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Host: Giovanna

Bologna, Italy

USD
$66-$140 per person

Traditional Bolognese meal with a local in Bologna

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Giovanna

Giovanna is a retired teacher, she taught Italian, Philosophy and History to high school students. Currently she collaborates with the 'Love Italian Project' to offer history and Italian lessons to foreign students. Giovanna loves speaking to new people, getting to know different cultures, wandering in the historic city center and on the hills of Bologna, reading novels and visiting art museums. Another passion of hers is cooking and she has always loved cooking for family and friends - holding dinner parties at her terrace is her favorite thing to do. Giovanna learned to cook from her mother in the countryside of Mantua and then she enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen to create her own recipes. She is now excited to meet new people and share with them her passion for history, cooking and good Italian food and wine!

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: (1-2 guests) Giovanna lives in a beautiful apartment in downtown Bologna, in the historical center, with her friendly Jack Russel named Nemo. She is excited to share with you a home-cooked Italian meal, dishes she often cooks for her family and friends. Giovanna can also prepare a traditional vegetarian or vegan Bolognese meal if you don't eat meat or seafood, so please let her know your preference while booking the experience online. Her recipes are simple and made with high quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients. She will not only share her delicious food but also the traditions around food and hopes to make you fall in love with Bologna! A few traditional Italian dishes that you might try at Giovanna’s table are chickpea with radish and rocket salad, crostini with stracchino and mushrooms (toast with cheese and mushroom) and risotto with seasonal vegetables and parmigiano. You will end your meal with a dessert such as seasonal fruits or red fruit crostata (fruit tart) or tenerina (chocolate cake).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) In your Italian cooking class you will learn to cook traditional recipes with your host Giovanna, in her home kitchen. In your two-hour hands-on Bolognese cooking class, learn to make crostini with vegetables and local cheese, risotto with seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin or asparagus, and tenerina, a moist chocolate cake or learn to make ragù or sausage and tiramisu. Giovanna will share her family recipes, tips on how to perfect each dish and stories of growing up in the countryside. After cooking, share the meal you helped prepare in her beautiful, green terrace, only during the spring and summer months when the weather is good.

Market visit: (1-2 guests) Meet Giovanna at her apartment and then walk together for 10 minutes to tour the Mercato di Mezzo - the city’s first covered market filled with stalls selling vegetables, fruits, pasta, meat, bread and cheese. Here you can shop for fresh, seasonal produce or eat at one of counters selling food and wine. In your one hour tour of this market, Giovanna will take you to her favorite vendors so that you can see the local produce and buy a few ingredients for your cooking class.

Notes: Giovanna can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets on request. Please let her know in advance if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, while booking your Bologna cooking class online.

Languages spoken: Italian & English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose ONE menu from the below options:
  • Menu A: Chickpeas salad with radish and rocket salad + Crostini with stracchino and mushrooms + Risotto with seasonal vegetables and parmigiano + Seasonal fruits or red fruit crostata
  • Menu B: Mortadella di Bologna (Italian sausage), Prosciutto di Parma (Italian ham), Squacquerone (Italian cheese) + Verdure grigliate miste (grilled vegetables) with parmigiano + Tagliatelle al ragù or Gramigna with sausage+ Tiramisu

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Let me start by saying how moved and taken away we were by our experience. Gio is an Italian treasure and we absolutely adored our experience with her. She is kind and knowledgeable and patient. The finished product of whatever yummy meal you cook with her guidance will reflect that. Absolutely strongly recommend a cooking class with her. Only disclaimer is I advice you make sure whatever third party company you use to book gives you her contact info upfront. We had a hard time reaching out to the company but as soon as they gave me her contact she responded immediately and was so kind and so helpful. We made a risotto amongst other delicious dishes, I will never forget it. I can’t recommend this experience enough, book a cooking class with Gio you will not regret it! Also she has the cutest Jack Russell named Nemo and I miss him already!
- Diana_Z March 28, 2024
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Giovanna

