Bring your passion for cooking to the sunny coastal region of Southeastern Italy, the heel of Italy's boot bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south.  This fantastic cooking experience is based in the countryside near Salento.  Your lodging is at the stunning Casino Pisanelli, originally a hunting lodge built in the 17th century for a local Count.  The lodge, recently restored using the skills of local craftsmen and artisans, is a mix of traditional and modern and surrounded by beautiful gardens, a pool and acres of olive groves.  The perfect venue for your cooking vacation.

Puglia is an ideal location for your gourmet holiday.  The vegetables are locally grown and sold at incredible market gardens.   The sea is never far with its incredibly long and beautiful coastline, thus making fish a tasty staple and a focus of local recipes.

The cuisine of this region exemplifies the intense sunshine of Puglia and can be tasted in the flavors of the food like seafood risotto, stuffed vegetables, handmade orecchiette pasta (a local specialty),delicious ricotta cheese, burrata (a creamy mozzarella) and you can't forget the delightful tastes of capers, green peppers, aubergines (eggplant), and basil.     

The ever handy olive orchards produce the finest oils to enhance the tastes of the region's cuisine.  There are also vast vineyards giving you Primitivo and Salice Salentino wines plus delicious Limoncello liquor.  You will have an opportunity to sample and learn about many of these wonderful wines on your cooking vacation.   


To help you master the art of Italian Cooking - Puglia Style, the knowledgeable Chef will guide you through five hands-on local Italian cooking sessions.  Each morning after breakfast, you will be entertained and enlightened with the delightful recipes of the region.  You will be inspired by the vibrant colors and rustic feel of the cuisine.  And when you return home, you will be able to delight your friends and family with your new found Puglia dishes.  This is truly a foodies dream! 

It is not all cooking, you will be excited to visit some of the local villages, a market, beautiful local scenery, a lovely Baroque town with a marvelous cathedral, and the city of Lecce built in the 17th and 18th centuries, with more than 40 churches and a grand "palazzi".  There will be wine tasting and two dinners out in local restaurants.  Plus delicious dinners prepared for you at the Casino Pisanelli.  This is your fabulous Puglia Cooking Holiday!

                        Itinerary for Puglia Cooking Vacation

Day 1 - Saturday
Plan to arrive at the Brindisi Airport prior to 9:00pm.   You will be met and transferred to the Casino Pisanelli, where you will check-in and be welcomed.  A dinner will be prepared for you by our local Chef.

Day 2 - Sunday
After breakfast, don your apron for your first cooking lesson with Chef Antonio.  This will be followed by lunch.  In the afternoon visit Santa Maria di Leuca.  This village at located at the very tip of the Salentine Peninsula where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet. 
Enjoy an aperitivo followed by dinner at Casino Pisanelli.

Day 3 - Monday
After breakfast, head to your second hands-on cooking session which will be followed by lunch.  The afternoon is free to enjoy at your leisure.  Relax by the pool, take a stroll or possibly take a bike ride to a nearby village.  Dinner will be served in the evening.

Day 4 - Tuesday
Leave after breakfast for a full day outing. This morning visit Lecce, known as the "Florence of the South".   Enjoy lunch at a traditional Trattoria.   This afternoon drive to Otranto by the sea and visit their famous cathedral. 
Dinner at Casino Pisanelli.




Day 5 - Wednesday

After breakfast, spend the morning in the kitchen trying out more Puglia recipes.  The  class will be followed by lunch.  During the afternoon, enjoy a private wine tasting at a local winery, after which you return to Casino Pisanelli for dinner.

Day 6 - Thursday
After breakfast, more delightful cooking in the kitchen followed by lunch.  Late this afternoon visit Gallipoli and wander around the historic old town. 
This evening dine at an excellent local fish restaurant.



Day 7 - Friday
Following breakfast it is time for your final Puglia cooking session.  Your afternoon is at leisure to take those last minute pictures or relax by the pool. 

This evening enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner with all your cooking classmates.






Day 8 - Saturday
Enjoy your final breakfast at Casino Pisanelli.  Today your wonderful Puglia Cooking Vacation comes to an end.  Depart for the airport.  Enjoy your journey home where you can share your magnificent memories and new cooking skills with your family and friends.