Tuscan Olive Oil Tasting & 4-Course Dinner | Thurs Feb 8

About this experience

Every January we get our first shipment of the new olive oil from Gaia's farm in San Miniato, Tuscany. When you try extra virgin olive oil that new, you really get a sense of what "fresh pressed" really tastes like. So as you might imagine, we're always excited when the shipment finally arrives!

To celebrate, we typically host some kind of tasting event here at Cucinato. This year, we've decided to do it as a 4-course sit-down dinner event, featuring typical Tuscan dishes that really highlight the freshness of the new olive oil. 

THE AGENDA  

During the first part of the tonight's event, Gaia will lead a brief olive oil tasting, where you'll sample the new olive oil and several others for comparison. Things she'll discuss include: 

• How olive oil is made on Gaia's farm, and elsewhere in Italy  
• The taste profile of extra virgin olive oil
• How taste differs between olive oil varietals, and changes over time
• Health benefits and storage advice
• What to look for when tasting and purchasing olive oil 

After the tasting ... it's time to eat! Over the next few hours you'll enjoy a 4-course meal, featuring traditional Tuscan specialties like salvia fritta and coniglio all'aretina. At the beginning of each course, Gaia will introduce the dishes, explaining how they're made and giving you a sense of their cultural context. 

MENU 

Antipasti 
Salvia fritta - Fried sage 
Crostini di fegatini - Tuscan chicken liver pate served on homemade crostini 

Primo 
Pici all'aglione - Rustic homemade "spaghetti" with tomato and garlic

Secondo e contorni 
Coniglio all'aretina - Arezzo style roasted rabbit with herbs and gravy  
Bietola saltata - Sauteed Swiss Chard with garlic 
Patate alla ghiotta - Tuscan style roasted potatoes 

Dolce 
Brutti ma Buoni - Chewy, nutty confections affectionally known as “Ugly but Good” 
Panforte - Senese fruitcake made with figs, nuts, cocoa, honey, candied fruit and spices

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