I am returning to the glorious Glenmore House for An Italian Garden Lunch with Mickey Robertson! What a day it will be! Please read on for Mickey’s description of this special day!
As the lemons dangle temptingly on the tree just outside the kitchen window, and our fingers and toes endure the mid-winter chill, I’ve been daydreaming. As a result I am so very excited to invite you to a celebratory ITALIAN GARDEN LUNCH with ANGELA PALERMO on SATURDAY 23 AUGUST! It’s been several years since our last glorious Italian cooking workshop and feast with Ange which is far too long; and so…with the kitchen garden likely at peak productivity (think wigwams dripping with peas and burgeoning rows of plump things!) and with our hearts and tastebuds leaping and longing for spring, we though it time!
This one will be a little different to the last cooking workshops; and whilst we will get our hands on ingredients enough to require everyone to bring an apron for some collaborative pasta rolling and cooking around the big table in the Dairy (and Ange will answer your every ingredient and making and baking question), we thought to take this opportunity to simply give you a wonderful day out – filled with food and joy, and to celebrate the season as it morphs from deepest winter into spring.
Our feast will be a movable one – beginning in the kitchen garden, where we will wander and taste-test together, as Ange serves morsels of delight…our primo, from a table set under the apple tunnel. Then…we’ll all come inside for pasta rolling and your contribution towards our secondo, which we’ll enjoy along with our contorno and insalata at the long table in the loggia. Hmmm…and then to accompany our dolce and caffè? We have a little surprise…to get your feet tapping, your fingers clicking and perhaps even your hips swaying! Certainly a surprise to put a wide smile on all our contented faces…
And to add to add to the celebratory atmosphere, the food on our table will be held by colourful, handcrafted, artisanal ceramics from the L0 Scoglio Stromboli collection of heritage bowls(and perhaps the instigator of the range will join us – she does love an opportunity to roll pasta!).
It would have happened earlier, if it won’t for covid, but here we are now and very excited to have you join us! We will cook & bake Italian style together, with a glass of vino by our side at the wonderful home of vintage collector, artist & airbnb owner, Georgie Stuart in Edith, Blue Mountains.
Being early September, there will be a crossover of late winter and early spring produce. Georgie tells me she should have rhubarb, cavolo nero, Jerusalem Artichoke, radish, and wild spring leaves in her patch, whilst mine will include beetroot, peas, silverbeet, fennel and possibly broad beans (I planted these guys late this year, so maybe not!). Between us both, plus the help of farmers market, we will have a bountiful selection to create a feast! I can’t wait! We will endeavour to eat on a long table outside, weather permitting of course, however there is a plan B – a lovely table indoors by the fire! Perfetto!
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
Join me for a special 3 course Italian Spring Lunch in the beautiful home of Nonnie Aldridge (Interior Stylist) in Leura, Blue Mountains NSW.
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Nonnie is an Interior Stylist based in the Blue Mountains of NSW and her stunning home has been featured in Lifestyle magazine ‘Country Style’! We are so lucky that Nonnie is opening up her home and kitchen for us to cook and bake Italian style together!
Join this fun day around Nonnie’s very large wooden kitchen bench where we will create together a scrumptious Italian feast! We will have all of the glorious Spring bounty to play with (which I will source from my kitchen garden in Sydney and sustainable farmer’s markets) and be sure that you will leave this day with an Italian filled belly, wonderful Italian recipes, lovely new connections and joyous food memories!
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This will be a hands-on workshop with a few demonstrations.
THE VILLAGE COOKS GIFT VOUCHERS are not redeemable for this workshop!
This is a Seasonal Spring Italian Lunch cooking class! Join me as we create a 3-course authentic Italian lunch menu using spring produce. We have such a bounty to choose from; asparagus, broad beans, spring onions, peaches, nectarines, fennel, peas, mint, wild herbs, beetroot, spinach, artichokes, stone fruits and on and on the list goes. Spring is a favourite season of mine to cook and bake with and I am looking forward to sharing this with you!
