Italian Cooking Class Party in Your Kitchen!

What is a CUCINAMORE Italian Cooking Class Party?

It’s a new way to entertain, learn and have fun at the same time.
Your kitchen will instantly become an Italian “cucina”!

Get a group of friends together and put your hands to work with me...:
I will show you how to prepare tasty authentic Italian dishes.

You’ll chop, stir, taste, sip and then enjoy what we prepared together.

It’s a true taste of Italy in your home!

Why hosting a CUCINAMORE Party?

It’s a great idea for groups of “foodie” friends, birthday parties, bridal or baby showers, girls’ night out, fund raising events and so much more!

Special themes, health and children oriented options, and wine pairing recommendations available upon request!

All ingredients and necessary tools for the class are provided, so you just relax and enjoy the party!

GIFT CERTIFICATES for your Holiday Season presents are available too!

$40.00 per person/minimum party size: 6
Email today to reserve your party at info.cucinamore@gmail.com

Fun Night at Kathleen's Kitchen

This is what a night of fun with foodie friends looks like: Italian Cooking Class Party at Kathleen’s kitchen. Good food, good wine, good music, good time! 

Thank you guys for allowing me to post your picture!

Cooking Parties for People with Dietary Restrictions

Do you or anyone in your group of friends have special dietary needs, whether for health issues or simply for a personal choice? Don't miss out on the fun of hosting an Italian Cooking Class Party in Your Kitchen because of that!

Let’s talk: I can personalize the menu for the party around your specific needs and we can still cook up some fabulous dishes together! Healthy and tasty: gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian options and more are available!

Contact me at info.cucinamore@gmail.com for any questions you might have!

"Homemade Pasta" Cooking Class Party

These are my ravioli stuffed with butternut squash and leeks, then topped with pancetta and mushrooms. Perfect for the season! 

 Can you imagine how much fun it is to have a Cucinamore Cooking Class Party focused on homemade pasta? I can because I have conducted many! :-) Look at these beautiful ladies rolling some fantastic homemade tagliatelle!

Contact me to reserve your Italian Cooking Class Party in Your Kitchen! You pick the theme and get some friends together, I bring the food, the tools and the fun!

Food Tasting for Local Event

"Lunch and learn" function with Kaira Boston - The Small Business Whisperer , focused on the use of Social Media for small businesses. 

Food for thoughts, and food for bellies, with a "Cucinamore tasting" to welcome the attendees.

Black Tagliolini with Calamari, Roasted Bell Peppers and Spicy Squash Sauce

Very eye-catching dish due to the way the colors are put together, but interesting also because of the combinations of flavors and textures.

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Brush squash and bell pepper (cut into strips lengthwise) with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake until squash is soft and pepper is roasted, about an hour. You might have to remove the peppers from the oven before the squash.
In the meantime, prepare the dough gathering flour, eggs and squid ink in a food processor and working it in impulses until you get a medium cous-cous texture. Pour the mixture onto floured counter and knead until you get a smooth feeling ball. Wrap in kitchen wrap and rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Then roll the dough and cut the tagliolini.

In a large skillet heat up oil on medium heat, with minced garlic and shallot, cooking for about a minute, without browning. Add calamari rings and halved tomatoes, salt and pepper, sprinkle with wine and briefly cook on medium-high heat, just enough to cook the calamari. Add the minced parsley and mix. Remove the calamari from the skillet and reserve, keeping the sauce on the stove until reduced.

Remove from stove and put the calamari back in the skillet.

Cut the roasted bell pepper in chunks and add to the sauce.

In a deep cup put the peeled cooked squash, the pepper flakes, a little olive oil and some rosemary leaves (about a teaspoon). Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper, then strain and reserve.

Boil your tagliolini in salted water (about 3 minutes), drain and add to the skillet with the condiment. 

Plate with a spoonful of squash sauce on the side, a nest of tagliolini on the other and garnishing with more sauce, fresh parsley and some olive oil. Serve immediately.

Fall 2014 “Ready-To-Eat” Cucinamore Collection

Hello Cucinamore Fans!

Fall is at our door and a Cucinamore party is just what you need to celebrate it in the warmth of your kitchen, surrounded by the joy that a Cooking Class Party brings to your home!

You get the friends together; I bring the food, the tools and the fun!

Here are only some of the many ideas for a “fall menu” that we could make together:

·        Crescenza and Salsiccia Crostini – OR – Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and Pear Crostini

·        Butternut Squash Risotto – OR – Carbonara Spaghetti

·        Pancetta and Puff Pastry Wrapped Shrimp – OR – Marsala and mushroom Scaloppine

The cost per person is $40.00, and it includes class, recipe cards, ingredients and all necessary tools. A minimum of 6 participants is required. One free attendance is granted once the minimum number is reached, if the host has already been a part of a Cucinamore party before.

Arrivederci!

Pancetta - Makes more than a terrific sandwich or a Carbonara pasta!

Pancetta is made by seasoning a pork belly side with salt and lots of pepper, curling it into a tight roll, and wrapping it in a casing to hold the shape. It’s cured, but it isn’t smoked, like the American cousin, bacon, is. Excellent as is..., in a bread roll still warm from the bakery, it is a very common ingredient in many, many Italian dishes

Today I used it to make my Rosemary and Pancetta Shrimp, wrapped in Puff Pastry. They can be a nice buffet finger-food item, an appetizer, or even do as an entrée, simply paired with a fresh salad!

p.s.: The picture of Pancetta was recently taken at Eataly Milan by my friend Silvia Negrotti

Host a Cucinamore - Italian Cooking Class Party In Your Kitchen!

