Cesarine: Home Cooking Class & Meal With A Local In Palermo

Velia was an amazing host, and she has a beautiful home. The food was very tasty and filling. We had a drink on her balcony before dinner.

We had the most wonderful experience with Rosa Maria making arancine. We were a group of 7 all family traveling together in Sicily. We make “arancinis” at home and had so much fun learning more about the culinary tradition as it is done here in Palermo. Rosa Maria and her helper was gracious and friendly. I would absolutely take another class with them.

We took a class with Pina, who is so warm, kind, and stylish and she is eager to share her expertise. Her apartment is extremely beautiful. A great way to get to know Palermo better and get deep knowledge of Sicilian cooking. We learned a fried dish, red prawns, and pasta alla Norma. The dessert was prepared for us and it was beyond excellent. We also popped over to a local market to look at the produce. We could have spent all day with Pina! Highly recommend. Be sure to message her in advance with requests. Expect to be treated very well (a little glass of sparkling and a snack while you cook).

Alice's place was lovely to cook in. The dishes we prepared were easy & fun to make. We made plenty for our meal together, which was filled with laughter & wonderful conversation. It was also an informative and tailored to my taste class. Would recommend this class to all people, not just vegetarians!!!

We had a fabulous experience with Alice and Francesco! They were lovely people and taught us so many great lessons (especially the pasta making process). The food was amazing and we definitely recommend this experience!

I had the most delicious 4 course dinner prepared by Alice with a little help from me and husband Francesco. It was true Silician Style food cooked to perfection. The hosts made me feel very welcome in their home and we had a delightful night of chit chat, nice wine and even a tasting of Francesco’s Cherry liquor! Can highly recommend this adventure. Thank you Alice.

Had an incredible morning and lunch with Rosa Maria and her husband. Rosa Maria was very welcoming, we had a great time, learned a lot and the food that we made was delicious! We left feeling full and super satisfied, would recommend to anyone

Rosa Maria was a wonderful host in her home. My mother and cousin felt it was the highlight of their trip. We felt like we were invited to a dinner party and enjoyed meeting her husband. Her recipes were shared with us as well.

Alice and Francisco were wonderful hosts. From tee moment we entered there abode we felt at home. The food was delicious, each of the 4 courses was a culinary masterpiece. The conversation was absorbing. The market walkthrough was informative. This was a highlight of our monthlong time in Sicily. We give this the highest rating. Thank you both for a wonderful time.

What a wonderful morning spent with Rosa Maria at her home making Pasta Alla Norma, green tortelloni with pumpkin and topped with sage butter and a delicious Tiramisu! She explained the process very well as we went and showed us the technique to make these items so easy!! Then we enjoyed the meal together with the group and her husband. It was a wonderful experience. Thank you for helping us understand the process and making it easy for us and opening your home for us! We can’t wait to try these at home!!!

Highly recommend! This was a very special cooking class from a local Sicilian in her beautiful home with a breathtaking view of the mountains from her kitchen! Pina was so accommodating and hospitable with our 1 year old the moment she welcomed us in. She even made our baby her own dish while we were cooking. We learned how to cook a local Sicilian pasta dish from scratch with her delicious fresh tomato sauce and aubergines. She prepared a delicious appetizer of meats, cheese, homemade tapenade and her special aubergine that she preserved for a year. She also taught us how to cook Sicilian fritters with arugula, cheese and basil, we couldn’t stop eating them! For dessert, we learned how to make a very delectable tiramisu. We ate the appetizers and had local Sicilian wine on her beautiful balcony filled with plants overlooking the mountains. Then, we had the pasta inside as she prepared a lovely table setting for us. She held our baby while we ate, sang sweet songs to our baby and kept her occupied so we could enjoy the pasta dinner and dessert. After dinner, Pina and her husband gave us his homemade Limoncello to try and it was so delicious! It was a very special cooking class filled with great memories with our babygirl thanks to Pina! Thank you so much for taking care of us and showing our babygirl all the Sicilian hospitality and love! It was a pleasure meeting you and your husband!

How does a cooking class with your family turn out to be one of your favorite experiences during a 10-day trip to Sicily? Take a cooking class with Rosa Maria, that's how! My family and I had the pleasure of sharing an evening with Rosa Maria, learning 3 delicious pasta dishes in her gorgeous home. Cooking is something that should be done with and for people you love and from the moment we entered Rosa Maria’s home that is exactly how we felt. Her patient and good humored approach to teaching and demonstrating cooking techniques appealed to the different skill levels in our group allowing each of us to take away something that was personal and valued. We learned how to make tortelloni, busiate alla Norma and gnocchi. Each of which we had never done before. Rosa Maria shared not only the recipes but the important secretes of an expert chef that are easy to follow and critical to making the dishes successful. After the fun pasta preparation, we shared our meal, which we should probably call a pasta feast, with Rosa Maria and her equally kind and gracious husband, Massimo. During dinner, I could not believe how wonderful this couple is to share their home and their love of Sicily with complete strangers. We shared laughs, amazing food and of course wine and cheese! Everything about the night was special to me and my family and we will treasure this experience as a highlight of our time in Sicily. Grazie mille!

If and when you are in Palermo and you really should put this beautiful place on your to do list be sure to take a cooking class with Alice and Francesco. Not only are they interesting, knowledgeable and wonderful people they also really know how to cook and teach others. Only using fresh local ingredients and everything made from scratch. I was in heaven. You will be so happy you took the time to do this. The best thing is you get to taste all that you have made and they give you the recipes so you can make at home as well.

Velia was a great host and very welcoming into her beautiful home, throughly enjoyed the pasta making. A great time was had by all the family. Great food & great company.

excellent experience, the quality of the cooking class and the food as well as the warm welcome of Giovanna and her family allowed our family of 7 to have a fantastic time.