There will be home-style cooking and baking involved, with lots of chatting, laughing and learning along the way. We will then sit outside (alfresco style) together to enjoy the fruits of our labour sampling authentic Italian fare with a glass (or two) of vino.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
This is a Seasonal Spring Italian Lunch cooking class! Join me as we create a 3-course authentic Italian lunch menu using spring produce. We have such a bounty to choose from; asparagus, broad beans, spring onions, peaches, nectarines, fennel, peas, mint, wild herbs, beetroot, spinach, artichokes, stone fruits and on and on the list goes. Spring is a favourite season of mine to cook and bake with and I am looking forward to sharing this with you!
There will be home-style cooking and baking involved, with lots of chatting, laughing and learning along the way. We will then sit outside (alfresco style) together to enjoy the fruits of our labour sampling authentic Italian fare with a glass (or two) of vino.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
This is a Summer Italian Lunch cooking class! Join me as we create a 3-course authentic Italian lunch menu using summer produce. We have such a bounty to choose from; peaches, nectarines, berries, tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers, zucchini, cherries, mangoes, stone fruits (including my favourite apricots) and on and on the list goes. Summer is a favourite season of mine to cook and bake with and I am looking forward to sharing this with you!
There will be home-style cooking and baking involved, with lots of chatting, laughing and learning along the way. We will then sit outside (alfresco style) together to enjoy the fruits of our labour sampling authentic Italian fare with a glass (or two) of vino.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
This time, I will be cooking & baking a Winter Italian Long Lunch with hostesses Fiona, Jay Jay & Tara of Simpsons Cottage.
There will be an Art Exhibition with two incredible artists from Melbourne. These artists, Jessie Feitosa and Parita Thakkar, will have pieces on display and for sale.
Explore this glorious home and wonderful pieces of art while sipping cocktails, then come help me make a comforting Winter Italian pasta dish!
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BOOKINGS – Only a few tickets left! Please click here to book you spot. Please contact Fiona Ward for further details.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: The Village Cooks Gift Vouchers are not redeemable for this event.
Please note: you must be fully vaccinated to attend this class!
In this class you will learn the art of making Choux pastry in order to bake wonderful pastries such as Porfiteroles and Eclairs. In addition, you will learn how to prepare authentic Italian fillings to create the most delectable pastries and desserts that will impress family and guests.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
Please join me as I stand with our Ukraine brothers and sisters, to cook for them, their country, they’re freedom! The senseless war by Russia on Ukraine has left many Ukrainians homeless – mothers with their young children fleeing Ukraine to find safety in boarding countries. These children’s fathers left behind to fight for their country, their home! I can’t even imagine the trauma these people are facing on a daily basis is irrefutable!
Therefore, I will hold a ‘Cook for Ukraine’fundraising workshop at The Village Cooks to raise much needed funds for Unicef Australia who is providing life saving supplies to the children and mothers displaced in Ukraine!
100% of each ticket sold will be donated to Unicef Australia. Price per ticket is $200.
We will cook and bake a 3 course Ukrainian lunch – recipes I will pick from Olia Hercules’s (Ukrainian born, residing in London food writer, chef, author) cookbooks – Mamushka, Kaukasis and Summer Kitchens.
You will learn to bake three popular Italian dolci; Tiramisu, Cannoli & Panforte.
Tiramisu – you will learn how to make this classic Italian treat from scratch! We will bake our own savoiardi biscotti, and make mascarpone, along with Italian meringue.
Cannoli – Sicilian Cannoli are such a wonderful treat! You will learn how to make the cannoli shell and fill with flavoursome fresh homemade bufala ricotta.
Panforte – a traditional Christmas sweet from Siena containing dried fruit & nuts.
This cooking class is mostly hands-on, with some demonstration.
