Sneak A Little Taste Of A Flavours Cooking Course

 From the very title page, ‘A Little Taste of Sicily’ overflows with abundance and also demonstrates succinctly just how inspirational a Flavours Cooking Course can be.

Clive and Angela Jones pitched up in Sicily and were immediately transported by the beautiful dry stone villa which greeted them as they arrived to spend a week cooking.

Having been painstakingly and lovingly renovated, Vila Aragonese, which had lain empty for fifty years, suddenly breathed life, purpose and passion once again and that is evident in its impact on these two enthusiasts.

The book they have produced is filled with creativity and shows just what can be unearthed when we take ourselves out of our habitual perspective and look through a different lens.

As an aside, if you want to see what a Flavours course is all about, then grab a copy of this book and see just what is awaiting you.

A LittleTaste of Sicily is a delightful mix of artistic shots of the landscape, the villa and passionate cooks going about their business of recreating authentic Italian dishes. It also offers some of the recipes from the course and these are attractively illustrated by the colour photographs. I really loved the fact I could see pictures of people preparing the foostuffed beef and there is something very heartening about cooking alongside others, even if it is in a kitchen in North London rather than a fantastic rustic Sicilian building bathed in bright sunshine.d as I was also making the dishes in my own kitchen. I certainly recommend the 

Not content with showing the course alone, Clive and Angela set themselves the challenge of really communicating a sense of place. Their photos take us on a journey through Mazamemi which is famous for its tuna fishing and gives us many atmospheric shots of local architecture and small details like door knockers, wizened olive trees, wrought iron grilles and the local places of worship such as those in Siracusa. Pertinent details also enhance this volume so it’s not just a coffee table piece.

Having stared wistfully at this beautiful book it did remind me of my own sojourn last summer and I loved the photographic essay on local produce which is such a mainstay of Italian cuisine. As a writer I am addicted to words but I have to admit in this instance a picture really is worth a thousand. Anyone who has taken part in a Flavours holiday, whatever location you chose, will understand the creativity and camaraderie which is such an integral part of each week.

If you are worried about travelling as a single person or perhaps whether or not you would enjoy cooking for a week, I think this book certainly allays just about any fear and says more about the Flavours ethos than any advertising or copywriting could ever do.

Flick through the book and see the wide variety of people, characters, skills, places and atmosphere which make up such a cookery course. As Lorne always says, ‘Cooking is just the half of it!’ and I think Clive and Angela would probably agree wholeheartedly.

To see what is on offer this year please click here and imagine what you might create on a painting or cooking holiday in Italy, after from this it is obvious you cannot fail to be inspired.