Francesca
Cesarina from 2020My speciality: Orecchiette with turnip tops
I live in: Lecce
Spoken languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish
Good to know
I offer vegetarian alternatives
Hi from Francesca!
"For me, being in front of the stove is really a pleasure, which I often share with our friends. Pleasure in preparing something genuine that often takes us back to the kitchens of our grandmothers, crowded with relatives, especially during the holidays. Our territory is rich in poor but exceptional products, which I like to serve in the simplest way possible, precisely to enhance them. "
My specialities
- Pettole
- Orecchiette with turnip tops
- Beef or mixed meat, cooked slowly in the classic earthenware pan
Experiences
Cooking classes (8)
Food experiences (3)
Reviews
5.0
40 reviews
- What a lovely experience with Francesca and her family! We learned how to make oricchiette, with which we made brochette con come di rapa, a traditional Lecce dish. Our morning began with a sampling of Francesca’s amazing focaccia and coffee, and our day was topped off with an amazing fig tart. We spent much time talking about Leccese traditions, with family being the center of what’s important. Francesca is an amazing hostess, we definitely felt like friends in her home. Her teaching skills showed great patience with some clumsy attempts at making the pasta, which finally became acceptable, if very slow in comparison to Francesca’s deft ability! We highly recommend her classes, and look forward to another when we return to Lecce.
- Thank you Francesca for teaching me how to make my favorite childhood pastry, pasticciotto Lecce! The class was one of the highlights of my trip. I can't wait to make them at home!
- What a fun and educational experience we had making Pasticciotto Leccese with Francesca! She is such a nice person and we learned how to make these favorite pastries of Lecce. Thank you very much for sharing your cooking talents.
- Our evening with Francesca & her daughter was great! We learned about the local ingredients and method for making orecchiette and macaroni pasta. Francesca was the perfect hands-on teacher for the evening. We also made tiramisu, which was fantastic. If you want good conversation, make your dinner & delicious dessert, sign up for this class. Ciao’ ciao’
- What an amazing experience cooking with Francesca! Learned so much and had such a fun time. Would highly recommend this experience to everyone!
Maureen - October 2025
Karen - October 2025
Marca and Karen - October 2025
Brett W. from Prairie Village, Kansas - September 2025
Kelly - September 2025