The Italian Way with Vegetables: Thanksgiving Sides - In Person

A hands-on in-person cooking class. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. Masks are welcome.

Italians love to celebrate seasonal, truly fleeting produce. They have a knack for making simple foods seem special, and they know how to turn a small basket of vegetables into a feast for a crowd. As Thanksgiving approaches, our Italian instructor, Viola, will teach a whole set of sides with flair that are blissful to the palate and will free up space in your oven for the main holiday feature.

Join Chef Viola for an evening of transforming late summer eggplant into a fall delight. You’ll craft a vibrant salad with the season’s boisterous colors, and also create some magic with mushrooms that can moonlight as a pasta sauce. Swiss chard will become a one-time exacting showpiece, surrounded by dishes that will bloom into amazing leftovers at the end of your celebration!
 

Viola's cookbook, Italy by Ingredient will be available for purchase throughout the class. 

MENU

Zucca arrosto marinata—Roasted marinated winter squash 

Insalata di verza, kaki mela e nocciole—Cole slaw with fuyu persimmon and hazelnuts 

Melanzane, cipolle dolci e zenzero—Eggplant, sweet onion and ginger

Sformato di bietola—Chard flan 

Funghi al cartoccio piccanti al profumo di timo—Thyme-scented spicy mushrooms en papillot 

This menu contains the following common allergens: Tree Nuts, Dairy,. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Viola Buitoni, chef instructor and food writer, was born in Rome and raised in Perugia, Italy. With stories and knowledge from six generations, her dishes cross the best of California agriculture with the finest Italian food imports. After moving to the US to attend NYU, Viola started Buitoni & Garretti, a catering kitchen and Italian fine foods shop in New York City. She later moved to San Francisco where she began lecturing and teaching Italian food tradition workshops at the SF Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Consulate. She teaches Italian cooking remotely for Boston-based Milk Street, and in person for 18 Reasons and The Civic Kitchen in San Francisco. She leads immersive foraging and cooking workshops in off-the-beaten-path Italy. She has contributed to La Cucina Italiana US and to italysegreta.com. Her opera prima, Italy by Ingredient, is due out in fall 2023 (Rizzoli). In 2020, the President of the Italian Republic awarded her the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia for her work to further the culture and business of Italian food. She lives in SF’s Mission District with her husband, son, and tiny dog.

_{Photo by Molly DeCoudreaux}