Join us at our cooking school for a spectacular adventure into the gastronomic heart of Northern Italy.
Fox News ranked us in the top 10 in the world.
Travelchannel.com listed us as one of the 10 best cooking classes around the world.
Forbes.com named us one of the 5 top cooking and foodie vacations in Italy for 2019
Food & Wine Magazine named us one of the top 10 cooking schools in Italy.
We have been a cover feature in Gourmet Magazine.
The Television Food Network featured us in a special on cooking school vacations (scroll down to see video).
Giuliano and Lael Hazan together with Marilisa Allegrini (one of Italy’s most distinguished producers of noble red wine) invite you to join them for an Italian cooking school vacation. Experience a week of total immersion in Italian food, wine, and life.
The incomparable site where you will live and cook, and from which you will set off for the scheduled field excursions, is the Renaissance Villa della Torre, near romantic Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet.
Cooking School Details
The Villa
Villa della Torre is a historical jewel of sixteenth century Italian architecture which lies near romantic Verona and beautiful Lake Garda. The beautifully restored villa will make you feel a part of Italy’s rich history from the moment you arrive.
Fine Venetian hospitality will greet you, and the friendly staff will show you to the spacious room that will be yours for the week. In your room, you’ll discover luxurious furnishings and little touches throughout to help pamper you during your stay.
In the morning, linger over a cappuccino and drink in the view of the gardens, while you get ready for a day of culture and culinary delights.
Vineyards that were originally purchased by Marilisa Allegrini’s father over 30 years ago surround the stately Villa della Torre, and from which Allegrini’s single vineyard Palazzo della Torre is produced. Spend your free time leisurely walking around the tranquil gardens and water lily pond.
By the end of the week, you will have experienced a combination of Italy’s rich history, wonderful culture, and warm hospitality, not to mention delectable food.
Classes in the Villa
A limited number of students will participate in a week of intensive hands-on classes taught by Giuliano Hazan. We will make homemade pasta, risotto, meats, local fish, vegetables, and desserts. Each 5-hour class concludes with dinner in classic style composed of the several courses prepared during the class.
Each class will also include presentations by Marilisa Allegrini on the major wine producing regions of Italy. The wines discussed, both from the Allegrini vineyards and other distinguished Italian producers, will accompany the meals. All instruction is given in English. Those who may wish to join all the tours and dinners but not the classes may enroll as non-cooking companions.
Field Trips in the Veneto and Beyond
The Veneto region is a portion of what was once the 1,000-year Venetian Republic, one of the glories of the Western World, birthplace of some of its greatest art, music, and architecture. It also offers extraordinary culinary treasures.
During the day we will take field trips to learn more about these treasures. We will visit an ancient rice mill where rice for risotto continues to be processed the way it was in 1648.
We shall travel to medieval Sirmione on the southern shore of Lake Garda to experience a seafood cookery that epitomizes the exquisite, light-handed traditions of the lake.
The olive oil from the Veneto is perhaps Italy’s most elegant and we will visit a frantoio where it is made. We will also spend a day outside the Veneto to witness the making of Parmigiano-Reggiano and to taste the rare Culatello di Zibello, an air-cured ham that is even more prized than prosciutto.
