Journal
Real techniques we teach in class: hand-rolled sfoglia, fresh pasta and ravioli sealing, with simple notes you can reuse at home.
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Floury potatoes boiled in their skins, crushed while warm, just enough flour and half a minute of kneading: the science of gnocchi that float instead of bouncing. The cook's test included — and the new Gnocchi Masterclass in Como where you learn it hands-on (from €150).
From the legend of the Duomo glassmaker of 1574 to saffron pistils steeped in broth: how risotto alla Milanese earned its gold, why Lombardy is rice country — and the Risotto Masterclass in Como where the story ends up on your plate (Saffron Milanese, €130).
Why spring (roughly April–June) is the loveliest time on Lake Como: villa gardens like Carlotta and Melzi at the peak of their azalea and rhododendron bloom, mild weather, far fewer crowds than summer, and plenty to do. Plus a small-group cooking class as the perfect relaxed, indoor-outdoor break between two lakeside walks.
A short walking loop through old Como: the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, where Gothic meets Renaissance under Juvarra’s 1744 Rococo dome, the marble-banded Broletto, the Romanesque Basilica di San Fedele, and the 12th-century Porta Torre with the medieval walls — a few minutes from our cooking class.
Como’s best food is on the market stalls, not behind glass. A guide to the big weekly open-air markets near the ancient city walls, the seasonal produce to look for — lake fish, alpine cheeses, chestnuts, porcini — and how to turn a morning’s shopping into a dish. Confirm current market days locally.
How to do coffee and pastries in Como like an Italian: order an espresso, the cappuccino-before-11 rule, drinking caffè standing at the bar, the cornetto and brioche, and the areas to find historic cafés around Piazza Cavour and the centre.
A where-to-go guide to aperitivo in Como: the best zones for a sunset drink — Piazza Cavour and the lakefront, the old-town piazzas around San Fedele, and Brunate for the view from above by funicular. What to order (spritz, Negroni, local wines), when to go, and the timing of the ritual. At our cooking class the aperitivo is a board of cured meats and cheeses.
Where to have dinner in Como: the three dining zones — lakeside, historic centre and the Borgo — what an Italian dinner looks like from aperitivo to dolce, the Lake Como specialities to seek out (lake fish, pizzoccheri, risotto, polenta, fresh egg pasta), and when to sit down. No invented names, just areas and cuisines — or cook the dinner yourself at our class.
Where to have lunch in Como, by area and type: the lakefront for the views, the old-town lanes for trattorie and osterie, the market area for cheaper bites. What to order at lunch, how coperto and timing work, and why cooking your own meal at a hands-on class is the tastiest alternative of all.
Beyond pasta, the real cooking of the Lario: sun-dried missoltini (salted agoni/shad), polenta uncia and the toc, lake fish and cheeses like zincarlin and sèmuda. What each dish is, where the tradition comes from — and how it leads to learning fresh pasta by hand in a class in Como.
A portrait of Varenna, Lake Como's most romantic village: the pastel fishing harbour, the lakeside Passeggiata degli Innamorati (lovers' walk), the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, the Castello di Vezio above, and how it pairs with Bellagio across the water. Plus how to reach it by ferry from Como and Bellagio.
A guide to Lake Como's most beautiful villas — Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, Villa Melzi in Bellagio, Villa Monastero in Varenna and Villa Olmo in Como town. What to see, the gardens, and how to reach them by ferry. Always check the official sites for hours and tickets.
Como's most spectacular outing: the Como–Brunate funicular, running since 1894, climbs to the balcony village in about 7 minutes — Art Nouveau villas, the walk up to the Volta Lighthouse, and sweeping views over the lake and the Alps. Practical tips on the funicular and how to pair Brunate with a small-group cooking class.
How Como became Europe's silk capital from the 1800s — built on mulberries, water and skilled hands — and why its weaving and printing still dress the world's fashion houses. The story, the Silk Museum, and the same hand-made know-how we bring to every cooking class in Como.
The best walks in and around Como on foot: the flat lakefront passeggiata to Villa Olmo, the Brunate funicular and the climb to the Volta Lighthouse, the medieval walls and old lanes by the Duomo, and greenway ideas along the shore — with distances, difficulty and the best viewpoints, then a cooking class to end the day.
A 7-day itinerary across Lake Como’s three branches: Como town, Bellagio “the pearl”, Varenna, Menaggio and Tremezzo with Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello at Lenno, a day up at Brunate, and time for slow lake living — with a hands-on cooking class as a perfect mid-week or rainy-day anchor.
A well-paced 3-day itinerary for Como: Day 1 the town (Duomo, lakefront, the Brunate funicular and an evening cooking class), Day 2 a boat to Bellagio, Varenna or Tremezzo with Villa Carlotta or Villa del Balbianello, and Day 3 a slow morning, market, lakeside walk and aperitivo — with practical ferry and pacing tips throughout.
A morning-to-night walking itinerary for one day in Como: Piazza Cavour and the lakefront, the Duomo, the Basilica di San Fedele and the medieval lanes, the Tempio Voltiano, the funicular up to Brunate for the view, an aperitivo by the lake — and an evening 3-hour cooking class as the grand finale instead of a restaurant dinner.