$66-$140 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $84 $66 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $96 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $106 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $84 $66 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $96 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $106 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Giovanna

Giovanna is a retired teacher, she taught Italian, Philosophy and History to high school students. Currently she collaborates with the 'Love Italian Project' to offer history and Italian lessons to foreign students. Giovanna loves speaking to new people, getting to know different cultures, wandering in the historic city center and on the hills of Bologna, reading novels and visiting art museums. Another passion of hers is cooking and she has always loved cooking for family and friends - holding dinner parties at her terrace is her favorite thing to do. Giovanna learned to cook from her mother in the countryside of Mantua and then she enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen to create her own recipes. She is now excited to meet new people and share with them her passion for history, cooking and good Italian food and wine!

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: (1-2 guests) Giovanna lives in a beautiful apartment in downtown Bologna, in the historical center, with her friendly Jack Russel named Nemo. She is excited to share with you a home-cooked Italian meal, dishes she often cooks for her family and friends. Giovanna can also prepare a traditional vegetarian or vegan Bolognese meal if you don't eat meat or seafood, so please let her know your preference while booking the experience online. Her recipes are simple and made with high quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients. She will not only share her delicious food but also the traditions around food and hopes to make you fall in love with Bologna! A few traditional Italian dishes that you might try at Giovanna’s table are chickpea with radish and rocket salad, crostini with stracchino and mushrooms (toast with cheese and mushroom) and risotto with seasonal vegetables and parmigiano. You will end your meal with a dessert such as seasonal fruits or red fruit crostata (fruit tart) or tenerina (chocolate cake).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) In your Italian cooking class you will learn to cook traditional recipes with your host Giovanna, in her home kitchen. In your two-hour hands-on Bolognese cooking class, learn to make crostini with vegetables and local cheese, risotto with seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin or asparagus, and tenerina, a moist chocolate cake or learn to make ragù or sausage and tiramisu. Giovanna will share her family recipes, tips on how to perfect each dish and stories of growing up in the countryside. After cooking, share the meal you helped prepare in her beautiful, green terrace, only during the spring and summer months when the weather is good.

Market visit: (1-2 guests) Meet Giovanna at her apartment and then walk together for 10 minutes to tour the Mercato di Mezzo - the city’s first covered market filled with stalls selling vegetables, fruits, pasta, meat, bread and cheese. Here you can shop for fresh, seasonal produce or eat at one of counters selling food and wine. In your one hour tour of this market, Giovanna will take you to her favorite vendors so that you can see the local produce and buy a few ingredients for your cooking class.

Notes: Giovanna can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets on request. Please let her know in advance if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, while booking your Bologna cooking class online.

Languages spoken: Italian & English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Please choose ONE menu from the below options:
  • Menu A: Chickpeas salad with radish and rocket salad + Crostini with stracchino and mushrooms + Risotto with seasonal vegetables and parmigiano + Seasonal fruits or red fruit crostata
  • Menu B: Mortadella di Bologna (Italian sausage), Prosciutto di Parma (Italian ham), Squacquerone (Italian cheese) + Verdure grigliate miste (grilled vegetables) with parmigiano + Tagliatelle al ragù or Gramigna with sausage+ Tiramisu

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Let me start by saying how moved and taken away we were by our experience. Gio is an Italian treasure and we absolutely adored our experience with her. She is kind and knowledgeable and patient. The finished product of whatever yummy meal you cook with her guidance will reflect that. Absolutely strongly recommend a cooking class with her. Only disclaimer is I advice you make sure whatever third party company you use to book gives you her contact info upfront. We had a hard time reaching out to the company but as soon as they gave me her contact she responded immediately and was so kind and so helpful. We made a risotto amongst other delicious dishes, I will never forget it. I can’t recommend this experience enough, book a cooking class with Gio you will not regret it! Also she has the cutest Jack Russell named Nemo and I miss him already!
- Diana_Z March 28, 2024
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $84 $66 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $96 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $106 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $84 $66 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $96 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $140 $106 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.