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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 4, 2006 Edie Ferrario cooks up pasta puttanesca during classes in her Central Point home. (Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta) As good as it gets Home-style cooking classes offer more than just a taste of classic Italian fare By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Because Edie Ferrario can't take her culinary students to Italy, she aims to bring Italy to them. Set in her "Cucina Dolce," a Mediterranean-style home in rural Central Point, Ferrario's new cooking school features Italian regional cuisine through the end of this year. Lessons aren't confined to cookery techniques, but also give guests a taste of Italian hospitality. "If you were to go to Italy and eat in someone's kitchen ... this is the type of food they would be serving you," said Ferrario, 65. Ferrario's own kitchen was designed around a plan to offer cooking classes in "basic, home-style cooking." Ruddy granite countertops evoke Tuscany's clay soil while knotty alder cabinets add old-world charm. Yet modern, state-of-the-art appliances — including a six-burner Jenn-Air gas range and commercial-grade ColdTech cooling and freezing system — indicate these are the surroundings of a serious cook. The ample center island and curved breakfast bar recently hosted seven students, including Central Point resident Sue McMurray. Advertisement "She gives me new ideas ... I do a lot of Italian cooking anyhow ... It kind of gets me going," said the 62-year-old. McMurray signed on for all of Ferrario's regional courses, which started in September with the southernmost Italian regions and are due to finish up with Ferrario's mother's native Lombardia in December. "They make you feel so welcome," McMurray said of Ferrario and her husband, John, 69. "It's like a family." A one-hour demonstration of antipasti, Pasta Puttanesca, a pear and mascarpone salad and Cannolli Cake left ample time for conversation while the couple's own "Terra Dolce" cabernet flowed. Ferrario's enthusiasm was as palpable as the aroma of anchovies she urged students to enjoy. "This is Italian ambrosia," she bragged. "This is as good as it gets." True to her credo that preparing an authentic Italian meal doesn't have to consume an entire evening, Ferrario used a packaged cake mix, which, she said, produces the same results as homemade batter. Her instruction was sprinkled with familiar chef's tips like reserving a bit of the pasta water and adding it to the sauce. Yet the self-taught cook had a few tricks up her sleeve. Penny pinchers can make their own mascarpone cheese, she said, by cutting plain cream cheese with sour cream and heavy cream. This faux version actually has more zing and is friendlier to her palate, Ferrario admitted. Rather than buying expensive walnut oil, brown some chopped walnuts in a little extra-virgin olive oil, strain out the nuts and reserve the oil for salad dressing, she said. With luck, an olive grove recently planted on the Ferrarios' Old Military Road property will, in a few years, yield their own olive oil. In addition to bottling wine, these do-it-yourself foodies also butcher their own elk, concoct their own pork sausage and dry their own garden tomatoes. His wife always wanted her own restaurant with six or eight tables and a set menu, John Ferrario said as guests finished their salads. But he discouraged her, claiming she'd "work herself to death." Instead, Cucina Dolce's single table brings Edie Ferrario's talent to an eager audience, like Nancy Smith of Jacksonville. "And," Smith said, "we don't have to leave a tip!" Cucina Dolce classes are held Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost is $50 per person, per session, and includes a full portion of recipes prepared. For more information or to register, call Ferrario at 858-9431. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com