Posted by KB on June 19, 2009
Tucked away in an unassuming street in Annandale is a little slice of Italy. Casa Barilla is home to one of the country’s favourite pasta brands, but this winter, it’s also home to CIRA’s Italian cooking classes.
We went along to the first class of the season, cucina povera (food of the poor), hosted by Buon Ricordo chef Armando Percuoco.
The class follows a theory-then-practise format: Armondo gives a full demonstration of the dish, interspersing his instructions with opinions on everything from politics to love, then we break off into groups to try it for ourselves.
The thought of cooking in front of such a well-regarded chef was a little intimidating at first, but Armondo has such a warm and encouraging personality that everyone is excited about asking questions as they go and showing off their culinary skills.
First course is bruschetta and braised artichokes with bacon. As soon as we’ve done cooking we’re all tucking in to the food accompanied by a glass of rose. It’s so delicious I can barely believe I cooked it myself. Then it’s another demonstration, this time for our main of snapper with zucchini flowers.
The best thing about the experience is that you get to take the recipes home. And although they’re certainly restaurant quality, the dishes are simple and quick enough to prepare on a weeknight.
Classes continue until August 31. Visit the CIRA website for more details.
cira, italian, course