Chiara’s passion for cooking began as a young girl when she cooked with her grandmothers, both excellent cooks. She added to her culinary repertoire over time by working with a friend who owned a restaurant, and went on to fulfill her grandmothers’ dream of opening a restaurant! She is eager to showcase local produce and even has her own beehive, vegetable garden, and fruit trees, and grows ancient grain that she uses to make homemade bread. As much as possible, Chiara uses products from her farm. She enjoys using modern technology to experiment with new techniques of cooking and makes creative dishes using a sous vide machine and special freezer. Food allows Chiara to connect with her grandmothers – through cooking they shared a private vocabulary of care, love and passion. She loves cooking with herbs and wild flowers that she picks because she wants to share the beautiful aromas of her region in her food.
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: (2-25 guests) Meet your host Chiara at her family home, a charming 15th-century stone farm estate in the hills outside Bologna that she lovingly restored and converted into a B&B. Enjoy a refreshing drink and Italian music from the 1920s before Chiara takes you on a tour of the historic property and grounds, where you may pick fresh herbs and flowers to accompany your meal. Then sit down at Chiara’s table for a creative, regional Bolognese meal featuring local and seasonal ingredients. Your meal includes an appetizer, pasta, vegetable side and dessert. Depending on the season, you might enjoy crescentine, a traditional fried bread from Emilia-Romagna, or tigelle with Parmigiano Reggiano or mortadella; tagliatelle with prosciutto di Parma and lemon zest or gnocchi with ragù; and seasonal greens cooked with olive oil and garlic. Finish with a homemade dessert such as torta di castagne (chestnut cake) with zabaione or homemade ice cream made with fresh, seasonal fruit. Over your meal, enjoy getting to know Chiara and learning about the food and traditions of the Bologna countryside.
Cooking experience: (2-10 guests) Meet your host Chiara at her charming 15th-century stone farm estate in the hills outside Bologna for a private, hands-on cooking class. In her well-equipped home kitchen, learn to prepare three regional dishes from scratch using recipes and techniques inspired by the cooking traditions of Monte San Pietro and recipes passed down from Chiara’s grandmother. During your approximately two-hour cooking class, make fresh pasta such as tagliatelle with prosciutto di Parma and lemon zest, along with a seasonal vegetable dish such as cavolo nero from the garden with garlic and olive oil or a fennel and root vegetable gratin. You’ll also prepare bread made with ancient wheat or a homemade dessert. Chiara combines traditional Bolognese cooking with her own creative approach, using local and seasonal ingredients in unexpected ways. For example, she might transform a traditional pasta and peas dish by making a silky pea cream to serve with the pasta. After your hands-on Bologna cooking class, sit down with Chiara to enjoy the regional Italian meal you helped prepare. Chiara can also provide contact information for a local driver if you need transportation from Bologna.
Notes:
1. Please note that all culinary experiences are available Wednesday through Sunday.
2. If you are driving, please meet Chiara directly at her home. If you prefer to take public transportation (bus #83), kindly inform Chiara at least 3 days in advance so she can arrange to pick you up from the bus station and drop you off afterward.
3. Chiara can also arrange a professional driver to pick you up from the city center of Bologna. The cost of this service is not included and should be paid directly to the taxi company upon meeting.
4. Vegetarian menus are available, and Chiara is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and food allergies whenever possible. Please share any dietary requirements or allergies when booking so she can plan your cooking experience accordingly.
Languages spoken: English, Italian, French
This is a must do experience, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Chiara was amazing and the ladies that helped in the kitchen were so lovely. We started the day with a refreshing cool drink before heading out to the garden to pick fruit & vegetables. The landscape was absolutely breathtaking, we felt so relaxed & at ease in the peaceful surroundings of this historical estate. Chiara shared with us her family’s story about the property from its earliest period to the present. We highly recommend this experience.- matthew July 22, 2026
We had a great trip and experience with Chiara and her family. It is a bit challenging to find, but certainly worth every minute. Chiara and her team were very welcoming and we enjoyed cooking, eating, drinking and spending time together. Highly recommend making the trip and enjoying the history of the house and family.- Stan June 07, 2025
The 15th century villa was rustic and so beautiful with rolling hills, a garden and vineyards. We foraged for some of our lunch breathing in the fresh cut grass and country air. We prepared the lunch with the caretaker Chiara and her right hand Roberta. It was so much fun making the pasta and being ridiculed (in a good way) by Roberta the perfectionist. LOL Along with the featured wine from the estate, we had a mixed green salad picked from the grounds, cheese, local salame, mortadela, and prosciutto, cooked greens, fresh pasta in a Parmesan cream sauce and our freshly baked apple cake with orange mascarpone cream! Need I say more. Chiara was so gracious and you could see how much of her heart she has put into her home and the food she produces. I would recommend this to anyone. Thank you again Chiara and Roberta! See you next time.- Robert April 24, 2025
This was one of the highlights of our trips! Chiara and the wonderful ladies in the kitchen made us feel so welcomed! It felt like I was being taught by an Italian nonna. We cooked, we laughed, we ate and we enjoyed the peaceful serenity of this escape to the countryside. Chiara was waiting for us at the train station and drove us up the winding path to the estate. The views were breathtaking! We harvested fresh herbs and greens from the grounds that became part of our lunch. The wine from their own vineyard was delicious, too. I wish we could stay in Bologna longer so I could learn more about the simple pleasures of northern Italian cuisine. If you are looking for an escape from the tourist crowds and big cities—We would 100% recommended this experience!- Debra April 19, 2025
Wow!!! This experience is one that we will remember for a very long time! Chiara is such a warm and welcoming host, who patiently guides you through each dish step by step along with her assistant Roberta. We made focaccia and tagliatelle with leeks that we picked from Chiaras vegetable garden and pumpkin. Everything is fresh and organic and Chiara is so incredibly proud of her home and food as she should be! I cannot recommend booking this experience enough, it is a real taste of true Italy/ Bologna…. And we were so very grateful that we were lucky enough to experience it. Chiara and Roberta were incredibly talented chefs and Chiara is the most wonderful host.- Leah_M December 15, 2024
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