Angela Palermo, founder & teacher of The Village Cooks, trained as a pastry chef and has worked for the likes of Rachel Grisewood, Sam Marineve, Lorraine Godsmark, and Andy Bunn. Her cooking and baking is heavily influenced by her Italian heritage and growing up in a family that grew its own food and created dishes from their own produce. Angela shares her love of simple, home-style cooking & baking with students at her cooking school, The Village Cooks, Sydney.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
You will learn to bake three popular Italian dolci; Tiramisu, Cannoli & Struffoli.
Tiramisu – you will learn how to make this classic Italian treat from scratch! We will bake our own savoiardi biscotti, and make mascarpone, along with Italian meringue.
Cannoli – Sicilian Cannoli are such a wonderful treat! You will learn how to make the cannoli shell and fill with flavoursome fresh homemade bufala ricotta.
Struffoli – A Neapolitan sweet dough treat! Deep fried small dough balls are formed into a wreath secured with honey and coloured with sprinkles. It’s the perfect Christmas wreath!!!
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
I’m so excited to announce that I will be hosting a Melbourne Food Tour this coming October 2025! I have been dreaming of this Food Tour to Melbourne for many years, (I actually had one ready in early 2020, but COVID had other plans!). Well I’m back baby and have a great three days planned! It will be a cosy intimate group of 6 plus me! I will be your host, your guide, your cookery instructor (well for one class together), and your all-round good person! Ha! Melbourne is the next best thing to Italy in Australia for me and I’m so excited to share it with you!!
Let me share just a few things to expect on this Food Tour in Melbourne:
• Accommodation is booked in a brilliant designed home with desirable kitchen around the corner from South Melbourne Markets (see pics)! There are two room package options available- 2x one person private rooms and 2x shared rooms so gather your partner and/or friends. More details on these options and pricing to come.
• I will conduct a MARKET-TO-TABLE cooking class from our wonderful kitchen on our first day. We will walk just around the corner to South Melbourne Markets to purchase our produce then return to cook & bake together for our first evening dinner!
• I have another class planned for Day 2! This time with Paola Bacchia from @italyonmymind. We will make our way to Paola’s home for an afternoon baking of Apple Strudel! Oh what joy this will be!
I have lots more planned so if you would like to receive the full 3 day Itinerary plus accommodation details as well as package prices, please email me here at angela@thevillagecooks.com.au.
I look forward to sharing my Little Italy (Melbourne) with you!!!!
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: The Village Cooks Gift Vouchers are not redeemable for this event.
Preserving fruit & vegetables (and other ingredients) is an ancient art form, born out of necessity (not trend). When refrigeration and a good steady income were few and far between, preserving homegrown produce was essential. It also allowed for out-of-season ingredients to be enjoyed yearly! My Southern Italian parents knew this all too well and carried on with preserving traditions when they migrated to Australia from Calabria, Italy in the early 1960’s. Whilst I didn’t appreciate this process as a child, I absolutely value it now! Today, not wasting produce is imperative for reducing costs and waste in landfill – so imperative for our future!
Join me for a great day of preserving like an Italian. I will share the basics of preserving and various ways one can do so! There is preserving under oil, brine and salt; pickling; jamming; drying; syruping, and much more! There is much information to cover and I will summarise it all in an easy format which will see you preserving like an Italian every season!
This is a hands-on cooking class with some demonstration.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
Minimum 6 people & maximum is 8 people for a private cooking class.
Cost $200 per person
Cooking class will include a 3 course Italian inspired lunch using seasonal produce and homemade ingredients such as pasta, ricotta, etc. Cooking class menu can be tailored to suit the needs/wants of attendees.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
Minimum 6 people & maximum is 8 people for a private cooking class.
Cost $200 per person
Cooking class will include a 3 course Italian inspired lunch using seasonal produce and homemade ingredients such as pasta, ricotta, etc. Cooking class menu can be tailored to suit the needs/wants of attendees.
TO BOOK USING GIFT VOUCHER: Please email angela@thevillagecooks.com.au with your contact details and voucher number. Angela will reply with booking confirmation or if extra payment is required.
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