauty, boasting such landmarks as the Zingaro Nature Reserve, the magnificent castle and churches of Alcamo, the Byzantine beauty and Arab symmetry of Monreale’s cathedral. Also nearby are the salt pans 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 in Sicily.

Sicily Cooking Classes

Sicilian cooking is seasonal and staple ingredients include tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, artichokes, along with freshly made ricotta cheese, almonds, pistachios and an infinite variety of fresh fish. These ingredients make up the basis of your cooking class with Chef Rosario, who will have you creating a variety of his specialties such as pasta finocchio e sarde, with wild fennel and fresh baby sardines, pesce spade in agrodolce, sweet and sour swordfish, ending with cassatelle di ricotta, fresh ricotta pastry. You can also learn how to make pasta al pesto Trapanese, and timbales of artichoke and scampi along with rustic Sicilian Antipasti, a variety of local meats grilled, roasted and stuffed, and always ending with a delicious cassata siciliana.

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

Trapani & Alcamo

Trapani offers the enchanting panorama of the most important saltpans of Europe, and Sicilian sea salt is known throughout the world. Located in a sickle-shaped peninsula, Trapani is a city whose origins are surrounded in myths.

Alcamo is a small city in the province of Trapani, situated in the center of the Gulf of Castellammare. Rising at the foot of Monte Bonifato, it 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 construction 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

Sicily Accommodations

Set on the beach of the coastal road of Castellammare del Golfo, your accommodation offers breathtaking views over a crystalline sea. The boutique hotel property offers 23 rooms, which include 3 suites and 2 rooms with disabled access, are infused with Mediterranean colors and attractively furnished, and are equipped with modern amenities: Satellite TV, telephone, Wi-Fi internet connection, mini bar, in-room safe, and air conditioning. The private ensuite bathrooms come with shower or bathtub with hydro-massage, hairdryer and a complimentary beauty kit.

Naturally, all other areas of the hotel are equally comfortable: a beautiful terrace that comes with a gorgeous swimming pool complete with lounge chairs and umbrellas, and a lounge bar and restaurant where guests can sample the delicious local cuisine. The daily Continental breakfast is served in the breakfast room and also on the terrace, and the buffet comes with the added bonus of typical Sicilian sweets. In this little corner of paradise, you will find a relaxing and welcoming ambiance where you will be taken care of by warm Sicilian hospitality, at your service for anything you may need.

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Itinerary: 3 Days, 2 Nights

Day 1: Arrival & Check-In

• Arrival transfer from Palermo or Train Station to property.
• Welcome aperitivo and introduction to your cooking program.
• Chef’s Welcome Dinner featuring a full course tasting menu featuring Sicilian fare. (Wine, beverages, after-dinner liqueurs and caffè available at a surcharge.)

Day 2: Cooking Class

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, head to the kitchen for your Cooking Class with Chef Rosario. Learn the traditions of choosing and preparing fish and make a full menu from antipasto to dessert.  Lunch follows on the foods prepared in class. Wine, beverages, after-dinner liqueurs and caffè available at a surcharge. (Menu can be substituted for non-seafood eaters.)
• Afternoon free to explore on your own on relax on the beach.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 3: Departure & Arrivederci

• Breakfast is served
• Check out and transfer to Palermo Airport or 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.