Cooking course · Puglia
Winter Course: Clay Pot Cookery / Cooking in Candle Light
A Monday-to-Friday winter immersion in Lecce built around cooking in terracotta clay pots, with candlelit evening feasts. Cooking, wine and olive oil teaching are woven through market visits and shared family-style meals in a private home in the old town.
Ask us about this trip →Free to ask. We confirm dates, availability and price before you commit to anything.
What you will do
- Clay pot cooking and care, with a pot to take home or have mailed
- Ten meals, mostly five courses, served family-style
- Guided tasting of about 15 local wines
- Blind tasting of three extra virgin olive oils led by a sommelier
- Amaro bar tasting
- Instruction in 40+ dishes and at least six pasta shapes
- Field trip to a seaside town known for an ancient mosaic and a night tour of Lecce
Before you go
Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.
Who leads it
Silvestro Silvestori
Has taught Puglian food, wine and olive oil for about 22 years to students from dozens of countries. Holds sommelier credentials for wine (AIS) and extra virgin olive oil (FIS) and writes professionally about wine.
Day by day
- Monday-FridayTwo sessions a dayGroups meet under the column in Piazza Sant'Oronzo twice daily: a late-morning session (about 10:00-15:00) and an evening session (about 18:00 to 23:00 or later). Both centre on cooking, market visits, talks and a shared wine-paired meal.
Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.
What is included
Included
- 10 meals
- Wine tastings (about 15 local wines)
- Olive oil tasting
- Amaro bar access
- Instruction in 40+ dishes
- Seaside-town field trip and night tour of Lecce
- Clay pot to take home (or mailed)
- Recipes and online student content
Not included
- Accommodation (suggestions given after booking)
- Travel to Lecce
- Travel insurance
- Optional staff tips
Practical details
- Where you base
- Lecce (historic centre), with a day trip to a nearby seaside town
- Where you stay
- Not included. Accommodation suggestions, arrival and departure help are given through a student services area after booking.
- Pace
- Easy to moderate: about 4,000 steps a day; stools available for those who prefer to sit while making pasta.
- Arrival and departure
- Lecce; Monday 10:00 under the column in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Course finishes late Friday night.
- Who it suits
- Food-and-wine lovers who want a cosy off-season week focused on slow, clay-pot cooking.
Good to know
- Gluten-free pasta can be served but is not made in class; the course is not suitable for anyone who cannot handle wheat flour
- Vegetarian options available on request at booking
- Wine is poured only for the first glass; non-drinkers can simply decline
- Taught in English; no prior cooking experience needed
- Meet at the column in Piazza Sant'Oronzo, not at the school
- Reservations are by email; wait for confirmation before booking travel
- Offered mid-November to end of March; 2027 listed dates include Feb 22-26, Mar 8-12, Mar 15-19, Apr 5-9 (listings differ on exact dates, confirm with school)
Dates and prices
EUR 2,495 standard; EUR 2,295 for guests who qualify for the school's discount (mention having read the course page in first email). Lodging and flights extra. Non-participating spouse pricing is published for the classic week at half price.
More trips in Puglia
Trip details are compiled from the published information of The Awaiting Table Cookery School, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.
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