My Husband doesn't cook. What is there for him to do?
| Title: | My Husband doesn't cook. What is there for him to do? | |||||||
| Category: | Pre-Booking Questions | |||||||
| Author: | Michael Kovnick | Updated: | Jan 30, 2019 | Views: | 6,453 | |||
| Tags: | soriano cooking vacation italy no cooking alternative | |||||||
This is a very common question, and rest assured that we have NEVER had a non-cooking guest that was the least bit bored... not even once. Never has anyone said that they wished they could have been doing something else while others were cooking.
This is a very common question, and rest assured that we have NEVER had a non-cooking guest that was the least bit bored... not even once. Never has anyone said that they wished they could have been doing something else while others were cooking.
There are several reasons that even non-cooking guests have an amazing time:
When we are cooking, there is quite a bit going on. Our cooking classes are not boring "academic" instructional classes. They are more like a big group of friends getting together in a breathtaking villa in the Italian countryside. They are a party with a group of friends. At any given time, some people are in the kitchen cooking, some are outside taking in the view, some may be taking a walk, we are drinking wine, chatting, laughing, singing, music is playing, etc. Someone may be out picking vegetables, getting olive oil from the cellar, etc. Basically, it is all set up in a way that each class is just an extremely fun and relaxing morning or afternoon, whether you are cooking or not. The time at the villa is always a highlight, even for those that are not cooking.
People that don't cook almost always find that it is not at all what they expected. This is not like cooking at home, and as mentioned above, it is not like cooking classes you may have seen on television. 90%+ of the people that come to the classes kicking and screaming wind up rolling up their sleeves and getting into it with the rest of us once they see what it is like. For this very reason, we don't "open up space" for more guests when someone says they won't be cooking, as they almost always change their mind.
Every time we have had a guest that didn't plan to cook, and made other plans, they have come to regret it or changed their other plans. Our groups bond quickly, and when someone thinks that they will want to be elsewhere, they very quickly realize that they don't. And once they have been at the villa, they can't wait to go back for the next class.. even if they don't cook. This is difficult to explain in words. It is a feeling that is at the core of what we are about and just needs to be experienced.
Non-Cooks are always identified and engaged right away. We quickly see who is going to cook less than the others. When we do, we assign other "duties". Perhaps you will be named as our "Sommelier" for the week. You will be given custody of a corkscrew and command of our wine cellar! Or perhaps you will be this week's "Barista", and we will teach you how to prepare the perfect Cappuccino and Espresso on our professional espresso machine. If you are not cooking, you will be doing something, and you will have the time of your life doing it.
Finally, keep in mind the amount of time we are cooking. Some people picture cooking classes happening all the time. It just doesn't work that way. Even the most dedicated cooks find too much cooking to be overwhelming. We are all about balance. We do four cooking classes in a week. Two of them are full four and five-course meals that last 4 hours each. But we have 8 more hours of excursions and eating those days! The third class is Limoncello, Biscotti, Gelato, etc. It is a class with lots of up and downtime and always happens right after an excursion and a visit to a winery and olive mill. For those that don't cook, it is very welcome downtime. Friday is Pizza night, and we don't care who you are... this is a night EVERYONE participates in. It is just too much fun. Aside from those times, we are on excursions, having incredible experiences, etc.
When we are cooking, there is quite a bit going on. Our cooking classes are not boring "academic" instructional classes. They are more like a big group of friends getting together in a breathtaking villa in the Italian countryside. They are a party with a group of friends. At any given time, some people are in the kitchen cooking, some are outside taking in the view, some may be taking a walk, we are drinking wine, chatting, laughing, singing, music is playing, etc. Someone may be out picking vegetables, getting olive oil from the cellar, etc. Basically, it is all set up in a way that each class is just an extremely fun and relaxing morning or afternoon, whether you are cooking or not. The time at the villa is always a highlight, even for those that are not cooking.
People that don't cook almost always find that it is not at all what they expected. This is not like cooking at home, and as mentioned above, it is not like cooking classes you may have seen on television. 90%+ of the people that come to the classes kicking and screaming wind up rolling up their sleeves and getting into it with the rest of us once they see what it is like. For this very reason, we don't "open up space" for more guests when someone says they won't be cooking, as they almost always change their mind.
Every time we have had a guest that didn't plan to cook, and made other plans, they have come to regret it or changed their other plans. Our groups bond quickly, and when someone thinks that they will want to be elsewhere, they very quickly realize that they don't. And once they have been at the villa, they can't wait to go back for the next class.. even if they don't cook. This is difficult to explain in words. It is a feeling that is at the core of what we are about and just needs to be experienced.
Non-Cooks are always identified and engaged right away. We quickly see who is going to cook less than the others. When we do, we assign other "duties". Perhaps you will be named as our "Sommelier" for the week. You will be given custody of a corkscrew and command of our wine cellar! Or perhaps you will be this week's "Barista", and we will teach you how to prepare the perfect Cappuccino and Espresso on our professional espresso machine. If you are not cooking, you will be doing something, and you will have the time of your life doing it.
Finally, keep in mind the amount of time we are cooking. Some people picture cooking classes happening all the time. It just doesn't work that way. Even the most dedicated cooks find too much cooking to be overwhelming. We are all about balance. We do four cooking classes in a week. Two of them are full four and five-course meals that last 4 hours each. But we have 8 more hours of excursions and eating those days! The third class is Limoncello, Biscotti, Gelato, etc. It is a class with lots of up and downtime and always happens right after an excursion and a visit to a winery and olive mill. For those that don't cook, it is very welcome downtime. Friday is Pizza night, and we don't care who you are... this is a night EVERYONE participates in. It is just too much fun. Aside from those times, we are on excursions, having incredible experiences, etc.