Locals call it the Lario: a glacial lake shaped like an inverted Y, with Pliny the Younger's Roman villas, the great age of Balbianello, Carlotta, Melzi and d'Este, the Grand Tour visits of Stendhal, Liszt and Shelley, Manzoni's The Betrothed — and today's film-location fame.
A readable history of the city of Como: founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as Novum Comum, home of Pliny the Elder and the Younger, a medieval free comune at war with Milan, the Maestri Comacini stonemasons, the Romanesque Basilica di Sant’Abbondio, the late-Gothic Duomo, and the 1800s rise of silk — and how that food tradition lives on in a hands-on pasta class.
Why autumn is the best season for a cooking class in Como: fewer crowds, foliage over the lake, squash and porcini at the market, and warm indoor cooking that turns a rainy day into three hours of hand-rolled pasta.
Our cooking classes in Como run in English, French and Italian, so no Italian is needed. The resident chef guides you step by step in a small group of up to 12, a 10-minute walk from Como’s centre. Here is what a 3-hour session looks like from start to finish.
An honest verdict on whether a cooking class in Como is worth the money (from €130) and three hours: who it’s perfect for, who might skip it, what’s included, and the common doubts — price, language, skill level — settled. You roll the sfoglia by hand, in a small group of up to 12, and eat what you make. Beginners welcome.
Our cooking class in Como is from €130 per person, ~3 hours, in small groups of up to 12, all-inclusive: apron, ingredients, the hands-on masterclass (hand-rolled pasta or risotto), an aperitivo with cured meats and cheeses, the meal you cook with local wine at the table (one bottle for every four guests), and gelato with 25-year-aged Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP. No upfront payment.
The genuinely local experiences in Como, beyond the villa-and-ferry loop: shop the food markets, learn hand-rolled pasta from a resident chef, settle into the aperitivo ritual, trace the city's silk heritage and take a slow morning in the old town. The most authentic of all is the simplest — make pasta with your hands and eat it together.
Planning tonight in Como? A practical guide to the evening: the aperitivo hour on the lakefront, a golden-hour passeggiata along the water, where to dine in the old town and the Borgo, and an evening cooking class where you cook and eat your own dinner with wine.
Where to head when the summer sun beats down or the off-season lake turns grey: the Tempio Voltiano, the Silk Museum, the Cathedral interior, historic cafés and a naturally indoor, hands-on cooking class. A warm, practical guide that complements our rainy-day piece.
How to spend a day in Como with friends: a morning boat to Bellagio, an afternoon aperitivo crawl through the lakefront and old-town piazzas, and a hands-on group cooking class as the social centrepiece. Sessions take up to 12 guests, with larger private groups on request — plus tips for planning a fun day out for the whole crew.
Planning a hen party, birthday or corporate team-building day on Lake Como? A private pasta cooking class is the flagship activity where everyone joins in, then you all sit down and eat together. Private groups and larger numbers on request, with boat charter, aperitivo and villa gardens as easy add-ons.
Why winter is one of the loveliest times on Lake Como: the Christmas market and festive lights, a quiet crowd-free lakefront and villas, indoor museums and winter flavours — with a warm, hands-on cooking class as the cosy centrepiece (and a great Christmas gift).
Born in Padua in 1919 from the Barbieri brothers, Aperol is the bittersweet orange aperitif at 11% ABV behind the Aperol Spritz: its history, its ingredients and the classic 3-2-1 proportions of the spritz.
Born in Milan around 1860 from a secret recipe of 60+ herbs, Campari is the bolder, more bitter aperitif behind the Negroni and the Campari Spritz.
What makes gelato artigianale rather than industrial, why Como carries the tradition, and why we finish every class with a scoop of local artisan gelato and a few drops of Traditional Balsamic of Modena DOP.
Every cooking class in Como ends with gelato and a few drops of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo — one ingredient, 25 years in a battery of casks.
Who Rina Poletti is, what the Accademia della Sfoglia stands for, and why our resident chef’s professional training there shapes every class we teach in Como.
Family-friendly things to do on Lake Como — the Brunate funicular, boat rides, parks, gelato and a kid-friendly cooking class.
The most romantic experiences on Lake Como — sunset at Brunate, a boat ride, dinner, and a cooking class for two.
How to get to Bellagio by boat, the lanes, the villa gardens, where to eat, and how to round off the day back in Como.
What aperitivo is, when to go, what to order and how to do it like an Italian, by Lake Como.
Fresh pasta, lake-fish risotto, pizzoccheri, polenta and tiramisù — the local specialities to taste in Como, and the one you can learn to make.
Raining on Lake Como? The best indoor things to do — a hands-on cooking class, museums, historic cafés, a glass of local wine and more.
A simple, food-friendly 2-day itinerary: the lake, Brunate, villages by boat, a cooking class and aperitivo.
A perfect food-lover’s day in Como: morning market, lakefront walk, Brunate funicular, aperitivo — and a small-group cooking class in the middle.
How we build tiramisu in small glasses: clean layers, controlled piping, and why resting overnight changes everything.
Egg size and humidity change your dough. Add flour slowly, fold and press, and aim for a soft, workable texture.
If you fold wrong or seal badly, ravioli break and cooking time changes. Here’s the technique we teach in class.
Hand-rolling needs a softer dough. Machine-rolling can handle firmer mixes. Thickness changes everything at cooking time.
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