Come cook with me in Southern Italy
I'm co-teaching a cooking class: The Jewish Cooking of Southern Italy. We'll be at The Awaiting Table Cooking School with Silvestro Silvestori in Lecce, Italy. Each day we'll cook Jewish dishes from a different southern Italian region including Lazio (Rome), Puglia, Sicily, Calabria, and Campania (Naples).
During our time together, we'll shop for ingredients like locals, learn about olive oil and wine, spend time by the sea, and field trip to Jewish museums and nearby ancient towns.
So come walk in the footsteps of Jews who have lived in southern Italy in the past and learn about the current Jewish communities.
I'd love for you to join us,
Dana Shrager
Book by emailing Silvestro Silvestori of The Awaiting Table Cooking School.
Dates and Cost
DATES: Sunday, August 31 - Friday, September 5, 2025
DURATION: 5 days and 6 nights
PRICE PER PERSON: 2795 euros
Future Dates
If you can't make the 2025 date, stay informed about future dates by subscribing to my monthly newsletter. You'll get monthly recipes and be among the first to know about new dates.
If you're super interested in joining this experience in 2026, send me an email with your preferred dates because I will be arranging the next date with participant input.
Jump to:
Highlights
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant with a walk around town.
- 5 days at the Awaiting Table Cooking School featuring southern Italian Jewish cooking.
- Learn about the history of the Jews in southern Italy and about the current Jewish communities.
- Shop like a local at the Lecce produce market, butcher, and fish monger.
- Olive oil and wine tastings.
- Field trip to Lecce's former Jewish quarter and museum with a Medieval mikvah (ritual bath).
- Displaced persons museum (post-World War II) and seaside lunch.
- Kosher-style and vegetarian meals available.
- Maximum 10 students: 16 years and older.
What's Included and What's Not
The class includes:
- 5 days at the Awaiting Table Cooking School including cooking classes, field trips with transportation, wine and olive oil tastings.
- 5 lunches and 6 dinners. Wine included with all dinners.
- Museum entrance fees.
What's not included:
- International airfare and transfers to and from Lecce, Italy.
- Accommodation in Lecce (Email Silvestro if you'd like recommendations for anything between a budget-friendly B&B to a 5-star hotel. Most include breakfast.) This allows you to book the accommodation that works best for you.
- Passport and visa fees.
- Travel insurance (highly recommended).
Details
Why come to Puglia, Italy?
Puglia is a region in southern Italy in the "heel of the boot." This area is off the beaten path and not touristy. It's where the Italians vacation because of its unspoiled beauty, breathtaking beaches, and white-colored hilltop towns.
It's easy to fall in love with Lecce, Italy:
The cooking school is located in Lecce, Italy, which is know as the "Florence of the South." It's a small walled city filled with ornately carved limestone Baroque buildings, palazzos, over 22 churches, a Roman amphitheater, a former Jewish quarter, and a university. It's a step back in time to wander the narrow, meandering streets. It's a safe city to explore with everything within walking distance. It has a lively atmosphere in the evenings.
About the cooking school:
Silvestro Silvestori has run The Awaiting Table Cooking School for the past 22 years and has hosted students from 59 different countries. Silvestro is a sommelier of both wine and olive oil. He's a walking encyclopedia of everything Puglia, especially the cooking. It will be a fun and memorable five days.
What are the classes like?
Silvestro's style of cooking is very Italian and homestyle, so it's relaxed. There's no previous cooking experience necessary. He teaches techniques and how to cook without recipes. You are free to participate as much or as little as you'd like. Just hanging out in the kitchen to chat and drink wine is definitely an option.
Dana Shrager of Dana's Table will be co-teaching and will share Jewish Italian recipes that she learned from home cooks while researching in southern Italy.
About Jewish Italian cuisine:
Each day we'll focus on a different southern region of Italy and the Jewish food from there. We'll learn how Italian food varies by region and how the Jews brought many ingredients to Italy that are now integral to the cuisine. The Jewish food also has adaptations to fit kosher rules and holiday celebrations.
I also want to tell you that the meals around Silvestro's dining room table are a lively party filled with excellent food, wine tastings, and interesting conversation well into the night. I can't wait to sit around the table with you there.
Field trips:
One field trip we'll take is to Santa Maria al Bagno, a resort town on the Ionian Sea. We're going there to visit the displaced persons camp museum. It tells the story of the Jewish refugees who survived the Holocaust and were given shelter in Italy in the Puglia region after World War II until they were able to relocate (primarily to Israel).
Then we'll have an opportunity to walk around and enjoy a seaside meal overlooking the turquoise colored sea.
A note about the time before and after the class
(not included in price of this class)
Before: Try to arrive in Italy one to two days before the class starts to get over jetlag and to be fully ready to enjoy the experience. Also, planning to arrive early will give you a buffer against unexpected airline delays.
After: If you have the time, take advantage of being in the Puglia region and explore more of the seaside and hilltop towns. Silvestro has a section on his website for registered students with suggestions. If possible, explore the region in September after the class is over as it will be less crowded than in August.
The itinerary is subject to change if necessary due to events outside our control.
Cancellation Policy and FAQ's
See Silvestro's website for information.
Got Questions? Ready to Book?
Email Silvestro Silvestori of The Awaiting Table to book or ask questions: