The Med Cooking School weekend

There’s lots of excitement in Ceglie Messapica, a 20thousand town in the area of Brindisi. This is mostly thanks to a chef, Antonella Ricci, at the helm of restaurant Al Fornello da Ricci, the pride of its town, with its Michelin star. She is the engine of the Mediterranean Cooking School, an ambitious structure that will open to the public in its final headquarters this coming weekend, the peak of a weekend dedicated to food that will hold court with a long series of activities from Friday February 28th to Sunday 2nd March.

Including the presence of Combal.Zero’s chef Davide Scabin and of the founder of Identità Golose Paolo Marchi, the programme comprises tours of the historic centre of the town but also of local caves and masserie estates, with a final visit to the school itself, as included in the schedule organised by Angelo Ricci’s association Officina di Cucina. For those interested, there are 14 hospitality structures in Ceglie – including masserie, bed & breakfasts and hotels – offering discounts up to 20% for the whole weekend. And all the activities – guided tours, music entertainment, photographic exhibitions on typical food – will be completely free, including the cooking classes (for which, however, it is necessary to reserve a place by writing to officinacucinaricci@gmail.com).

The school is located inside San Domenico’s ex convent, three floors (and a total of 2500 square metres) renovated, equipped with avantgarde kitchens and 16 multimedia desks for the participants (on top of the teacher’s one) following a project promoted by mayor Luigi Caroli himself. «The target of the Università della cucina [Kitchen University]», explains Antonella Ricci with husband Vinod Sookar, who’s also the chef at Al Fornello «is higher education for enthusiasts, not only for professionals». The first module will start with a series of important lessons, from March 10th to the 19th. Thirty hours of high education for young chefs who will be able to meet the typical gastronomic products of Mare Nostrum.

In particular, Antonella Ricci will give a lesson on “Typical Mediterranean legumes: understanding and learning to use them”. Vinod Sookar will speak of “Wild and aromatic herbs”; sommelier Antonella Millarte, following the theme of “Noble grape varieties from the Mediterranean”, will focus on Apulia’s varieties. With Antimo Savese it will be the turn of “Blue tailed fish and courtyard animals”, Giovanni Bellanova will focus on “Torte da credenza* using only typical Mediterranean products” and finally Tiziano Mita will illustrate “Mediterranean pastry-making with the use of local ingredients”. To enquire and to enrol, click on the Med Cooking School link or call +39.0831.840607.

* “Torte da credenza”, literally cupboard cakes, are usually cakes made without cream, which could, therefore, be kept in the cupboard and not in the fridge.