Zibibbo Restaurant - Cooking School - Tradition & Innovation in Tuscan Cooking

Course 1 - Weeklong Intensive Apprenticeship for Two People

From Monday to Friday, two participants will spend their mornings totally immersed in the experience of a restaurant kitchen, working alongside the professional staff in every step in the preparation of meals. At lunchtime, they will discuss the day’s subjects with Benedetta, including how to combine dishes to create balanced menus, and they will taste wines. Afternoons are free for exploring Florence and Tuscany.

Sample program
Monday	Soffritto. Learn to make the classic sautéed vegetable preparation that is the foundation of many Italian sauces.
Tuesday	Prepare a meat stock, a fish stock, and a vegetable stock, and learn how to use them in the many recipes that come out of a large stockpot.
Wednesday	Fry vegetables, meat, and fish using various techniques.
Thursday	Cook pasta and prepare 6 simple sauces based on vegetables, fish, and meat. Learn a bit about the hundreds of kinds of pasta in Italy
Friday	Dessert: Learn to make pasta frolla, pastry dough, two kinds of creams, and chocolate sauce, and use them to complete the Zibibbo’s dessert recipes.

All the practical activities will take place during the normal kitchen working hours, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The Zibibbo cooks will aid in teaching and the participants will help in the normal daily activities. If they wish, participants may also take part in a dinner service.

The course charge of € 660 (about $600 U.S.) per person includes:

	Tuition
	Insurance
	Continental breakfasts and lunches for 5 days
	Wine tasting
	Apron and hat

Travel and lodging costs are not included, but the Zibibbo can help with transfers and hotel and car rental reservations, if desired. We can also arrange guides for afternoon excursions to places in Florence and nearby that most visitors never see (cost not included).

Course 2 - Saturdays in the Kitchen

Enrolment limited to 8

Benedetta Vitali will give a series of classes over 4 consecutive Saturday mornings. Each lesson will include both hands-on practice and theory. The group will have lunch together and discuss the morning’s work. You will come away from the course with many recipes you can prepare at home.

Sample program:
1st Saturday	Basic tasks: prepare, chop and cook soffritti for meat ragù and risotto. Make a meat stock; prepare passatelli and cappelletti. Braise the meat for duck sauce, stewed rabbit, and veal involtini with artichokes. Discuss recipes for such dishes as Minestrone, Pasta e fagioli, Pappa al pomodoro, Roast beef Tuscan style, Agnello in fricassea, Spezzatino, Costoline di maiale in umido, and others about which you may be curious.
2nd Saturday	All about fish: Fish stock. Fish soup. How to prepare octopus, cacciucco, salted codfish (two recipes), three fish sauces for pasta, and inzimino. How to cook a whole fish. Learn how to recognise fresh fish and how long it will keep in the refrigerator, and learn a special fish menu for two people for very special occasions.
3^rd Saturday	Desserts: make pasta frolla (basic and chocolate), pastry dough, two kinds of creams, and chocolate sauces. Learn recipes for simple fruit desserts and pear and gianduia (chocolate cream) tarts. Take a brief lesson in coffee tasting from a guest expert.
4th Saturday	The group will prepare a special menu to be discussed with a guest wine expert at lunch in order to learn to pair foods and wines: Vegetables and wine: seasonal vegetable as first course; Delicate fish and wine: raw fish as first course; A pasta course with more intense fish flavours; Cheese and wine: white or red? Chocolate with what kind of wine?

The course charge of € 385 / $350 U.S. per person includes:

	Tuition
	Insurance
	Saturday lunches
	Wine tasting
	Apron and hat

	FEBRUARY	MARCH	APRIL	MAY	JUNE
I	from 2 to 6	from 1 to 5	from 29 March to 2	from 3 to 7	from 31 May to 4
II	from 9 to 13	from 8 to 12	from 5 to 9	from 10 to 14	from 7 to 11
III	from 16 to 20	from 15 to 19	from 19 to 23	from 17 to 21	from 13 to 17
IV	from 23 to 27	from 22 to 26	from 26 to 30	from 24 to 28	from 20 to 24

		I	7 - 14 - 21 - 28 Februaryr
		II	6- 13 - 20 - 27 March
		III	3 - 10 - 17 - 27 April
		IV	8 - 15 - 22 - 29 May
		V	5 - 12 - 18 - 25 June

Training for Cooks in Florence
For 2004, chef-owner Benedetta Vitali of the Zibibbo restaurant in Florence is offering two courses for those who would like to learn to cook at a professional level. The first is an intensive weeklong immersion in the fundamentals of cooking, limited to two persons. The second, intended for people who are living in Florence or staying there for at least a month, is given over four consecutive Saturday mornings. Both courses include practical, hands-on training as well as theory. All sessions take place in the Zibibbo kitchen.

1st COURSE		A week in the kitchen. Intensive course from Monday to Friday, hours 08:00am - 02:30pm.

2st COURSE		Four lessons the Saturday morning from hours 09:00am to 03:30pm.