Taste of Italy

Maribel provides a personal and professional experience in the kitchen for cooks at any level. Her knowledge and experience enhanced the class and the market tour. Thank you!

We had a delightful, fun and informative day with Maribel! Our trip through the markets was filled with the sights and smells we rarely have the chance to experience, and the pasta making was so enjoyable. Maribel is a great cook and tutor, but most of all a wonderful and gracious host!

Maribel’s cooking class was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Italy. She met us at our hotel and took us through the market stalls to purchase ingredients. We then went to her home, where the class itself actually takes place. She showed us the process of creating egg noodles and sauces, and then we took over, under her guidance. We made tagliatelle with ragu sauce and tortelloni in butter and sage. In addition, she offered us parmesan Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, and mortadella, and for dessert, cream gelato with fresh strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar. She also gave us the recipes and notes on everything we made.We had an amazing time, and it felt like we were spending the afternoon catching up with an old friend. In addition, she gave us recommendations on where to eat in town, and the restaurants we went to were absolutely wonderful. We will definitely do this again the next time we are in Bologna!

Eccelente da iniziare a finire!Maribel was very well informed, showed me around the various shops and produce before buying and then importantly instructing me on making pasta by hand from scratch. My final product was even edible! Highly recommended if you want to learn to make and cook pasta in an informal and personal setting.

Maribel’s market tour / cooking class was perfetto! And the dishes we made were buonissimo! Highly recommended.

Maribel was an incredible host and teacher. Every part of our day was thoughtfully planned out and an incredible experience. We were able to experience the most beautiful markets in Bologna before heading back to Maribel’s home for our cooking lesson. She was able to adjust the lesson to our abilities and everything turned out to be delicious. The tastings involved during the lesson were informative and incredibly tasty. I would recommend Taste of Italy to anyone visiting Bologna.

What a fantastic way to experience Bologna! We had a great time in the market tour and cooking class. We had 3 small children with us, but Maribel was kind enough to come to our place and helped the children join in the cooking whenever / however they wanted. We couldn’t have asked for a better day, and would highly recommend this class!

My wife and I had a thoroughly delightful experience with Maribel. Beginning with shopping for food supplies in the central markets, continuing with an informative and enlightening cooking lesson involving pasta-making, one appetizer and two entrees; including the iconic tagliatelle Bolognese. We concluded with a delicious lunch, featuring the fruits of our labor. Maribel was clear, patient and fun. We are looking forward to serving these recipes at home. The entire experience was Molto Buono!

What a day! We met Maribel near the Quadrilatero markets (which are fabulous) to shop for ingredients for our selected recipes, then returned to her apartment to begin cooking. We and our teens had a blast rolling out pasta dough and putting together the ingredients for our antipasto, two pasta dishes, and tiramisu. Maribel was knowledgeable, kind, patient (we weren't exactly efficient chefs) and funny. After hours of cooking we sat down to a delicious meal. This was a highlight of our 17 days in Italy! Highly recommended. Thanks again, Maribel!

My husband and I took our first cooking class ever with Maribel. We had such a wonderful day with her going to the market then cooking at her apartment. We were on a search for fresh vegetables and Maribel helped us create the perfect early spring menu. We were very excited to go through the pasta making process-it’s hard work for a novice-but Maribel was so patient and it was fun to watch how quickly and efficiently she could do everything! It was such a perfect day capped of by a lovely walk back through her neighborhood to our hotel in Bologna where we had an impromptu tour on the way. This was a very special experience we will remember always. She also sends out recipes and videos which is a nice touch. If you’re lucky you’ll get to meet her adorable pets. Thank you Maribel!