Holiday itinerary
This fantastically varied region of Sicily, renowned for its rich cuisine and fine wines, will be the setting of this 6 night/7 day gourmet Sicilian cooking holiday. Set in the heart of the attractive historic city of Modica, you will find the tastefully restored 17th century house and home of this excellent cookery holiday.
As the largest island of the Mediterranean, Sicily is steeped in a richness of culture, history, breath-taking natural beauty and gastronomic delights that are guaranteed to delight even the most dedicated foodie. The cuisine reflects the island’s rich history; influenced by Greek, Arab, Norman, Spanish and Roman ingredients, techniques and dishes.
Sicilian dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients and produce from the land and seas of the island, and as such closely follow the seasons making sure that the dishes produced here are wonderfully fresh, local and bursting with flavour.
The fun and relaxed atmosphere will have you cooking up many a Sicilian feast in the light and airy spacious kitchen. Here you will create a wide range of traditional Sicilian dishes, using the island’s freshest local ingredients.
The week is also packed with exceptional excursions including a vineyard tour, exploring the area’s coastal and historical towns, visiting a mill to see how flour is still traditionally produced and much more. This really is a true culinary and cultural extravaganza guaranteed to fuel your passion for good food, free flowing wine and great company.
During this memorable cooking holiday your chef Katia, will both be on hand to organise every element of your holiday to ensure you return feeling relaxed and refreshed with a great collection of new recipes and techniques to try out on your return.
Accommodation is set in a wonderful 17th century building, which has been lovingly restored to its original 1930s feel when the chef’s grandparents originally bought the property. The house boasts 3 comfortable twin/double bedrooms. Each room has its own individual style along with private en-suite bathroom. The house includes a sun-drenched terrace boasting a magnificent view of the San Giorgio cathedral, spacious kitchen, and separate dining area with original domed ceiling features.
Get more from your holiday and learn cooking in Sicily, enjoy the warm climate and hospitality, great food and wine, stunning surroundings and take home recipes from this beautiful area to treasure for a lifetime.
Suitability
- Cookery holidays are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 18
- Your hosts are Italian but speak impeccable English and classes will be held in English
Travelling Solo?
- These cookery holidays make great singles holidays and singles are welcome to join an existing group
- Solo travellers can pre-book a private single room for a compulsory single room supplement
- Note: There are NO Shared rooms for solo travellers on this holiday
- To book a private single room, email or contact us via live chat (click on the ‘start chat’ link at the bottom of this page) or call us to check availability
Non-Participating Partner
-Non-participating partners are welcome to join existing cooking partners during the week, email for availability and prices
Cooking Holiday Start Days
- All arrivals are on Sunday afternoons (or on Monday afternoon for the date in March) on set dates between March and October
- It may be possible to arrange cookery holidays in the winter months for groups of 4 or more, to check availability, email with your preferred date
- Cooking holidays are for 6 nights/7 days so if you arrive Sunday, you’ll check out the following Saturday for example
- If you wish to stay for extra nights please email to check availability for your preferred duration and we will do our best to accommodate you
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
Excursions
- All the excursions during the holiday are relatively short drives away. The longest drive is about 1 hour and 15 minutes and there is only one of those
- The rest are under 50 minutes ensuring you can maximise your cooking and relaxation time
PLEASE NOTE: - The excursions may vary from the course itinerary below depending on the season. Visits may include: an olive harvesting, olive oil producers, coffee roasters, organic winery, or visits to historic baroque towns
Cooking Holiday Itinerary
PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the season but is typically as follows:
Day 1- Arrival and welcome dinner
- Arrive at Catania airport for your transfer back to Modica and the house
- Check into your room (any time after 2pm) and take your time to explore the house, and meet your fellow cooking guests
- Enjoy a delicious Sicilian evening meal prepared by your talented host made from fresh local ingredients and accompanied by Sicilian wine
Day 2 – Introduction to Sicilian cooking and walking tour of Modica
- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading to the kitchen for your first cookery lesson
- Cookery lessons will be relaxed and fun helping give you a sense of cooking meals in real time that you can recreate back home for family or friends
- After your cookery lesson you will enjoy everything you have learnt to cook with a group meal
- In the afternoon, you will explore the beautiful city of Modica with a walking tour guided by your knowledgeable local hosts
- Your guides will show you the points of local interest and some of the lesser known pretty back streets and spots only locals know to enjoy spectacular views of the city
- NOTE: dinner is not included tonight
- This evening’s dinner plans are flexible and so you are free to discover of the many restaurants in Modica (with prices to suit all budgets), all within walking distance and your hosts can give you recommendations, whatever you choose to eat for dinner this evening, the culinary delights of Modica won’t disappoint
