Cook with a cookbook author · Sicily
Eastern Sicily with Jeanne McDowell
A May 2-8, 2027 southeastern Sicily food week hosted by baking author Erin Jeanne McDowell, her first visit to Sicily. Covers markets, cassata, almonds, ancient wheat, cannoli and olive oil.
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What you will do
- Market walk and cooking class including cassata
- Ortigia walk and granita
- Almond farm and cookie lesson near Noto
- Ragusa flour mill with ancient wheat and cannoli
- Farm feast in the Hyblaean Mountains
- Olive oil farm tasting and Neapolis park
- Hotel dinner voucher
Before you go
Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.
Who leads it
Erin Jeanne McDowell
Cookbook author and recipe developer known for baking books such as The Book on Pie.
Angelo Di Stefano
Licensed guide born in Ragusa, former sommelier and restaurant owner.
Day by day
- Day 1ArrivalDrinks and a welcome dinner at a modern bistro.
- Day 2OrtigiaMarket walk, cooking class, walking tour and granita. Dinner on your own.
- Day 3Noto and almondsNoto, then an almond farm with a cookie lesson. Dinner free.
- Day 4RagusaFlour mill, Ragusa Ibla and cannoli. Dinner free.
- Day 5Mountain farmFarm cooking and a feast with wines. Dinner free.
- Day 6Archaeology and oilNeapolis park, olive oil farm tasting, free afternoon, farewell seafood dinner.
- Day 7DepartureCheck out.
Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.
What is included
Included
- Six nights' lodging
- Daily breakfast
- Meals, activities and transportation listed in the itinerary
- Gratuities
- Dinner voucher at Gutkowskino restaurant
Not included
- Flights and other travel to and from Italy
- Transfers to and from the hotel
Practical details
- Where you base
- Ortigia (Siracusa), with day trips to Noto, Ragusa and the Hyblaean Mountains
- Where you stay
- Hotel Gutkowski, a small family-run boutique hotel near the sea in Ortigia with rooftop terrace (weather permitting); six nights.
- Group size
- Limited to 12 participants
- Pace
- Steady. Up to an hour or more of walking a day, at times on hills, uneven ground or stairs, with frequent getting in and out of vehicles. Guests must keep up with the group unassisted.
- Arrival and departure
- Hotel in Ortigia on Day 1; no airport meeting point published
- Who it suits
- Bakers and dessert fans who want a small-group week in Ortigia.
Good to know
- Many meals feature fish, meat, cheese and gluten. Vegetarians and guests with lactose or gluten intolerance will be fed but may miss parts of the food culture; flexibility needed.
- Itinerary can shift because the trips rely on small family-run businesses; final itinerary is emailed about 30 days before departure
- Ask Via Rosa for deposit and cancellation terms.
- No meeting point is published; the group gathers at the hotel on Day 1
- Waitlist only when checked
- Page title shows an outdated year; dates are May 2-8, 2027
Dates and prices
EUR 5,900 per person double; EUR 6,400 single (EUR 500 supplement).
More trips in Sicily
Trip details are compiled from the published information of Via Rosa, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.
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