Tour Italy, One Bite at a Time, through Bellina Alimentari July Cooking Classes and Tastings

Break out of summer’s pizza at the pool or patio and opt for the air-conditioned comfort of culinary learning experiences at Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market. Browse and click on the following offerings to save your seat. Sales tax added at check out.

How will boxed pasta find its way into the grocery cart after participating in Bellina’s hands-on Pasta Making class? Taste your freshly made pasta and take some home. Offered Thursday, July 7 from 7-8:30 p.m. and Tuesday, July 26 from 6:30-8 p.m. ($45 per class).
 
White Oak Pastures wings up from Bluffton to lead a Pastured Poultry class during Pastured Poultry Week. Discover the delicious health and environmental virtues of these free-to-be birds and watch as chef Gizzy Barton demos how to break down and cook a whole chicken; Monday, July 11, 6:30-8 p.m. ($32).

Mama, Mia! Let’s plan, shop for, prepare and eat An Italian Meal. Source fresh, local ingredients while touring the Ponce City Farmers Market with Kenan Hill, shop for artisanal Italian ingredients at The Market at Bellina, then cook and eat a family style meal. Tuesday, July 12, 6:30-8 p.m. ($45).

Get a charge out of charcuterie when Kevin Ouzts from The Spotted Trotter leads guests through a guided tasting of four cured meats paired with natural Italian wines on Wednesday, July 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ($28).

Bond over dough-drenched fingers while cracking eggs, mixing and rolling out pasta and relishing the results with your 8-12 year-old youngster at Kids Kitchen on Tuesday, July 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ($45 covers parent and child).

Explore some of Italy’s finest natural wines paired with local, artisanal cheeses on a guided 3 Wine 3 Cheese tasting tour on Wednesday, July 20, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ($28)
 
Summer Sauces really pan out as a way to lightly enliven meals on hot summer nights when Bellina Alimentari chef Gizzy Barton shows students how to make three easy sauces and how to cook the perfect pasta. Sampling the trio of dishes is encouraged at this class on Thursday, July 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ($38).

An Introduction to Amaro familiarizes guests with amari, herbal spirits that have been a longtime part of Italian culture. Visiting friends this summer? Italians often present a local amaro as a host gift. Light bites from Bellina’s kitchen accompany spirited tasting on Wednesday, July 27, 7-8:30 p.m. ($28).

Appetizing Aperture: Fiore di Puglia - Taralli al Peperoncino

If you’re looking for a hot topic at your next aperitivo, set a bowl of Fiore di Puglia - Taralli al Peperoncino on the aperitivo board. Red chili pepper flakes spike the crispy, curly cross between a cracker and a pretzel. Highly addictive. Luckily, there’s a local source for these Italian crunchers from the Apulia region -- The Market at Bellina Alimentari. Drop some in your shopping basket at the Ponce City Market shop or the online Mercato di Bellina, $3.50 per 8.8 ounce package. 

Shop Italian -- Bellina Alimentari’s New Online Mercato di Bellina is Open

One doesn’t have to be in Rome to shop like the Romans or Tuscans or Americans hankering for the best Italian ingredients. Mercato di Bellina, the online market for Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market, is now open for internet shopping. Browse through a tempting array of gift sets, vinegars and olive oils, pastas and sauces, seasonings, sweets, savories and even recipes and cooking tips. Colossal help when searching for ingredients or gifts for friends who also have an endless appetite and appreciation for authentic Italian foods. Allow those friends to shop for themselves by purchasing a “Dine-in & Shop-in” gift card or Mercato Di Bellina gift certificate online.