Tastes of Sardinia | Fri May 22

About this experience

ABOUT SARDINIA 

Famous for the white sandy beaches, pristine waters and dramatic cliffs of its coastline, and its rugged, mountainous interior dotted with thousands of prehistoric Nuragic temples, the autonomous region of Sardinia is distinct amongst Italy's 20 regions. It's the second largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily), the centre point between France, Spain, Algiers, Tunisia and mainland Italy, and a mere 11 km south of the French island of Corsica. 

Aside from its geography and ancient, varied history, the island is also renowned for its "blue zone" status: in other words, Sardinians have one of the longest average lifespans in the world. They point to the slower pace of life, their naturally active lifestyle, and close family bonds as some of the reasons for this. And of course, their diet: consisting primarily of simple, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, the kind of delicious traditional dishes we'll be praparing this evening! 

ABOUT TONIGHT'S CLASS 

Sardinia has Italy's largest population of sheep, so it's only fitting that we enjoy a light antipasto with Sardinian pecorino (sheep's milk cheese) and salumi before we start tonight's class. Accompanied of course by pane carasau - a traditional flatbread similar to pita, affectionately known as carta da musica (music paper) because of its thinness and crisp texture. 

Then it's time to get cooking! For the first course we'll make a kind of stuffed and "woven" homemade semolina pasta found only in Sardinia. They are called culurgiones in Sardinian dialect and are stuffed with potato, aged cheese and mint, and served with a fresh, simple tomato and basil sauce to pair with it.  

For our main dish tonight, we'll be making the iconic porceddu sardo, Sardian style whole roasted suckling pig. Crunchy on the ouside and tender inside, this dish is traditionally carved and served on platter. Tonight it will be accompanied by lemon-infused mashed potatoes and sweet and sour (scabecciu) fried eggplant. 

And for dessert, another dish you'll only find in Sardinia: pardulas - crisp, star-shaped little tarts stuffed with sweeted fresh cheese or ricotta, and flavoured with citrus and saffron (two of the island's primary crops). 

When we're finished preparing the meal, you'll be seated at a long harvest table with fellow guests to enjoy the delicious Sardinian feast we've prepared together! 

 

MENU 

Antipasto 
Pane carasau con formaggi e salumi - Ultra-fine, crunchy, homemade Sardinian carasau flatbread, served with typical meats and cheeses 

Primo 
Culurgiones dell'Ogliastra - Traditional homemade semolina pasta from eastern part of the island, stuffed with potato, pecorino and mint, served in a simple tomato and basil sauce  

Secondo e contorni 

Porceddu Sardo - Traditional Sardian style whole roasted suckling pig 

Patate al limone - Grilled octopus with lemon-infused mashed potatoes  

Melanzane a Scabecciu - Sweet and sour eggplant  

Pardulas - Crisp, star-shaped mini tarts stuffed with safron-orange ricotta 

 

BEVERAGES 

A selection of wines, beers and soft drinks will be available for purchase at the event. Our wine list can be viewed here: https://cucinato.ca/collections/wines

We also offer corkage, the fee is $15 per bottle. 

 

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

• No refunds after purchase
• Exchanges (one per ticket) permitted up to 5 days prior to the event.
• Tickets to Cucinato events are transferable - you can give them to someone else if you can’t attend (but please notify Cucinato in advance!)
• We will do our best to accommodate dietary needs – please contact us before booking