The half-day classes accommodate groups of up to eight and are hosted by Executive Chef Sergio Mei, Executive Sous Chef Sebastiano Spriveri or Restaurant Chef Silvano Prada. Classes can be arranged any day of the week and tailored to suit both novice and experienced cooks.

Acting in response to requests from Hotel guests, General Manager Vincenzo Finizzola explains: “Following our popular food and wine pairing events, so many people expressed an interest in learning how to cook the dishes that we set about adapting our kitchen to be able to accommodate their wishes.”

Menu discussions start over coffee at 8.45 am in the Hotel’s kitchen. Each menu is devised on the day and is dependent on the seasonal produce available and the preferences of the individual participant or group. Example dishes include “roasted sea bass with thyme, artichoke hearts, spinach and dried Pachino cherry tomatoes” and “rhubarb, goat ricotta and wild mint soufflé with passion fruit and Piedmont hazelnut ice cream.”

Participants will learn how to compile a balanced menu, select the best produce and preserve it during the preparation process, as well as traditional Italian cooking techniques and recommendations for wine pairings.

The session ends with a special chef’s table, during which participants can enjoy the four-course lunch they have prepared alongside the chefs themselves within the Hotel kitchen. Upon completion of the class, guests will receive a certificate of participation, plus copies of any recipes they would like to take away with them.

“Preserving traditional Italian techniques and cuisine is central to our philosophy here in the Hotel,” explains Executive Chef Sergio Mei. “The opportunity to share our skills directly with guests is an exciting step forward for the whole team.”

Classes are priced at an all-inclusive EUR 90.00 per person, per class, and can be booked through the Hotel’s Il Teatro restaurant. Guests participating in six classes receive a dinner for two, complete with wine pairing, at Il Teatro, which underwent a soft refurbishment in January 2009.

Also, Hotel guests can participate in two additional in-kitchen experiences at Four Seasons Hotel Milano, both launched in late 2008: the evening Chef’s Table, for groups of up to eight (priced at EUR 200.00 per person with Executive Chef Sergio Mei as a host, or EUR 150.00 without; beverages not included), and the Aperitivo Experience, an informal pre-dinner event for groups of up to 12 that sees guests mingling with the chefs while sampling and finding out about local products and ingredients (EUR 16.00 per person; beverages not included).

View special value room packages at Four Seasons Hotel Milano