TRAVEL - TOURS - VACATIONS
ACTIVE SINGLES AND SOLO TRAVELERS
Paola Baccetti was born in the town of Bibbiena in the beautiful Casentino valley in Tuscany. Paola is a typical Tuscan woman who is very passionate about cooking. Her mother was an excellent cook and Paola started learning her skills at an early age. At the age of 11 she spent about a month every summer with her uncle and aunt at their famous restaurant “Dino il Toscano” in Castelli Romani in Rome . she took an active role in their kitchen where they specialized in Tuscan cooking. She studied to be a teacher and got her teaching diploma but decided to stay with her great passion: cooking and teaching to cook. In 1987 she decided to open her own restaurant “Porta de' Fabbri” in the old town center of Bibbiena and run this successfully for 10 years. A success thanks to her intensive research of good ingredients and excellent creativity! She enjoys “making people happy with my meals”: Paola now caters for private groups and other than giving the Italian cookery course at Casa Ombuto she also caters for the Casa Ombuto villa rental guests ever since 2003. Paola also taught “Italian cuisine” at one of the oldest Universities for foreigners in Florence called “Lorenzo de' Medici”. She has also given classes in San Diego and Santa Barbara ( California ) with great success. Paola and her Swiss equestrian husband Rolando live in a delightful Tuscan farmhouse in the countryside near the medieval town of Poppi with their horses, dogs and their two children Manuele and Alessia. Alessia attended a two-year course in a restaurant school and assisted her mother for 3 years in Casa Ombuto. To Paola………”Cooking is art”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franco Palandra was born in a small village in the south of Italy near Caserta called Camigliano. At the age of 14 he enrolled at the National Hotellerie institute of Italy for a five year course and graduated when he was 19 years. During the summer vacations he worked in different areas of Italy in Restaurants and Hotels learning the different Italian regional cuisine. After graduation school he decided to travel and work in Europe to learn the cuisine of other European countries and different techniques. He worked in England as an assistant chef and learnt a great deal in the kitchen there and also how to speak English! Franco also worked in France, Switzerland and Greece on Rhode and has through his travels and experience given traditional Italian dishes an international character making his dishes truly special. This passion to experiment and innovate classic Italian recipes gave him the opportunity to work on board the Caronia vessel of the Cunard line. His Italian restaurant on board this luxury cruise vessel was a great success and he was appointed head chef of the restaurant. Franco now lives with his girlfriend (Paola) and his dog in Arezzo, where works as a chef in one of the top restaurant in Arezzo in the medieval old town. In free time Franco loves doing freelance photography and helping out at the dog refugees center.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laura Giusti was born in Subbiano which is a charming village close to Arezzo in the heart of Tuscany. After completing a degree in Italian Literature and philosophy at the University of Sienna, she took a post graduate course in “archives studies” in Cortona. Her passion for food and wine inspired her to pursue this as a profession. She studied to be a Professional Sommelier and she also completed an Oil “dégustation” course. To improve her cooking skills she took courses with famous chefs from Florence, Rome and Lucca and with the “Slow Food” organization and the Institute of Alberghiero near Siena. She has also completed a Moroccan cookery course in North African. In 1989 she opened up her own restaurant in Capolona near Arezzo “Il Giardino Sull ‘Arno” where she specialized in functions, weddings and private dinners. She started teaching in 2002 for an Italian cooking school specialised in old Traditional Tuscan food and was happy to finally, as she says: “Unite my two greatest passions, cooking and teaching”. Laura teaches the Mediterranean cookery course at Casa Ombuto. Her extensive knowledge of food and wine, combined with her passion for teaching and personal charm will inspire you.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sample Menus
Italian Cookery Course - Menu
This is an example of a week menu, it can change subject to season and availability:
| Torte di Verdure | Vegetable Tart | |||
| Bruschette al Porcino Rustico | Toasted bread with wild mushrooms | |||
| Polenta con Cinghiale | Polenta with Wild Boar | |||
| Petto di Pollo Tipieno | Filled chickenbreast | |||
| Carciofi alle Casentinese | Artichokes with Mushroom, cheese and garlic | |||
| Torta della nonna | Cream and Pine Nut Cake | |||
| Torta della nonna | Cream and Pine Nut Cake | |||
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| Antipasto con crostine neri, misti e affettat misti Toscano | Traditional Tuscan Antipasto prepared with typical sauces meat, tomato and cheeses, served with fennel and typical salami | |||
| Tagliatelli al Ragu OR Agnolotti | Pasta with a meat sauce OR Pasta filled with a mix of white meat and spinaches | |||
