Cooking Classes
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Questions/ Comments?
villetta.sampaguita@gmail.com

COOKING CLASSES AT VILLETTA SAMPAGUITA

Piedmont is famous throughout Italy for the excellence of its cucina (“kitchen” in Italian, like French cuisine) and it is notable that most of the cooks are women in the many family-run osterie and trattorie; mother is the cook and you will nearly always be served by the owner.

Rina started cooking at 8 years old as the designated cook for her family of 10 in rural Philippines using a simple 3 stone and tripod stove. Over the years she has evolved from a naturally talented cook into a great Piedmontese cook, and her traditional upbringing (Asian & Spanish culture) creates a two-in-one east to west cuisine. Creations from old traditional dishes to modern and sophisticated - more than a home cooked meal, using organic vegetables from kitchen garden picked according to the dish.

When we first opened the old Villa Sampaguita, we offered our guests simple home-cooked dinners as an alternative to going out again after a long day of touring and also an opportunity to socialize with other guests in a relaxed and comfortable home setting. As word spread, her cucina has become a fixture that many returning guests look forward to on their arrival.

Rina’s basic concept is quite simple: organic vegetables directly from the garden to the table, fresh made pasta using flour ground in the kitchen, a range of antipasti made in typical Piemontese ways, and all served with local wines from the area (or sometimes guests like to bring their own wines purchased from local wineries). We buy our meat and from the local macellerie, and on occasion we serve our own organically raised duck and geese. Our chickens provide range fresh organic eggs (read low cholesterol) for breakfast and pasta dishes.

After years of cooking for hundreds of guests, we decided to offer informal cooking classes, as many of our guests wanting to know and see the food being prepared for dinner. In 2007 we started offering cooking classes, which were enthusiastically received.

Our basic cooking workshop session costs 75 euro per person, which, of course, includes the dinner and wine, as well as a copy of the recipes.

The workshop allows guests to participate in a spontaneous cooking session for a dinner or lunch prepared from scratch creating variations of dishes from simple into something different, even for experienced cooks. Novice cooks can learn basic techniques and methods with recipes suitable for a busy life style using ingredients, which can be found in your local supermarket. Truffles are available in season at market prices.

We prefer at least 4 guests (minimum 2 guests), and normally we can take a maximum of 6 guests for cooking classes (note that until the corona virus pandemic is over we are restricted to a maximum of 4 guests).

Cooking classes are scheduled on a bi-weekly basis every Wednesday and Saturday at either 11 am or 4 pm. We can take a group on a different day if booked in advance.

Please e-mail us and let us know your preferred day and time and we will schedule you into one of the groups.

We are easy to find, halfway between Asti and Alba or 15 minutes by car from each city. There is also an hourly bus service between the cities and we can arrange a taxi service too.

Contact villetta.sampaguita@gmail.com or call 39-338-467-9331


 



Site Design by Erin Brewer

(Click to enlarge photos)
Cucina in action
Summer Garden Antipasto
Artichoke Stuffed w Risotto
Salmon Braised w Barolo
Chocolate Cup w Semifreddo
Chocolate Fondant w Peaches
Happy Cooks