Cook, Eat + Explore Sicily with The Cheeky Chef
This week-long journey will immerse you in the joys of Sicilian foods, introduce you to new techniques and ingredients, and inspire your cooking for years to come. Western Sicily is the perfect place to experience true Sicilian life as a local and to immerse yourself in its rich culture. This less developed side of Sicily has a long history of agriculture and a diversity of cultures from Greeks to Arabs that influenced its cuisine and way of life. During this impeccably curated hands on week of coodking, eating, and exploring, Linda will share all of her knowledge and absolute best discoveries to lead you on the journey of a lifetime. She'll guide you through the simple, beautiful and flavorful experience of living a week in Sicily to the fullest, all with her signature CHEEKY style!
ITINERARY:
Sunday: Welcome to Sicily! Settle in and explore before a sunset aperitivo + dinner at the Di Giovanna cantina.
Monday: Wake up with an optional morning yoga class before breakfast. All day trip to Marsala with a winery visit and lunch in town. Free time for shopping and a sunset visit to the salt pans before aperitivo + dinner at a local seafood restaurant in Marsala.
Tuesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Hands-on cooking lesson + lunch. Participate in the local harvest and visit the olive oil mill to see how olive oil is made. Evening tour of historic Sambuca di Sicilia before dinner and an artisanal Sicilian beer tasting at a wood-fired pizzeria.
Wednesday: Optional morning yoga + breakfast. Morning trip to Castelvetrano to visit a local flour mill, trattoria lunch and tour of an ancient olive grove. Cooking class with Sicilian grains and fresh extra virgin olive oil + enjoy the dishes we created during dinner.
Thursday: Breakfast before taking a morning hike through the Monte Genuardo Nature Reserve to forage for wild greens. Vineyard tour at Di Giovanna + lunch at the winery. Evening cooking lesson featuring meat, wild greens + seasonal produce. Finish off the night with dinner in the courtyard and a flight of Sicilian amaro.
Friday: Light breakfast at the hotel and an all-day trip to Agrigento and Licata. We'll have a picnic lunch and tour the Valley of the Temples then head to Licata for a memorable dinner at Chef Pino Cuttaia’s 2-Michelin-Star restaurant, La Madia.
Saturday: Breakfast at the hotel and a morning visit to the port of Sciacca for ceramic shopping. Lunch at Porto San Paolo and back to Sambuca for an afternoon cooking class featuring the fresh catch of the day. We'll keep the wine flowing through the night with a farewell dinner in the courtyard.
Sunday: Breakfast + Departure.
*subject to change
Chef Linda Sarris's unparalleled love for Sicily and great ingredients make her the perfect leader for exploring all the best things about Sicilian life, culture and cuisine.
Join us on an insider-access tour to learn about the best food and wine producers while meeting the real-deal makers and shakers in Sicily this fall!
ABOUT: CHEF LINDA SARRIS
Raised in a big Greek-American family with a Chef grandfather and a fisherman dad, Linda has been in love with food her whole life. After the French Culinary Institute and a few stints in restaurants, Linda took off to sharpen her culinary skills in her own adventurous way - working on a farm-to-table cooking school and wine estate in Sicily, spending two summers as a private-chef in Tuscany, and traveling back to Sicily every year since to work the olive harvest. In summer 2016, she spent two months in Sicily researching and gathering insider information on Sicilian food tourism, in preparation of her new venture, SNACKsicily, a printed mini magazine with down to earth recipes, interviews with her favorite local Sicilians, and the best tips for travelers.