Cooking courses in the hills of Umbria, Italy

Stumbling across Letizia Mattiacci first on Twitter (@MadonnaDP), then moving on to her blog and website, made me very happy (and hungry). I wanted to find people running cookery courses in inspirational and beautiful places, and Letizia does just this.

A cookery course taught by a passionate Italian cook in a restored farmhouse in the Umbrian countryside i n Italy – do cookery courses get any better?

Even the name of the farmhouse is alluring: ‘Alla Madonna del Piatto’. Letizia tells me that the cookery classes offer an informal, friendly blend of modern and traditional Italian cooking techniques. So what will guests cook? As Letizia started to speak, I could feel my mouth start to water, ‘We use whatever is fresh and in season. As an example, we love to cook ravioli with pears and balsamic vinegar, fried zucchini and artichokes, followed by honeyed ricotta mousse.’

Lessons start in nearby Assisi, visiting a local food shop to sample and buy a variety of traditional local cheeses and cured meats for an appetizer. Guests then use these and other ingredients picked up locally or from the farmhouse herb garden to prepare their authentic Italian meal. Oh, and did I mention that lessons take place in a professional kitchen overlooking the gardens and beyond to the Umbrian hills and Assisi? Surely cooking heaven?

I asked Letizia what drives her and keeps her cooking all year round, ‘The ingredients in the area we live in are sensational and cooking is my life. What could be a better job than preparing delicious food and sharing it with other people who also feel passionately about food?’

The cookery lessons sound fantastic, but to be honest, I’d go for the views from the farmhouse to the hills alone.

For more information about cookery lessons and staying at Santa Maria degli Angelli, visit www.incampagna.com.