The Italian Way with Vegetables: Tiny Tomatoes

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

Our Italian instructor is dedicating this season's installment of the Italian Way with Vegetables to the charms of tiny tomatoes from market stands. Their many shapes and colors wink from market stands, and their bright flavors are no less intriguing than those of their larger siblings. And let's not forget how much they can contribute to the beauty of any dish. In this class's menu, Viola will teach you how to coax out their best when raw, how to slowly caramelize them in an oven, and how to make their sweetness literally burst with fast and high heat. 

While not all dishes are vegetarian, in each one tiny tomatoes are the protagonists.    

MENU

Pomodorini confit al basilico - Slow roasted tiny tomatoes with basil

Pomodorini gratinati e erbe - Tiny tomatoes roasted with bread crumbs and herbs 

Bruschette con pomodorini confit, formaggi freschi e capperi - Bruschette with slow roasted tiny tomatoes, fresh cheeses and capers 

Calamarata pecorino e cozze - Pasta rings with mussels and sheep cheese 

Milanese di pollo con sugo crudo e rucola - Chicken Milanese with marinated tiny tomatoes and arugula    

This menu contains the following common allergens: Shellfish, Dairy, Wheat. 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, released in the 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 and tiny dog, while her son is away at college.