Who wouldn’t want to learn authentic Italian cooking with an authentic Italian chef?! Last night I ventured over to Dublin Farm’s Ristorante da Maria for a cooking class led by Maria herself. The Dublin Farm, for those who are not familiar, is a charming bed-and-breakfast located on a serene 30-acre farm in rural Georgia. One of the highlights of this countryside getaway is the Ristorante da Maria, which offers freshly-prepared authentic Italian cuisine. Occasionally they offer entertaining and informative cooking classes taught by Maria in her cozy kitchen. When I arrived a group of eight people were relaxing in the comfy living room. The groups are usually around ten people and I was told they fill up quick! After the last of the group arrived, we settled into the kitchen as Maria handed out the menu for the night accompanied by the recipes. Bring a pen because she offers a lot of tips and secrets you can jot down next to the recipes. Our menu for the night included:

• Minestrone (mixed vegetable soup) with pesto
• Salmon fillet, garlic and cranberries crusted
• Parsley butter potatoes
• Parmesan brussels sprouts
• Crème Brulee

I certainly was very excited by this menu selection and thrilled to have the recipes to practice on future dinner guests. Each classes menu will vary depending on how many attendees have participated before, so rest assured you will be learning something new each time you come! Maria is an excellent instructor. We had many opportunities to try out the techniques she was teaching or we could sit back and watch the expert. The trickiest part was deciding when the crème brulee was done and thankfully Maria’s eye judged the best—wouldn’t want undercooked crème brulee now would we?! I am really looking forward to repeating this dessert but I was a little hesitant because I don’t own a blow torch. Are you in the same boat as me? Well here is a trick Maria taught us: To caramelize the brown sugar on top, stick the tray of crème brulees in the oven on broil for about one or two minutes. “It happens so fast!” Maria says in her wonderful Italian accent. Pop them out of the oven, decorate with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries, chocolate, or your choice, and enjoy! After making this delicious meal we all went into the restaurant and enjoyed what we had just prepared. Not only was the food amazing, but the company as well. It was an experience I am so glad I was able to be a part of. If you are interested in this cooking class with Maria, check out their website where they post the next class dates. It looks like their March 9th class is the next available class that has some spaces still, so don’t hesitate to reserve your spot now! You can call 478-275-8766 or e-mail: maria@dublinfarm.com. Make sure you visit them on Facebook and Twitter too!