One of the cool things about Serafina and Cicchetti head chef Dylan Giordan is just how willing he is to help us less-talented folks with our cooking. I’ve seen him help waiters, bussers, customers, and probably random people on the street with recipes, techniques, and basic approaches to Italian cuisine. While he’s done some cooking demos and classes over the years, I think it’s great that now, you can take classes from him right at Cicchetti! Each class will revolve around an event on the Italian calendar, with the first one being tied to the wine grape harvest in Umbria.
Located in the center of Italy (southeast of Tuscany), Umbria is home to hearty mountain fare, the legendary Chianina beef, and especially black truffles, with the hunt centering in Norcia, which lends its name to the classic dish spaghetti alla Norcina, a black truffle, anchovy, garlic, and olive oil sauce on the traditional pasta. Like many central Italian regions, it has its own preparation of porchetta (suckling pig), with fennel being one of the local ingredients used to great effect. Wine in Umbria is dominated by two grapes: trebbiano, which is the main grape in Orvieto(white) and sangiovese (red), though international varietals can be found throughout the region.
Norcia, center of the Umbrian truffle hunt
So come on in, learn something about cooking and the cuisine of a lesser-known part of Italy, and have a blast! You can find more information about cooking classes right here.
