Cucina Italiana – Gluten Free Cooking Class

I’m always eager to learn something new in the kitchen and being diagnosed with coeliac didn’t change this, it actually made me more determined to create my favourite meals gluten free.

If there is a cooking show on the telly, that’s what I’m watching and I’m always on the lookout for a great cooking class, even more so post coeliac disease. So when I found out that Luciana Sampogna from Cucina Italiana had introduced gluten free cooking classes to her schedule, I was excited!

I had been to Luciana’s cooking class pre-coeliac and knew how amazing her food was, so it was a must for me to take one of her GF cooking classes.

The cooking classes take place in Luciana’s home, which reminds me of a beautiful Tuscan villa! When we arrive, the tables are all set up with the measured ingredients that will be used during the class. Luciana lets us know at the beginning of the class that the wooden tables have been turned around and sanded back so that the gluten flour that she uses in her other classes is removed.

All precautions have been made to remove any traces of gluten, but as the kitchen is used predominately for cooking that contains gluten, she does warn the class that there could be “traces” of gluten.

Luciana first demonstrates how the dish should be made, before encouraging us to re-create the dish. The gluten free menu is delicious, we made freshly made Tagliatelle with the Classical Bolognese Sauce, Gnocchi di Patate (potato gnocchi) served with Classical Sugo al Pomodoro (red tomato sauce) and for dessert we had a divine White Chocolate Cake. Yum, yum & yum!

The best part about these classes is that at the end, we all sit down on a communal table and get to eat every dish we made during the class. You even get a beautiful GF antipasto with GF bread and a glass of wine to enjoy with you meal!

As part of the package, you get a recipe sheet of all the dishes you made during the class. You can also buy the special GF flour that is imported from Italy, along with utensils and other little gadgets.

This class was definitely worth it, I have made the pasta a few times before and my non-coeliac family and friends love it!

Cucina Italiana

84 Johnston St, Annandale

(02) 8021 2699

www.cucinaitaliana.com.au