Post by Cucinamore - Italian Cooking Classes In Leesburg, VA.

Pasta con Olive e Capperi

There will always be days like this. There will always be days when a simple plate of truly Mediterranean pasta is all I need to make everything better. And it will work! (At least it did today ) How is your day going today? Need some of the same therapy? Give it a try!

Very complicate ingredients! Fresh tomato, kalamata olives, capers, garlic and fresh basil. And your favorite shape of pasta

Crema di Melanzane - Eggplant Spread

One of my favorite vegetables of the Summer is Eggplant! I love it in any possible imaginable way! Today I made a simple Crema di Melanzane, eggplant spread ,that is great as is on a toasted slice of ciabatta bread, or can be used for a quick pasta or to pair with grilled white meat! I love the combination of lemon juice and a hint of fresh mint in it: it tastes just like Summer!

Melanzana (Eggplant): one of my fav veggies!

Poke the eggplant with a fork and bale it at 400F for about 40 minutes, until it's easy to scoop it out of its skin

Salt and pepper, a little lemon juice and some fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil in this version). A hint of garlic helps too!. Then my beloved hand blender does the rest!

Crostata di Frutta con Crema Pasticcera

Moms love Crostata di Frutta con Crema Pasticcera. Did you know that? This year, this was my Mother's Day dessert of choice! I made this crostata with a simple shortbread-like crust, homemade custard and fresh fruit. I then polished it with a clear glaze (water-sugar-cornstarch). Simplicity is the key. And a dash of love, as usual.

Pappardelle with Lamb, Artichoke, Lemon and Mint

What to do with a couple humble shoulder blade lamb chops that were on sale at my local grocery store? I thought about it and decided to debone them and make a condiment for some handcut homemade pappardelle. With fresh artichoke, lemon and mint.

Marinating my shoulder blade lamb chops in garlic, thyme, lemon and white wine. I will then debone them and cut them in bite size pieces, after trimming all the unnecessary fat and hard tissues

A couple artichokes. They will be cleaned and thinly sliced, then sautéed in olive oil, garlic and white wine, adding some fresh minced parsley at the end.

Fresh handcut egg pappardelle

CUCINAMORE, LLC - Italian Cooking Parties in Your Kitchen!

Learn, cook and experience with me an authentic taste of Italy in the comfort of your home, in a fun and informal way!

Get Some friends together and have a Cooking Class Party in your kitchen! 

Put Your hands to work along with me: we will prep, cook, chat and have fun, while you and your guests learn, hands-on, how to prepare good, authentic Italian food and what's the best wine pairing for it.

All ingredients and necessary tools for the class are provided.

Great idea for groups of "foodie", friends, unique birthday parties, bridal showers, girls' night out, fund raising events and much more!

Orecchiette Pasta, An Homage To Puglia

An homage to Puglia, today: the beautiful region of my Country that looks like the heel of the Italian "boot".

 Home made orecchiette for lunch! Orecchiette means "little ears" and they earned their name because they sort of remind the shape of the earlobes.
I am humbly trying to emulate those century old gestures that the ladies of that region so well do. 

Mine don't look nearly as beautiful as theirs do, but rest assured that they taste absolutely delicious anyway!

For the dough I choose the easy way, and I use a mix of all purpose flour and semolina

I knead the dough and then let it rest protected with wrap so that it does not dry out

I start by stretching tiny pieces of dough with a butter knife

Stretch the piece if dough around your thumb nail, so to get the typical "earlobe" shape. There you go! You have your orecchietta!

Torta della Nonna alla Nutella (Grandma's Pie with Nutella)

I very rarely do desserts, they are not my territory. But I could not resist giving this one a try. It's a twist on a very classic "Torta della Nonna": cocoa in the crust, pine seeds on the top, a generous layer of Nutella inside, and a nice vanilla custard filling.

Very simple ingredients

Making the shell. Cocoa flavored shortbread.

Let's be generous with that Nutella!

In goes the vanilla custard

Pine seeds on top: a classic feature of Torta della Nonna. In the oven you go, baby!

Sfogliatine con Pesto, Pomodorini e Pinoli (puff pastry bites with pesto, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts)

Look at these nice babies! It's easy to whip up a nice "little something" to go with a glass of chilled wine, when your friends are coming over for dinner and you want something to munch on before the real meal

Puff pastry and pesto can be bought. The rest can be assembled in a few minutes

Poke the puff pastry with a fork before adding the toppings

A little pesto, cherry tomatoes (cut side up), a few pine nuts and a little bit of Parmigiano Reggiano on top!

Katie's Bridal Shower

A Cucinamore Cooking Class Party is a great idea for a fun, different, exciting BRIDAL SHOWER! 

Check the pictures from the one Katie’s friends hosted, to honor their loved friend’s new beginning in life! All the best to this sweet bride to be!

The soon to be bride, Katie, with Jill, the friend who decided to host a Cucinamore Bridal Shower! Thank you for sharing your pictures with me!

Chef Daniela introducing the program for the cooking party

Katie wanted to know how to make a good risotto! We are pretty sure hubby will be glad she learned!

A touch of parsley and we are good 

You don't just listen or watch, at a Cucinamore cooking party! You put your hands to work!

More friends of the bride attending the cooking class pary

What an amazing group of people! Thank you so much for picking Cucinamore for Kaite's bridal shower! Our wishes for a "tasty" future to her!