Day 3 – Cookery lesson, coastal visit to winery, walk in Vendiccari Nature Reserve, baroque city of Noto
- After breakfast, head back to the kitchen for your second cookery lesson with Chef Katia
- After cooking, sit down and relax with a glass of Sicilian wine and enjoy the fruits of your labour as you eat the lunch you have learnt to cook with the rest of the group
- After lunch, set out to explore the coast, starting with a visit to a local winery close to the sea
-Next enjoy a walk in the Vendicari Nature Reserve where you’ll have the opportunity to visit a newly restored tonnara – the place where the traditional Sicilian maze of nets are set to catch fresh tuna off the coast
- You will then head to the historic baroque town of Noto to admire its magnificent architecture, and discover it’s wonderful culinary specialities of honey, sweet wines and almond based sweets
- Head back to Modica in the evening and enjoy some of Modica’s rustic delicacies such as scacci (a thin dough rolled up and stuffed with a variety of fillings) and arancini (Sicilian stuffed rice balls) as well as a selection of local cheeses and wines
Day 4 – Visit to city of Siracusa, market and old town
- After breakfast you’ll head off to the beautiful historical city of Siracusa for today’s excursion
- Spend the morning at the city centre market with its wonderful array of the freshest local produce, fruit, vegetables and other local delicacies
- The afternoon is free for you to explore the historic city centre
- Siracusa boasts must see highlights like the Temple of Apollo, the delightful Piazza del Duomo – the pedestrianized square with its impressive columns and baroque façade, the legendary Arethusa fountain and the Norman Maniace Castle
- Siracusa’s city centre is also home to wonderful shopping, and foodies will particular enjoy the wonderful delicatessens selling the best quality local hams cheeses and cured meats as well as an assortment of local wines and condiments
-Lunch is taken with the group in a restaurant in Siracusa
-After lunch you will return to Modica
-NOTE: dinner is not included tonight
- The evening is free to head to one of the many wonderful cafes or restaurants in town that are within easy walking distance
Day 5 – Modica chocolate cookery lesson, Cavallo mill, sea-side village of Pozzallo
- After breakfast, head to the kitchen for your 3rd and final cookery lesson with Chef Katia
- Today is also a chance to discover the secrets of the famous Modica chocolate, a tradition dating from the Spanish conquest years when Spaniards bought cocoa from the New World
- Modica chocolate is made following traditional Aztec methods, with no added cocoa butter or soy lecithin making for a richly intense chocolate which is often flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon, and chilli
-You will visit the world famous Bonajuto chocolate lab and enjoy a private tour and a chance to taste some of the latest Modica chocolate creations
- In the afternoon you will visit the traditional mill of Cavallo, where the current owners have maintained the traditional water mill, and the dwellings were still used by the family owners until the 19th century
- You will have the chance to see how the family still use the mill to ground quality whole meal durum wheat flour
- Dinner this evening is taken in the beautiful seaside town of Pozzalo with the group
Day 6 – Visit to biodynamic winery, old baroque town of Ragusa Ibla, farewell dinner
- After breakfast you will head off to begin today’s exploration of Sicilian wine and visit a nearby biodynamic winery near the town of Acate
- You will learn the secrets behind the wine-making process and the methods used to producing their organic wines made in terracotta jars
- Lunch is taken at the winery
- After lunch you’ll visit the old baroque town of Ragusa Ibla
- In the evening you’ll enjoy a delicious final farewell dinner with your fellow chefs accompanied by Sicilian wine
Day 7 - Transfer back to Catania airport and departure day
- After a leisurely breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms by 10.30am if you are staying on in Sicily, or if you’re headed home then at a time convenient for your departure flight from Catania
- You’ll be driven back to Catania airport ready for your flight home taking with you an array of Sicilian recipes and memories and an insight into Sicilian culinary life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
About Your Chef
- Your chef and host is Sicilian born Katia, and together with the help of her husband Ronald, and colleague Angelo, you are in capable hands to experience the wonders of Sicily with expert local guides
- Katia is your Chef a Sicilian native she grew up just 20 minutes from Modica in nearby Ispica
- Katia is not a classically trained chef but after countless hours in the kitchen with her grandmother, mother and aunts she has developed a passion for cooking and the importance of food and particularly the enjoyment of sharing it were central to Katia’s family
- Katia’s grandmother (who used to live in the cookery school accommodation) was passionate about Sicilian recipes but also international cuisine and experimentation and passed this passion for cooking down the generations of the family
- Katia still uses many of her Grandmother’s old notebooks for inspiration and reference in her own cooking
- Her lessons are informal and relaxed and for Katia’s food philosophy is about quality, taste and conviviality and its more about enjoying excellent Sicilian dishes and company and having fun
- Katia also relishes in teaching visitors local secrets including how to cook with the famous Modica chocolate, local honeys and sweet almonds as well as taking some of the best local wines around for a true culinary and cultural experience
What Will I Learn?
