June in Sicily
May 03, 2015
Next month, Rachel and I will be teaching a week-long food writing class at a little piece of paradise on earth, the Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school in Sicily. It's the first time the school has held a food writing class and to say that we are honored and excited to be hosting it is the understatement of the century.
For a week, we will be using the grounds of the school, Case Vecchie, as the gathering point for the class. We'll read and write and workshop together. We'll make little trips to a local cheesemaker, to Agrigento and Polizzi Generosa, and to the estate's vineyard. We'll cook together, learning from the school's owner Fabrizia Lanza, the daughter of Anna Tasca Lanza. And we'll use all these little excursions and experiences as inspiration for writing assignments.
To read more about Case Vecchie and its magical pull, please read Rachel's posts here and here (and here is David's). She was there last summer for the school's 25th anniversary celebration - which I was forced to miss because Hugo got sick - and soaked it all up so beautifully. The more I read about it, the more I have come to believe that Case Vecchie is one of the world's special places. You may visit only once, but it moves and even changes you in such a way that you spend the rest of your life remembering the smell and feel of it, the way the light falls at dusk, the sounds of the birds and the wind.
The fee for the class is €2,500 per person, which we know feels steep, but it includes full room and board for the week as well as all the excursions, plus an intimate learning experience from Rachel and me. And, if you fly into Palermo (as I will be), you can tack a day or two on in that splendid city and eat gelato-stuffed brioche for breakfast (#yolo!).
The itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Monday, June 15
Arrive in late afternoon or early evening, for a welcome dinner and introductory discussion over Sicilian aperitifs at Case Vecchie.
Day 2: Tuesday, June 16
Morning writing lesson followed by lunch at Case Vecchie
In the afternoon we will visit local shepherd and cheesemaker Filippo Privitera, where we will watch traditional ricotta production and sample both freshly produced cheeses and the family’s aged cheeses.
Cook together for dinner at Case Vecchie. Post-dinner gathering and reading.
Day 3: Wednesday, June 17
A morning trip to Agrigento’s ancient “Valley of the Temples” where we will write and picnic under the blossoming citrus groves.
Afternoon writing lesson and free time for writing, resting, or exploring around Case Vecchie, followed by cooking lesson and dinner.
Day 4: Thursday, June 18
Morning writing lesson and communal lunch at Case Vecchie.
Afternoon free time for resting, writing, and exploring the vineyards.
Evening visit to the Case Grandi winery for a tasting workshop, where we will sample a variety of Tasca d’Almerita wines and learn a little about the language of wine. Dinner at Case Grandi.
Day 5: Friday, June 19
Morning writing lesson and communal lunch at Case Vecchie.
That afternoon, we’ll drive to the beautiful hillside village of Polizzi Generosa, with a chance to write in the scenic piazza, sample the local specialties, and visit one of the most ancient pottery producers in the area, before returning through the twilight hills for a farewell dinner at Case Vecchie, followed by a chance to share our work and reflect on the week.
Day 6: Saturday, June 20
Departure after breakfast.
There are still a few spots left, so please contact the school (itinerary and class information here, contact info here) if you are interested in attending. And if you have any questions about the class, feel free to contact me or Rachel.
We are counting the days!
Photos from rachel eats