Authentic Italian Cuisine with a Mother-Son Duo in the Heart of Modena - Day Trip — CALL

Roberta and her son Aurelio love to cook and entertain for guests at their apartment in the heart of Modena’s historic city center. Roberta learned to cook from her mother, an excellent cook, and her mother-in-law. She loves to cook because she loves to eat and gets joy from feeding family and friends good food. Roberta is passionate about showcasing food from her region of Modena and enjoys hosting together with her son Aurelio who is also an avid cook (and illustrator). Roberta has fond memories of the day when she returned home to the dining table completely covered in handmade tagliatelle that Aurelio had prepared. A lovely duo, Roberta and Aurelio look forward to meeting new people and sharing their culture and cuisine with travelers from around the world. Meet your hosts Roberta and Aurelio at their traditional apartment located in Pomposa Square, where locals often meet at any of the several bars and cafes in the area. Join your hosts at their traditional dining table to enjoy a regional and authentic homemade Italian meal. Your meal will include an antipasto, a pasta, a side and a dessert. Your seasonal menu might include dishes such as a platter of Parmigiano-Reggiano with balsamic vinegar, Parma ham, and olives, homemade tagliatelle al ragu (pasta alla Bolognese) in spring or pasatelli in brodo (extruded pasta in chicken broth) along with pollo salsa verde (chicken in a parsley sauce) in the winter, and a vegetable like carciofi ripieni (stuffed artichokes with cheese and parsley) or finocchio gratin (fennel gratin). Your meal will conclude with a dessert of zuppa inglese (a trifle-like dessert), tiramisu, or crostata di amerene (traditional regional sour cherry tart). If you book a cooking experience, join Roberta and Aurelio at their small but charming traditional kitchen to learn to cook a typical Modena meal from recipes that Roberta learned from her mother. Your hands-on Bolognese cooking class will last about 2 hours and you will learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Please note, for dishes like Bolognese ragu that take some time to cook, Aurelio may have prepared some of the ingredients for your class in advance. Aurelio and Roberta also offer an optional market tour add-on. Please note that on days that Roberta is not available, Aurelio hosts with his mother's close friend Laura who is also an expert cook!