caze17

With my plane tickets booked, it's time to book the fun stuff! During our 2-week trip in the spring, we are spending time in Emilia-Romagna to take advantage of the excellent food. I had initially planned to do a market tour/cooking class with Bluone (http://www.bluone.com/ ) because folks like Low Country Islander have so highly recommended it. But it is looking unlikely that they will be available because they are doing a 2-week event in Puglia during the time we will be there.

So what other classes would you recommend in that region? We only have one day for the experience, and I would love for the class to incorporate a market tour.

Does anyone have experience with Cook Italy (http://www.cookitaly.com/ ) or Taste of Italy (http://www.taste-of-italy.com/ )? Those had high reviews on Trip Advisor, but I would always prefer a first-hand recommendation from a Fodorite. Others?

Thanks!

caze17

Shamelessly topping and hoping for input! Thanks!

PSKid

We enjoyed our Taste of Italy class during the summer of 2011. We began by shopping for food with Maribel in the shops in the center of Bologna. Then we took a taxi to Maribel's apartment, where we were joined by a young couple. The kitchen was small, but Maribel was very well organized. We all got to practice making three different types of pasta and sauces. Then, of course, we got to eat it. A very enjoyable day!

Kyliebaby3

I took a pasta making class at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese (www.lavecchiascuola.com) that was awesome. It was totally hands-on, and I learned a lot. I was traveling all over Europe taking cooking classes, and this was a favorite because it was focused just on the pasta. A link to my blog post is below if you want to read more.

Blog post here: http://culinaryhopscotch.com/2010/02/26/basta-pasta/

Enjoy Bologna--great city!

caze17

You guys are the best! Thank you!

Anyone have any idea of whether or not the markets in Bologna are closed on May 1?

tomboy

You don't have to cook it...Bologna is pre-cooked.

You merely lay it on the bread, and apply mayonaisse

jamikins

Tomboy ha

LowCountryIslander

caze17...

Sorry to hear a class with Bluone won't fit into your schedule. If you have several days in the Bologna area, although not a cooking class, you may want to check out Italian Days Food Experience. Here is the website: http://www.italiandays.it/ Back in 2010 we had a great day with Alessandro...it's a fun way to see a cheese factory, prosciutto factory and a balsamic house, plus the lunch included is incredible!

caze17

Thanks LCI! Since I'm plagiarizing much of your time in Bologna, I have already booked the Italian Days tour...your description was mouth-watering. I think it's what I'm most looking forward to on our trip! And I'm trying to rearrange my other days a bit, so that I can fit in Bluone on April 30...the markets appear closed on May 1, and I think that the market tour would really add to the enjoyment of a cooking class.

juliamjayne

Which one would you recommend for

juliamjayne

Which one would you recommend for a half-day class for 2 adults and one child? And would you recommend doing the market tour? I notice some of them include a stay at a B&B? Would someone recommend that? We are going in July and I can't decide which one to choose. I also don't want the most expensive.

juliamjayne

Which one would you recommend for a half-day class for 2 adults and one child? And would you recommend doing the market tour? I notice some of them include a stay at a B&B? Would someone recommend that? We are going in July and I can't decide which one to choose. I also don't want the most expensive.

volare13

We used Bluone recently for our party of 5 people. Our group included a 16 year old boy, who had a great experience along with us.We came to Bologna three days before a cruise out of Venice. It was an absolutely fantastic experience and the highlight of our entire trip. We can't wait to return and will definitely use them again when in the area. Raffaella and Marcello and their family are incredibly nice and friendly and we really loved meeting them. They arranged for us to be picked up at the airport and transported us to an excellent small hotel near the main square in Bologna. The first night we went out to a small town and had a fabulous dinner looking out over vineyards and beautiful scenery. The next day Marcello picked us up in his van and we went to see Parma and Modena, where we got personalized tours of production and aging facilities for Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, and balsamico. We had a lunch combining all of these products. Combined with local wine, it was one of the best meals we have ever eaten. We thought there was no way they could possibly top this experience the next day but they did. Raffaella met us the next morning and escorted us through the market, showing us the local products and obtaining samples for us. As we talked and tasted, we planned a menu for the evening. Later in the afternoon we went to Raffaella and Marcello's home and got a hands-on cooking class where we made several kinds of pasta, meat dishes and dessert. We ended the evening with an extensive multi-course dinner that was really spectacular. We got to take our aprons and recipe books with us. The next day they arranged a walking tour of Bologna followed by transportation for us to our cruise ship in Venice. I can't say enough good things about Bluone and the service they provide. They provide services from full length food tours to shore excursions in many parts of Italy. Bluone handled all the arrangements for us and the services were fairly priced and well planned out. We definitely recommend them and can't wait to go back and see them again.