Italian Cookery Holiday: Pilates and Cooking Courses in Piedmont, Italy

Phone: 800-945-8606 | Local: 312-467-0560 | Fax: 312-467-0598 | Email: info@theinternationalkitchen.com

Cooking Vacations

One-day Classes/Tours

Italy

Pilates and Cooking Discovery

Prices and Dates

Piedmont

Amalfi Coast Emilia Romagna Liguria Lombardia/Lakes Region Puglia Sicily Tuscany Umbria Veneto Abruzzo Le Marche Calabria

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Map of Location

About the location: The Poppy Farmhouse is located within an organic vineyard and gardens in a stunning “eagles' nest” location, overlooking hilltop villages and vineyard-covered hills and valleys in southern Piemonte, just outside of Asti. However, it is really a misnomer to call this a farmhouse. The owners, John and Robyn, are both designers, and they have brought their remarkable talents to the renovation to create a lovely and charming accommodation. Every detail is of the highest quality and design; each of the five bedrooms has a different color theme, LED lighting, oversized double beds (or twins) with Quagliotti Egyptian cotton bed linens, Gabel bath towels, hair dryers and robes, and flat-screen satellite TVs. There is also broadband wi-fi access or Internet telephone connection. The teaching kitchen and Pilates studio are equipped to the highest professional standards. More? Yes, but you will have to discover for yourself! The location of the property is also wonderful. If you would like to experience Italy where the tourists are not, then a town like Asti is a treasure. An affluent and older community, Asti clings strongly to the sense of tradition and community that was representative of Italy in the early 20th century and is disappearing. Most noted for its bubbly and sweet Asti Spumante, it is also home to an antique “palio” horserace and many interesting churches and cathedrals.

About the lessons: Each day, in addition to the normal cookery courses, Chef Gino Minicapilli will take students on a food adventure around Italy by sampling and comparing one type of food (e.g. Prosciutto, Olive oil, Gorgonzola, and so forth) from different regions, and experiencing the different flavours and textures between regions, perhaps exploding a few myths and legends in the process. This food adventure is at the heart of your cooking discovery and takes full advantage of Gino’s unequalled knowledge of regional Italian food and personal involvement with many small producers around Italy, whom he regularly seeks out and visits when not tending his vineyards or teaching. We often talk about passion in this field, and Chef Gino is the embodiment of such passion and devotion to his art.

About the pilates: a programme of visiting Pilates teachers is supplied by the Pilates Institute of the UK. For experienced Pilates students, they are free to use the Pilates studio at any time and benefit from the advice of the Pilates instructor. For complete beginners, instructors will provide hands-on introduction sessions to assess your capabilities and develop a personalised schedule for each guest. Pilates is a fun and elegant exercise regime, which is beneficial for all ages and people, and is also suitable for anyone with an injury.

Pilates and Cooking Discovery

Asti, Piedmont

Cookery Holiday Itinerary

Day One - Monday

After 4.00 pm guests are either collected from Asti station or arrive on their own (we would be happy to assist you with a rental car).
Check into one of the 5 deluxe bedrooms, with time explore the property, swim or relax in the sauna or steam room, and recover from your jet lag.
If you are feeling more energetic, walk down to the village of Costigliole D'Asti about 20 minutes away, via an unpaved road partially bordered by woods and vineyards. Costigliole is a town untouched by tourism and prides itself on its fabulous castle, home of ICIF—the premier cooking school for chefs in Italy—and twisting medieval streets complete with the ‘Café Roma’, the ultimate wine bar.
Before dinner, welcome aperitifs in the courtyard or on the roof terrace with its amazing panoramic views.
Welcome dinner tonight featuring local cuisine: a perfect opportunity to meet your hosts, Pilates instructor and fellow guests.

Day Two - Tuesday

A typical Italian breakfast consisting of fresh brioche, fruit and muesli is available between 8.30 am and 10.00 am. Breakfast can be taken either before or after the initial Pilates session, and the Pilates instructor will determing with the guests the timing of the first session (usually a stretch class and assessment session to determine everyone's individual needs.
Your first personalized Pilates session will be held before lunch. In general these classes are either private or with 2 students.
After lunch and before the cookery course guests can take a scheduled group Pilates session or relax, take a nap, stroll down to the village, etc.
At around 5 pm guests wishing to participate in the first cooking class will be accompanied by local chef Gino Minacapilli on their first voyage of discovery into Italian cuisine in the wonderfully equipped teaching kitchen. Chef Gino will also be present at some of the cookery courses depending upon his schedule. Gino emphasizes using the freshest seasonal ingredients from the extensive organic vegetable gardens and local markets and will develop with the students variations on a classic Italian dish. The central philosophy of our cooking exploration is that to create good Italian food you must understand how different ingredients and cooking methods affect the flavor and balance of the food.
Gino will serve the fruits of the session paired with local wines for dinner.You will be amazed at the quality of your endeavors. In the summer evenings, weather permitting, dinner will be served in the courtyard under the stars.