| Coniglio alla Cacciatori | Rabbit in a tomato sauce with herbs | |||
| Sformato di Vedure di Stagione | Vegetable Quiche | |||
| Budino Agli Amaretti | Creme Caramel with Ground Biscuits | |||
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| Antipasto con Bresaola | Slices of ham service with cheese & rucola | |||
| Gnocchi Gran Prix | Gnocchi of Potato and Spinach, filled with ricotta and served in a tomato sauce | |||
| Filetto al Pepe Verde | Filet steak in a green pepper sauce | |||
| Verdure Grigliate | Fresh grilled vegetables | |||
| Gelato Nocciola, Crema e Pinoli, Fragola | Creme Caramel with Ground Biscuits | |||
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| Antipasto con crepes, Pizette con pasta sfoglia involtini E piadina | Crepes filled with Bresaola, ham and with different cheeses, and two different kinds of pasta | |||
| Ravioli al Porcino | Ravioli with wild mushrooms | |||
| Tagliata con verdure gratinate | "Fiorentina" Steak grilled and served with olive oil, green pepper and rosemary. Oven baked stuffed vegetables | |||
| Panna Cotta | Baked Cream tart | |||
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| Buffet | ||||
| Crostini | Small circles of bread with different sauces | |||
| Bruschette | Bread baked in the oven with mushroom, tomato, and cheese etc. | |||
| Involtini di Bresaola | Rolls of "bresaola" with goat cheese | |||
| Involtini di Proscuitto cotto | Rolls of Ham with ricotta and almonds | |||
| Carpaccio | Bresaola with rucola and parmesan cheese | |||
| Proscuitto e Melone | Parma Ham and melon | |||
| Spiedini di Formaggi misti | Skewers with different cheeses | |||
| Vitello Tonnato | Veal in tuna sauce | |||
| Melanzane con Tagliolini e Pros Crudo | Rolls of eggplant with Noodles, tomato sauce and raw ham. | |||
| Risotto ai Funghi Porcini | Rice with wild mushrooms | |||
| Triangoli di Pizza | Slices of Pizza with various toppings | |||
| Verdure Gratinate | Vegetables filled with breadcrumbs and baked in the oven | |||
| Macedonia di frutta fresca | Fresh fruit salad | |||
| Crostata | Tart | |||
| Torta della Nonna | Cream and Pine nut Pie | |||
| Torta di pesche ed amaretti | Peaches and Biscuits Pie | |||
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Italian Mediterranean Cookery Course - Menu For Availability and Booking Information
This is an example of a week menu, it can change subject to season and availability:
Sunday afternoon - Italian dinner preparation
Pasta - with various sauces
Scallopine (Veal & ham rolls in tomato & wine sauce)
OR
Shino arresto (Braised shin of veal)
With
Risotto or a Rice & spinach mould.
AND
Grilled vegetables platter
Zabaglione with strawberry puree
OR
Amaretti pudding with seasonal fruit sauce
Monday Morning - preparation breads and pastries
Learn to make basic bread dough:
Bread - Foccacia & Fougasse (the provencal version)
AND
Savory Tart - Pissaladiere, (onion, anchovy & black olive tart)
Biscuits - Cantucci
Tart - Apricot or Plum tartc.
Lunch - Savory Tart and Salad
Monday Afternoon - Preparation French Provencal dinner
Tapenade, (black olive puree)
Caviar d'aubergine (egg plant spread )
Salade Nicoise (the real one!)
OR
Soupe au pistou (the provencal version of Minestrone)
OR
Roasted green asparagus with a broken egg
OR
Carpaccio or tartare from fresh Tuna (if available)
Fish in a crust of sea salt (usually sea bass or daurade)
OR
Charlotte d'agneau, (lamb pie under layers of egg plant)
OR
Estouffade Provencale, (a classic , a beef stew in red wine and herbs)
AND
Ratatouille (again the real one!)
Tian of vegetables (layers of vegetables baked in an earthenware dish)
Tomates a la provencale (oven roasted tomatoes )
Small lemon creams
OR
Clafoutis of seasonal fruits (fruit flan)
OR
Poached peaches in rose wine
You will also learn how to marinate "picodons" (small goat cheeses in a jar with olive oil, herbs, etc..)
Wednesday Morning - Preparation Spanish lunch
Gaspacho
Tortilla ( omelette with onions and potatoes)
Salad of roasted red peppers
Crema Catalana ( spanish creme brulee)
OR
Fresas agridulce (strawberries sweet and sour with Xeres vinegar)
Wednesday Afternoon - Preparation Marrocan dinner
Filo pastry parcels with various fillings:, filled with fresh sardine fillets, raisins, pinenuts and baked in oven.
Tagine of Chicken with preserved lemons and green olives (we demonstrate technique for preserving the lemons)
AND
Spicy couscous to be served as vegetable dish
AND
A selection of refreshing small side salads (carrots, cucumber, etc..)
Rice pudding & salad of sliced fresh oranges with cinnamon
Friday Afternoon - Preparation Buffet dinner
Selection of spanish Tapas
Italian crostinis
Farcis provencaux : (small vegetables , usually courgettes,tomatoes, onions, stuffed with various fillings and baked)
Panzanella
Prosciutto & melon (May) - Prosciutto & figs (Sept. Oct.)
Carpaccio bresaloa with rocket & parmesan
Escabeche de calamares (if available) marinated squid salad
Taboule (couscous salad)
Cheese selection : Pecorino, Parmesan, goat cheeses
Cheese log
Semi Freddo in different flavours like praline, vanilla, nougat, etc., served with seasonal oven baked fruits
877 848-7477
or
cooking@bestsingletravel.com
