Regional Italian Cookery
The secret to understanding "Italian food" lies in appreciating the differences among the country's twenty regions. Geography, weather, and cultural customs are just some of the factors that dictate each region's distinctive food traditions. Rather than a singular cuisine, Italian cookery can more aptly be thought of as a mosaic. In these demonstration cooking classes, we explore the traditional culinary specialties of four regions of Italy: the pescatarian and vegetarian cookery of Liguria in the northwest, the lusty cuisine and specialty pastas of central Italy's Lazio region, the satisfying cucina povera (or peasant food) of Puglia in the southeast, and the vibrant island cuisine of Sicily, Italy's largest region. Recipes are provided.
Faculty Bio
Award-winning culinary instructor and granddaughter of an Italian cheesemaker, Linda Carucci has enjoyed teaching both home cooks and professional culinary students for 30+ years. Former California Culinary Academy dean and Julia Child Curator of Food at COPIA, her cookbook "Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks" was a James Beard Award finalist.
This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course
- Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
- Classes will also be video recorded
- You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program
Schedule Highlights
- Course starts on Wednesday, June 5, and ends on Wednesday, June 26
- Classes meet for four weeks, two hours per session (9:30–11:30 AM)
- There is no class on Wednesday, June 19 — a makeup class will take place on Friday, June 21
- Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
- All course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through Aug. 31
Faculty Q&A
- Read an interview with Linda Carucci from our archive.