This past Fall I had the opportunity to revisit the beautiful city of Lecce and spend two weeks cooking at The Awaiting Table Cookery School. The first week was in Lecce followed by a week at the Castle in Spongano. I had so much fun and the weeks flew by! In Lecce, each day began with espresso and pastry at... More

It is easy to fall in love with "Puglia" - immediately after arrival you are enamoured by the historic and cultural fascination of this ravishing beauty. When you additionally visit Silvestros Cooking scool, you go right into the heart of it: he not only teaches a straight, simple and down-to-earth but nevertheless exquisite way of cooking, but also guides you... More

I completed a week of culinary instruction with the Awaiting Table Cooking School. The week was spent at "The Castle" in the small town of Spongano and the overall experience was fantastic. The instruction was excellent. The food and wine were plentiful and delicious. The course met my expectations because it was well organized and because it was rooted in... More

I already had one week of Awaiting Table under my belt, but this past summer I could no longer control my longing for southern Italy and decided to sign up for a second session at the school. After all, my orecchiette technique still left something to be desired. I selected the San Martino celebration at the Castle in Spongano and... More

After much research on cooking schools in Italy, I decided to give Awaiting Table a try since it seemed to incorporate many of the elements I was looking for; a definitive local flavour, visits to local food markets and an educational component on food, oils and wines. It did not disappoint on any level. First of all, Lecce, where Awaiting... More

What a great experience!! The castle is really very nice with everything in excellent condition. A very dedicated staff sets the tone early making it clear your needs are their number one concern. The actual cooking experience is laced with history, local traditions and local seasonal foods. The first night home I cooked one of the recipes with great success.... More

When my friend talked to me about The Awaiting Table, I immediately thought that it would be a good excuse for a road-trip from Montpellier, France where we live to the heel of Italy! I’d been OFF cooking for the better part of a year, so the school was a secondary issue for me. We went, we cooked, we returned... More

I had such a great time while joining the class for only one day at the cooking school at the Castello. That this was possible is already worth saying thank you to Silvestro! I felt welcome and comfortable from the first minute. Silvestro is a wonderful host. The staff is super attentive and kind and so have been the other... More

A friend had suggested The Awaiting Table to me 3 years ago. So glad i took her advise. The city of Lecce is beautiful baroque place. Southern Italy is the place to go! I flew into Rome the day before, and took the train to Lecce. I recommend taking the scenic train ride, you won't be disappointed. I had arrived... More