Stile Mediterraneo: Promoting the Mediterranean Cuisine and Lifestyle of Puglia and Southern Italy!

I always say if you're going to learn something you gotta get your hands dirty. The same principals that apply to changing spark plugs are just as valid when it comes to preparing your favorite Italian meal: you have to do it yourself!

Cinzia and Marika Rascazzo have been sharing their love of the Puglia Region's cuisine while at the same time enlightening visitors and travelers to all that is good about piatti tipici Pugliese!

Cinzia and Marika take the art of cooking to a whole new level. As the driving forces behind their very successful Stile Mediterraneo Cooking School, the two sisters have managed to combine many of their passions: entrepreneurship, cooking and teaching and above all - giving something back to the community and perhaps more importantly the region in which they live.

Since 2005, Stile Mediterrano has been catering to the Puglia region's many visitors. In Italian, "Stile Mediterraneo" translates to Mediterranean Lifestyle, which perfectly characterizes Cinzia and Marika's ultimate goal: to educate people on the health benefits of the Mediterranean cuisine and lifestyle of Puglia. Cinzia and Marika offer a very authentic and hands-on experience: over the span of a week, travelers can learn the traditional recipes of the Puglia region, which are handed down from generation to generation and which in fact Cinzia and Marika learned from their Grandmother.

Confides Cinzia, ".....Our cuisine is very simple but still very tasty. It is a home-made and peasant cuisine based on very fresh and seasonal ingredients. At our cooking school, we don't just teach recipes. We teach a method. We want people to experience first-hand, that "good food" can be very simple and also very healthy. Basically we want people to cook, eat, drink a glass of wine and enjoy life with their families and friends....the same way we do in Southern Italy!"

With a background that includes a Harvard education in Finance, General Management and Marketing, and about 15 years abroad, Cinzia is more than equipped for the many challenges of offering cooking courses, wine and olive oil tours. "...I reached a certain point where working and being successful was not enough. I wanted to make a change in the community I live. The cooking school gives me a chance to educate people not only on eating well but on eating healthy..."

As a practicing Cardiologist, Cinzia's sister Marika has the authority to speak about the benefits of the Mediterranean cuisine and lifestyle of Puglia. Comments Marika "....We teach not only how to choose the right ingredients, but also how to prepare dishes so that all health benefits and flavors are enhanced. However, it's not just about the food; it's also about the relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. Food in Puglia is a social thing: it's a way to bring people around the table. "

Cinzia and Marika's students get deep in to Southern Italy's cuisine. It's not just enough to have student's role up some pasta dough between their fingertips. Students learn all the secrets of the traditional Mediterranean cuisine of Puglia in a very interactive way. The two sisters keep their classes small by design with never more than 6 individuals per class, to give the most personal attention to each student. This sense of intimacy is what builds teamwork and friendships. "...Being 2 teachers, it would be easy to conduct a large scale class with 15 students in it, but then what's the point? Our classes are truly hands-on because we want our students to be able to replicate our recipes when they go back home. And cooking together is lots of fun. After a few hours it's really like cooking with old good friends.

The cooking classes usually take place in the afternoon. In the morning Cinzia takes her students to different tours: "One day I take them to the market, another day I take them to the wineries, another day I may take them the olive oil producers". As a wine sommelier and certified olive oil taster, Cinzia selects only the best products and producers.

The food preparation portion starts at 3:30 in the afternoon with dinner served at 8:00. After that, says Cinzia with a smile, "It ends when it ends. Our students taste some of the best Italian wines from Puglia. Everybody starts sharing his or her life experiences in front of a glass of good wine and good food. This is part of the Mediterranean lifestyle!"

Most of our students come as far away as Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand, not to mention many big cities in Europe. Thanks to networking platforms like Tripadvisor and Facebook, where previous students often leave reviews, the good word about Cinzia and Marika's cooking school is in constant circulation. This in addition to their blog where they constantly upload recipes, pictures, events and educate on the health benefits of the Mediterranean cuisine.

Adds Cinzia, "...it's rare that individuals just stumble on the class. When we get students they come specifically for our classes and tours! They are either returning to Italy on a second trip or decide to break away from touring in the North and they want to add a few days in the South. Our biggest satisfaction is that we have lots of students who have come back!"

Cinzia and Marika teach their classes in a historic family building in the small town of Squinzano (famous for the olive oils and wines and very close to the city of Lecce), giving students a taste (pardon the pun) of a way of life that is slowly disappearing. The historic palazzo with an underground frantoio (olive oil and wine presses) was passed down from her grandfather to her mother and is now regarded an historical landmark in the local area. "We restored it over a period of about 5 years and in such a way as to maximize available space for conducting our classes..."

Even if you're not planning on a trip to the Puglia region any time soon, you can still follow Cinzia and Marika on the internet at www.italycookingcourses.com