Meet
Viviana
Vivi has a PhD in Natural Sciences and has incredible know-how on the functioning of biological systems in the fields of health and the environment. As a woman-of-the-earth, her heart is committed to doing things in a sustainable way and is known as an expert in the field of herbs. She grows her own herbs, fruits and vegetables and uses organic ingredients that nature provides us with. Vivi was raised in the Piemonte region, where she learned to cook northern Italian cuisine, and her mother who hails from Sicily taught her the flavors of the south. She has a special eye for identifying what the land can provide us, and Vivi will teach you to identify the things around you that provide you vitamins, and rich flavors in your diet. Everyone who cares about the earth and sustainable practices, should visit Vivi!
What to expect
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal:
(1-5 guests)
Vivi’s beautiful home is located on the hills of Piemonte, surrounded by vineyards and farms in every direction. Your experience will start with a welcome drink and an introduction to the location ‘la casa delle erbe’ - the house of herbs! Then walk around the house and the garden to collect ingredients that you will use in your cooking class - wild herbs and home grown vegetables. Later cook with the ingredients you foraged from the farm, before sitting at the dining table to enjoy a few dishes from Siciliano e Piemontese. Vivi teaches you how to start the consumption process while you're looking for the plants, breathing in their deep perfumes, then you chop them and chew them with attentiveness to enjoy the energy provided from the land. You will try a mix of rich salad greens foraged from Vivi's land along with a main dish.
Cooking experience:
(1-5 guests)
Join a hands-on cooking class in Asti and discover the flavors of northern Italy at Viviana's family farm in the heart of Piedmont. During this authentic farm-to-table culinary experience, learn how to prepare traditional Italian dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients and aromatic herbs grown locally.
Guided by Viviana, you'll explore the art of cooking with herbs, learning when to enjoy them raw, boiled, or sautéed to best highlight their flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits. Guests can customize the menu based on their interests, dietary preferences, and seasonal ingredients available on the farm. You'll also discover how different herbs complement classic Piedmontese recipes while gaining insight into their traditional uses and health properties.
This private cooking class in Piedmont is designed for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced home cooks, and is suitable for both adults and children. Whether you're looking for an authentic food experience in Asti, a family-friendly activity in northern Italy, or a chance to learn traditional Italian cooking techniques on a working farm, this immersive experience offers a meaningful connection to local culture, cuisine, and farm life.
Market visit:
(1-5 guests)
FARM TOUR: Instead of visiting a local market, enjoy a guided farm tour in Asti at Vivi's sustainable family farm in the Piedmont countryside. During this 1.5-hour farm and foraging experience, explore vegetable gardens, fruit orchards filled with hazelnut, cherry, and apricot trees, meet the farm's chickens, and discover a variety of edible wild plants and herbs.
As you walk through the farm, Vivi will share the sustainable farming practices she uses to nurture healthy soil, promote biodiversity, and create a thriving ecosystem. Learn how seasonal produce is grown naturally and gain insight into the connection between sustainable agriculture and traditional Italian cooking.
The highlight of the experience is foraging for wild herbs and vegetables that will later be used in your meal. Along the way, Vivi will teach you how to identify edible plants using sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound, while explaining their culinary uses, nutritional benefits, and role in local Piedmontese traditions. By the end of the tour, you'll have a deeper understanding of wild food foraging, sustainable farming, and the ingredients that make northern Italian cuisine so distinctive.
Notes:
Please note that it is a little bit chilly in Vivi's house, but a warm sweater does the trick! Also, the bathroom is upstairs, so it's important for anyone who goes on this experience to be able to climb a flight of stairs. And as you'll be foraging wild herbs and vegetable on the farm, it is preferable if you wear comfortable shoes.
Languages spoken:
English, French, Italian
Sample menu
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Vivi! She's a bright light of sunshine and has incredible energy. She is a free spirit who is generous in sharing. Her smile and enthusiasm are infectious and her passion for the earth's natural systems gets you thinking in a whole different way about agriculture. Vivi generously shares her passion and knowledge. She helps you to appreciate the power and health in the land. She teaches you the importance of the steps, of textures and colors, and helps you to slow down and chew every mouthful. Not only is her food delicious, but it has a magical aura to it. From the tea and cookies that she welcomes you with, the fresh eggs that we picked from under her hens, the delicious risotto filled with so many delicious vitamins! We learned so much, had a blast getting to know Vivi and enjoyed the flavors of the earth with her. Thanks for teaching us to listen to the land and to our bodies a little bit more.
Alex and Mike, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Traveler reviews
Wow! This was fabulously different…a cooking class using everything from the garden and it was delicious! We met Vivi at her house where she proceeded to give us coffee and a tour of her vast garden on a hill next to her house, her chickens and her adorably “talkative” and friendly geese. She has an unbelievable garden with everything edible. It was an inspiration to do this at home in California.
She taught us how to make gnocchi and tiramisu and a lovely from-the-garden veggie soup, all in her fairy tale feeling kitchen. SHE IS SO KNOWLEDGABLE about herbs and nature and I felt like it was a short course in how to live and thrive on the land. So so cool. Highly recommend.
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Vicki
October 19, 2025
My partner and I recently had the pleasure of attending a cooking class with Viviana, and it was a truly unforgettable experience! We learned to make delicious Italian dishes using fresh veggies and herbs straight from her stunning garden. The food was great, thanks to the quality of the ingredients and Viviana’s expert guidance. Beyond the incredible food, the day was so inspiring. Viviana is an incredibly kind and generous soul who shared not only her cooking expertise but also fantastic knowledge of her garden and nature and her life experiences. Her passion for what she does is infectious, and it made the entire day feel special and unique! We are so glad to have found Viviana and we highly recommend her to anyone looking for more than just a cooking lesson. This is a truly enriching experience that we will cherish for a long time! Grazieee mille Viviana!
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Melanie
October 03, 2025
A great tour - warm, intimate and interesting.
Vivi was very welcoming, open and knowledgeable - combining information about traditional Italian cooking and living with scientific information about health and medicinal properties of plants. The emphasis was on sustainable growing and living, and simple and nourishing Italian meals centred around home grown vegetables and diverse herbs and plants.
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Tori
September 16, 2025
Vivi provides a wonderful experience, educating her guests about plants and the many dishes you can make that are healthy while also talking care of nature. Much more than that, Vivi’s guests leave her home with the feeling that a new lifelong friendship has been forged. We have traveled quite a bit, and can honestly say that this is a very unique and memorable experience.
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Stacy
June 22, 2025
Vivi is quite simply an amazing human being with a depth of knowledge that is so incredible and a love for others that is palpable. My kids and I came to her class expecting to learn a little bit about foraging and Italian cooking, but we received such an experience of depth and warmth that I feel like we are truly friends now. The food was so good and wholesome. And she was so positive and loving with my small children in her kitchen and even taught them how to make baskets at the end just because they were curious and then made me a little tonic for my bad cough that she noticed that I had. I felt like we were visiting an Italian auntie who we had known for years. You will not regret booking this experience... You receive so much more than a sterile cooking class in a restaurant that you could book elsewhere. You truly experience Italian generosity.
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Olive
May 13, 2025
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