Milk Street Cooking Retreat: Emilia-Romagna with Viola Buitoni

Hang in there while we get back on track.

Where

Modena, Emilia-Romagna

Group Size

8-12 Travelers

Duration

8 Days, 7 Nights

When

Price

7,500 USD / person

Emilia-Romagna, in Northern Italy, is the land of Parmigiano Reggiano, medieval hill towns and breathtaking scenery. It is a food lover’s and traveler’s dream destination, and where you’ll make pasta by hand, cook multi-course North Italian feasts, visit the best small-scale producers of famous and lesser known regional products, shop in local markets, and relax by the pool during our Culinary Retreat.

Hosted by cookbook author, cooking teacher and Friend of Milk Street, Viola Buitoni, this week-long exploration of Emilia-Romagna’s Modena and the region surrounding it offers travelers a slower pace, flexible days and the chance to participate in longer, more frequent hands-on cooking sessions. You’ll stay in a private estate that includes three houses we have completely to ourselves, formal gardens, walking paths, a swimming pool, and ample space to decompress. Breakfasts will be leisurely, and may include an impromptu cooking lesson. Days will be filled with activities (or less full if you wish to stay back and relax). Dinners will be of your own making, under Viola’s expert guidance, and composed of the best the markets and producers we visit each day have to offer.

Your itinerary

Day 1

Explore Pragatto Hills & meet your fellow cooks.

Arrive at Pragatto Hills, our home for the week and get settled in your room. This private estate reserved exclusively for our group includes three houses, a rose garden, swimming pool, walking paths, active farmland and beautiful views. Nearby is Vigneto San Vito, makers of acclaimed biodynamic natural wine, and our kitchens will be stocked with their bottles throughout our time together. After exploring the property and getting unpacked, we’ll meet Viola Buitoni, our resident teacher, guide and host. A longtime friend of Milk Street, Viola is an Italian native with roots in Bologna and an expert in regional Italian cooking and teaching. Tonight, Viola is preparing for you the gentle post-travel meal her mother would make when welcoming her back home. Around the big table, you’ll meet your fellow cooks and learn about the week ahead.

Day 2

Shop like an Italian

Day 3

Experience Parmigiano Reggiano through touring, tasting & cooking.

Parmigiano Reggiano is synonymous with Emilia-Romagna, and no food experience in the region is complete without tasting this iconic cheese. We’ll do more than just that, though. On this day, we’re going to focus on Parmigiano Reggiano made from the milk of Vacche Rosse cows, a heritage breed considered to be the source for some of the finest cheese available. Despite the quality of its milk, however, the breed was almost lost during a push for industrialized farming in the 1980’s. Thanks to a small group of producers and farmers, the cows and the cheese they are responsible for are still celebrated today. Luciano Catellani spearheaded this effort and we’ll visit him at his newly renovated dairy farm. There we’ll meet the Vacche Rosse, tour the farm, taste Luciano’s cheese and be hosted for lunch. We’ll bring back some cheeses to Pragatto Hills so we can continue our learning in a hands-on fashion with Viola that evening. After we cook, we’ll share a long leisurely dinner.

Day 4

Make pasta with a sfoglina

After a leisurely morning, it’s time for our first cooking lesson. We start with pasta – fresh egg noodles, to be precise – as it is the building block of most meals in Emilia-Romagna. Simonetta Capotondo, an award-winning sfoglina, joins Viola today to teach us her special craft: hand-rolling sheets of egg pasta dough using nothing more than a board and rolling pin. You’ll spend the afternoon with her mixing dough, rolling it into sheets that we’ll shape into regional pastas and making fillings and sauces. Viola will make salads and cooked vegetable side dishes (contorni) to round out our first big feast of the week.

Day 5

Taste mostardas in Mantua

Mantua, located an hour away from Modena, is a European Capital of Gastronomy, which is our primary reason for visiting, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with elegant palaces and a medieval and Renaissance cityscape. Monteverdi premiered his opera L’Orfeo here and Romeo is banished to Mantua in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We start our time in Mantua with food, of course. Viola’s friend Paola Calciolari has invited us to her school and workshop to learn about preservation and Mantuan cuisine. As Viola says, no one preserves as originally as Paola does and we’ll be lucky enough to taste her sweet vegetable preserves and savory fruit preserves before sitting down to a traditional Mantuan lunch. To digest, we’ll go on a special guided walking tour, arranged by Paola just for us, in which we’ll visit the town’s historic sites and learn about Manuta’s traditions and innovations.

Day 6

Learn about real aceto balsamico

Day 7

A day in Vignola & farewell dinner.

Breakfast will be enjoyed en route to Vignola, where we will stop at Tola Dolza, one of Viola’s favorite cafés, for espresso and a generous, sweets-focused spread. We will gather to try their renowned cake along with a selection of local pastries and confections. Afterwards, you will have free time to stroll, shop, or explore this charming town.

Later, back at Pragatto, Viola will host a memorable farewell dinner, a fitting finale to our week together.

Day 8

Goodbyes and Departure

Meet the Crew

We are firm believers in the power of local knowledge. Our guides and the culinary masters and other artisans who are part of our trips all deeply reflect that. Meet some of our local heroes:

Viola Buitoni

Simonetta Capotondo

Mariangela Montanari

Luciano Catellani

Paola Calciolari

Federico Orsi

Mita Milutinuvic

Where you'll stay

Pragatto Hills

This week’s focus on deeply local experiences and places is also well reflected in our choice of accommodation. We always select boutique and independent places, ones inspired by international standards while staying loyal to the area’s local heritage – that’s the balance we seek for more than a good night’s rest.

Pragatto Hills B&B offers a serene retreat nestled in the picturesque countryside. Tucked away amidst rolling hills, this charming retreat boasts cozy rooms adorned with quirky local artwork and plush comforts. The stunning views of rolling hills and lush landscapes provide a perfect backdrop for relaxation. With its blend of rustic charm and modern allure, Pragatto Hills B&B is your ultimate playground for relaxation and rejuvenation.

DIETARY RESTRICTIONS

We encourage an adventurous palate! We try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, though ingredients cannot always be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. This trip may be challenging if you adhere to a gluten-free diet. If you have other food allergies or intolerances, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.

NOTES ON ITINERARY

Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. We expect to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.

CANCELLATION POLICY

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