- Using the wealth of quality ingredients the island has to offer, you will learn the art of creating both traditional and contemporary Sicilian dishes
- Lessons are relaxed and informal and concentrate on quality ingredients, taste and enjoyment of food
- You also have the opportunity to develop your understanding of the processes behind making excellent Sicilian wine, its processes and harvest when you visit a local winery
- On day six you’ll also visit an olive grove near Chiaramonte and have the chance to taste some of the best extra virgin olive oil Sicily has to offer
- A visit to a local artisan chocolatier in Modica will allow you to discover the secrets of this ancient chocolate making tradition which is perfect for chocoholics
- Daily excursions to the pretty baroque towns of nearby south-eastern Sicily provides an awareness of local culture and stunning architecture and a real insight into Sicilian daily life
Sample Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available but may include:
- Cavatieddi pasta with pork sauce
- Tiramisu alla siciliana
- Modica's chocolate chicken
- Baked timballi di anellini alla Norma pasta
- Lemon and pecorino cheese meat balls
- Cassata di ricotta cake
- Pasta with monkfish, mint and cherry tomatoes
- Scabbard fish Turbanti
- Bianco mangiare milk pudding
The Accommodation
- Your accommodation is set in the heart of the historical centre of Modica
- You’ll stay in an elegantly 17th century restored house just a short walk from local restaurants, and cafes of Modica
- The building dates back to the 17th century but has been sympathetically restored to its original 1930s feel with many traditional Sicilian features, and original Caltagirone ceramic tiles make impressive decoration
- There are a total of 3 well-appointed twin/double en suite guest rooms
- Rooms all have private en suite bathrooms and there is also another bathroom in the main living area of the house
- All rooms have air conditioning, heating and a flat screen LCD TV
- The house includes a sun-drenched terrace boasting a magnificent view of the San Giorgio cathedral, spacious kitchen, and separate dining area with original domed ceiling features
- Large sun-drenched outside terrace with wonderful views of the San Giorgio cathedral
- The spacious kitchen is light and airy room with domed ceiling, access to the outside terrace, and has plenty of space for up to 10 participants and is packed with all the latest kitchen gadgets and equipment
-The living area has a large dining table for group meals and also has a domed ceiling and access to the terrace
- Prices are based on 2 sharing a twin/double room and if you are travelling solo, stay in a twin/double room for sole occupancy for a small compulsory single supplement (subject to availability)
- Accommodation is included for 6 nights / 7 days
- Check in to your room any time after 2pm on day 1 and check out by 10.30am on day 6
- NOTE: Modica has many steps and slopes and as such, a reasonable level of fitness is required to fully appreciate the area as the steps are hard to avoid
Meals
- All breakfasts and lunches are included
- Lunch on days 2-6 is either after your cookery lesson when you’ll eat what you’ve learnt to cook or out at one of the excursions and are included in the course
- You will enjoy a wonderful Sicilian welcome and farewell dinner with the group on your first and last night will also eat at the house one other evening during the week
- On two evenings you are free to take dinner wherever you choose (extra cost) although there are many places to choose from in Modica to suit all budgets and tastes
- One evening meal is taken out on location after your daily excursion and included in the cost of the course
- If you have dietary requests these must be communicated to us at the time of booking
Free Time In Sicily
- This Sicilian cookery holiday is packed with culinary delights as well as lots of visits to local producers, the coast and historic baroque towns of the area but you may want to extend your stay in Sicily to explore the local area even further
- Your hosts will give you lots of information on the travel and towns of south-east Sicily; the best places to visit, what activities are on offer in the local area such as the local markets, food festivals and more
- It is recommended to have a car to fully explore the rest of the island of Sicily and you may find you wish to stay on for a few nights to get the most out of your trip!
Explore nearby historic towns, visit local producers and learn the secrets of cooking fresh, seasonal and local food with your fellow cooks on this fun, relaxed atmosphere on this this fun and relaxed Sicilian cookery holiday with a difference.