Continuing our look at the recent Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, Korculanske Pjatance, which finished on May 5, 2018 - a pasta masterclass from the family restaurant Filippi.
The thing you have to understand about the dining experience in the old town of Korcula is the setting. A selection of high-quality restaurants, all in a row on the outer street of the walled town. Most of their tables are close to the restaurant itself, and the public walkway separates the real prize tables - next to the outer wall of the historic town, and overlooking the crystal-clear waters which you can see above. Even before the food has arrived, the seduction has begun.
"Dad, do we HAVE to? Can't you go and we will stay on the beach with Auntie Jane?" Learning how to make pasta or sitting on the beach - it would seem that dragging the kids away from the outstanding chill zone that is Tara's Lodge in Zrnovska Banja just outside Korcula Town was not going to be easy. And, to be fair, the beach DID look tempting, as too did the prospect of a lazy day of doing nothing.
But the pasta was calling. We had come to Korcula for the long May Day weekend to explore its secrets and to visit as much as we could of the 2nd Korcula Spring Food and Wine Fair, an excellent initiative to showcase the very best local products the island's restaurateurs and winemakers had to offer. And the chance to sample the famous Filippi handmade pasta selection, as well as to learns its secrets, was one of the highlights of the festival. I was pretty sure that memories of the beach would soon be forgotten by two young minds.
And so it proved. No sooner had owner Ivana uttered her welcoming words than two young budding chefs of the future were ready to roll up their sleeves and become pasta experts.
A step by step guide on how the pasta is made.
With a wide selection of special varieties.
Beach? What beach?
After some initial guidance, it was time to let the young guests loose on the pasta to show their creativity. I am looking forward to seeing this kind of ravioli in our Varazdin kitchen soon...
A VERY friendly and supportive staff, who generously shared their time, tips and advice, encouraging a potential masterchef of the future.
After making the pasta, time to add a little Filippi flair and inspiration.
Beautifully presented, a delight to taste.
A great selection of flavours, a wide choice of pasta options.
While many ingredients were local to the island, some mainland exotic additions were more than welcome, such as this truffle pasta.
And with a glass of local Posip to wash each taster dish down, a really fulfilling (and filling) morning's work.
New friendships made, new culinary lessons learned, and one more important step in at least one young mind to open her own restaurant in the future.
And the good news, of course, is that the beach was still there when we got back to Tara's Lodge. After a busy morning of culture and making pasta, what better place to relax?
Learn more about the mouthwatering Filippi menu from the official website.
Missed the festival this year? Follow Korculanske Pjatance on Facebook to be the first to hear about the 2019 festival.