Day Three - Wednesday

For the early risers the day starts with a visit to the amazing food and clothing market in Asti. Depart at 8.00 a.m. and enjoy a typical market day breakfast in Asti in a bar adjacent to the market. Each guest will get €5 ‘spending money’ with which to purchase food items for lunch. You may find your favorite antipasto in one of the fabulous shops or in the open air food market, or you may decide to buy something completely unknown to try. Asti, although a beautiful city, has very few tourists. It is a completely authentic experience surrounded by the friendly townsfolk who are genuinely welcoming to overseas visitors.
Wandering away from the market, you will find the medieval center of Asti with its quiet narrow streets that make you feel as though you have stepped back through the centuries. Don't forget to check out the clothes and shoe shops!
Back at the farmhouse, guests can show off their cooking prowess by preparing their food purchases or, time permitting, by joining in a Pilates group session before lunch.
During most weeks guests prefer to cook (or at least present) their food purchases for lunch, which is shared around 2:00 pm. Wine flows very freely, and each guest waits enthusiastically to see how their contribution will be received by their fellow guests.
Pilates sessions continue from 3:30 until 5:00 pm.
Tonight the second cookery course is from 5:00 until 8:00 pm, with dinner based on the dishes you have prepared.

Day Four - Thursday

For those on the three-night Start the week program, departure after breakfast. Guests must vacate their room by 10:30, but can stay on the property until 11.30 am and possibly take a final Pilates session, space and time permitting. For those guests staying for the 7-night itinerary, breakfast and then a Pilates session during the morning.
Lunch will be a combination of dishes prepared by Robyn accompanied by carefully selected wines. Anyone wanting to learn some of Robyn's extensive repertoire of dishes is welcome to help her.
After lunch relaxation time! Perhaps enjoy a little siesta before the private and duet Pilates sessions in the afternoon.
Guests participating in the 4-night long weekend program will arrive around 4:00 pm.
Tonight is the third culinary experiences cookery course, from about 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Dinner to follow based on your efforts.

Day Five - Friday

Today will be very similar to Thursday; however, in the afternoon and before the fourth cooking session we will try to fit in either a visit to a local cantina for (another!) wine tasting, or another excursion (depending on the season and weather conditions, we may be able to go truffle hunting).

Day Six - Saturday

Depart around 8.00 a.m for our second market visit, this time to the lovely town of Alba. Those guests who visited Asti on Wednesday may find Alba a bit more sophisticated, with excellent shops and market stalls. Here guests can find wonderful (even designer label) clothes and shoes at significantly cheaper prices than in the US. (You may want to bring an empty suitcase for taking home wine and clothes!)
Most guests prefer to stay in Alba until mid afternoon, with a 3.30 pm return to the Agriturismo. But guests wishing to return earlier for lunch and Pilates classes are free to do so.
Tonight is the final cookery course, followed by dinner.

Day Seven - Sunday

Sunday is a special day of the week in Italy. Besides the obvious religious activity, there are many special events and festivals that take place on Sunday. There is also a the local market in the village of Costigliole D'Asti on Sunday.
You will have either lunch out and dinner at the farmhouse, or vice versa, depending on the shedule of festivals and guest preference. For example, you might have the the traditional Italian Sunday lunch at a local Agriturismo that specializes in traditional Piemontese foods and dinner at the farmhouse. Or, you might have lunch at the farmhouse and a traditional wood-fired Italian pizza in town for dinner.

Day Eight - Monday

Breakfast is served as usual at 8.30 am and we ask that guests vacate their rooms by 9.30 to 10.30 am.

2009 Price Per Person

Low Season (February 16 - May 4, November 2 - 30)
€1800 per person - 7-night program
€900 per person - 3-night program
€1200 per person - 4-night program

High Season (May 4 - November 2)
€1950 per person - 7-night program
€1000 per person - 3-night program
€1350 per person - 4-night program

Rates to be converted to US$ by The International Kitchen at time of confirmation.
Special rates available certain times of the year—please inquire for details.

The pilates and cookery holiday requires a deposit of $1000 per person.

2009 Tour Dates

Available as 3, 4 or 7-night program any week February through November for 2 - 10 people.

Sold out: September 1 - November 15, 2009. Limited availability November 16-23.

Included in this cookery holiday:

All programs include daily breakfast, all beverages, roundtrip transfers Asti rail station, pilates and cookery course certificate, recipe folder, and pilates T-shirt.

7-night program