Market visit, cooking class and a traditional Argentinean meal in San Telmo

Meet Gabriela

Gabriela comes from an Italian family and fondly remembers the big feast that happened every Sunday, where the whole family came together to make handmade ravioli. Her love for cooking started then and she was often found in the kitchen assisting her grandfather, who made her fall in love with food! She learned to cook from her grandfather Ricardo, Tango Quintet Director and a Bandoneon player. She then furthered her knowledge under the Italian chef, Mario Maiollino when she ran her own restaurant, Ozono, in Buenos Aires. She is currently an art director and fashion photographer, and worked and lived in Brazil for many years. Gabriela also enjoys traveling and says it always helps her improve her cooking skills and knowledge.

“I love to know people from the world, and love even more to cook for my friends.”

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: (1-10 guests) When you walk into Gabriela's beautiful apartment, you will be transported into an oasis of old world meets new world. The décor is upscale, with a bit of hipster, old world European elegance and modern pieces from Gabriella's home in Brazil. Raul, Gabriela's partner who is an architect, is responsible for this eclectic yet homey ambience. Gabriela will tell you all about her family, how she learned to cook, and her years in Brazil as a fashion photographer while she adds some finishing touches to the meal and sprinkles her empanadas with a special secret ingredient (you won't believe what it is!). You will then join her at the dining table to share a meal from the Tucumán province in Argentina that might include a few dishes such as focaccia with salami, mini provoleta (gooey cheese), empanadas de carne tucumanas and carbonada (beef stew). You will end your meal with a dessert, budín de pan con canela y dátiles con dulce de leche (bread pudding with dates) or arrollado se dulce de leche (roll filled with dulce de leche), along with some tea or coffee.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Gabriela in her large open kitchen for a hands-on Buenos Aires cooking class that will last for one hour. You will join her to make either empanadas or traditional Argentinean beef stew, carbonada (a simple, earthy stew which, true to tradition, Gabriela serves inside a pumpkin). For dessert make some arrollado se dulce de leche (roll filled with dulce de leche). Then sit down together to enjoy your traditional Argentinian meal! Gabriela is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Buenos Aires. She can also accommodate vegetarian diet in her Argentinean cooking class.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Meet Gabriela at her home and then walk for 5-10 minutes to the Mercado San Telmo. This is a huge market, one of the famous landmarks of San Telmo, occupying a quarter of a block. The market provides a good mix of products ranging from antiques and clothing shops to fruit and vegetable stands, butchers shops and bakeries. Gabriela will give you a hour long tour of the market and at the end you will buy a few ingredients for your cooking class.

Notes: The price includes alcohol (up to two glasses of local wine or beer). Gabriela can also offer vegetarian, gluten free and low carb meals on request.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese

Sample menu

• Picada, selection of hams, salami, olives, with artisanal bread
• Provoleta, hot spicy cheese served with tomatoes and oregano or Rolls of filo pastry filled with delicious pork meat and portobellos
• Empanadas de carne tucumanas
• Please choose between: carbonada (beef stew) or guiso de lentejas (lentil and spinach soup) or ojo de bife con papas fritas y ensalada (ribeye with fries and salad) (If you have other special requests Gabriela can also accommodate other dish requests)
• Colaciones, a very special pastry filled with dulce de leche, or Gabriela can make other dishes, depending on your taste.
• 2 glasses of wine or beer

Traveler reviews

Gabriela was great!! Not only were the conversation and food amazing, but her apartment was stunning.

- Linda_B January 31, 2023

A Great Time & A New Dish For Home. Our hostess and teacher, Gabriella, showed us how to cook several types of really tasty empanadas and how to form five (that’s what I remember - maybe it was more) shapes of shells with different dough folding and pinching techniques. The pumpkin and cheese were fantastic! The best thing is, it’s easy enough to do and we do them at home all the time now. This was one of the best evenings we had in Buenos Aries and definitely was a bargain at the price. She mentioned that she can teach other classic Argentine foods as well and we will surely call her when we are back. Not to be missed!

- Jon A April 01, 2019