Mediterranean Cooking

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Introduction

Each one of my classes is highly customized to fit the area of interest and level of experience of my students. I specialize in the Mediterranean cuisine and in particular regional Italian and Greek. While Italian cooking is now one of this country's most-prefered cuisines, there are strong regional variations to the Italian table. I was fortunate to be trained in Italy at a cooking school that took an in-depth look at each of the country's 20 regions, their traditional ingredients, cooking methods and menus. There are also surprisingly few Greek chefs in the area. Traditional Greek cooking is the backbone of the Mediterranean Food Pyramid and a entry point to healthier eating! I like very much the interaction with my students and the opportunity to share my knowledge and tips as we explore different cooking techniques! I especially enjoy teaching them how to create something new, something easy, something healthy.

Overview

Hired 16 times

18 years in business

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Featured Projects

35 photos

Reviews

Exceptional 5.0

20 reviews

100%

Ian S.

Jan 30, 2015

Allow me to preface my remarks by stating that I am not an experienced cook or student of the culinary arts. I do enjoy good food and delight in learning how it is made by real cooks. I happen to be a scientist of sorts and love to learn about the "science" as well as the "art" of cooking. I have had the pleasure of taking many cooking classes with my wife at Culinaria Cooking School and have simply rejoiced in taking classes from Marilena Leavitt. She is not only lovely and gracious but is simply a fascinating and delightful teacher. She teaches from the heart and laces her classes with pleasant stories of her early cooking experiences in Mediterranean kitchens. She makes everyone in her classes comfortable with good humor and has a terrific teaching style of both culinary arts as well as culinary techniques. I have never seen anything but big smiles upon the faces of her students as we depart from class. And the recipes are ones that we cannot wait to make at home.

Paula S.

Mar 9, 2015

My private cooking session with Marilena was one of the most enjoyable an inspirational cooking experiences in many years. As my children are now older and out of the house, I find that I don't try new recipes and tend to go out more often. Now with this adventure in culinary proficiency, it has awakened my cooking senses and encouraged my creativity! My good friend organized this event as a special birthday surprise and she participated as well, and Marilena worked with us both to develop our menu. We prepared as Starters..... bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with smoked paprika asiago cheese and sea salt & rosemary focaccia. Our main course was butter squash risotto with pine nuts, balsamic drizzle and fried sage with veal alla saltibocca! For dessert, we made biscotti with roasted almonds and hazelnuts. After preparing and cooking the food, we then sat down and enjoyed a most delicious meal . Everything tasted absolutely wonderful and after this experience, we decided that we wanted to come back and try again! Marilena stood by us every step of the way and offered her special tips and expertise! I would recommended this to any cooking aficionado or like me, a person who might be finding their way back to cooking!

Melissa M.

Sep 4, 2015

I recently asked Marilena to cater a small event for me at my home (it ended up being for about 24 guests). I have known Marilena for years and had no doubt that everything would be perfect. Well, I was right! She started out by asking me what I had in mind for the party. We brainstormed some ideas and then she came over to check out my kitchen and to discuss the menu. She expanded on what I had asked for, and made several suggestions along the way. We finalized the menu fairly quickly with just a few adjustments. On the Thursday prior to the party Marilena came by to finalize the platters for every dish - this was a huge time saver on the day of the event. The day of the party could not have gone more smoothly. Marilena and her wonderful assistant Deborah arrived an hour prior to the event and immediately took command of the kitchen. She had everything prepped and ready to go - really just using the oven/fridge to keep things hot/cold. Marilena really went above and beyond on the presentation of the food. I know this is something she takes great pride in and she did such an amazing job arranging the buffet table. Everything looked absolutely perfect. And, of course, all of the dishes were just wonderful. My guests were truly raving about the food, particularly the chicken Marsala and also the beautiful poached salmon with yogurt and dill sauce. She also took extra care to make sure that there would be plenty of vegetarian items for my guests who did not eat chicken or fish. Finally, when the party was winding down, she and Deborah cleaned every inch of my kitchen, leaving it in better shape then they found it in! I would highly, highly recommend Marilena to anyone looking for a caterer. She is so wonderful to work with, takes such pride in her work, and is an amazing Chef who cooks delicious, amazing food. A++++++

Jen T.

Dec 6, 2014

Marilena cooked dinner at my home recently for a party we were having to celebrate a milestone birthday. She was so fabulous, I can't recommend her highly enough. It was very easy to plan the menu with her, the food came out amazing, and her warm presence in the kitchen during the party added to the ambiance. The food was so delicious that friends are still talking about it a month later! Her specialty is Greek and Italian cuisine. She really went the extra mile to make sure the event was a success - giving copies of recipes to every guest plus a little shortbread/chocolate cookie to go. Such a fun evening!

Colette W.

Dec 12, 2014

Marilena is the best chef and instructor you could ever hope for! She taught three generations of our family one Sunday afternoon in our home and we would welcome her back with open arms. She is amazingly talented and she taught us so much, and so many kitchen tricks, in a short time. The meal was memorable. She is kind, warm, fun, helpful, brilliant, and hard-working. I cannot say enough about her!

FAQs

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I like to talk to a new customer on the phone, so I can get a good feeling of what they need and also so they can ask me as many questions as they want! I often come up with suggestions they hadn't even thought of, or considered before and they find that very useful. By the end of our conversation we come up with a good plan for their upcoming event or cooking class!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I attended a cooking school in Rome, Italy for one year. Upon my return to the U.S. I attended a 6 month course at L' Academie de Cuisine, in Maryland.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
My husband's love of food and a fortunate tour in Italy led to a cooking school outside Rome. The passion of the instructors for their craft was contagious. They were also strong advocates of the then-nascent "Slow Food" movement in Italy, which aimed to refocus cooking on traditional foods, ingredients and methods in answer to the globalized "Fast Food" movement.