Dolce: Italian Desserts

Adult Enrichment / Food & Drink -

Spring 2025

Indulge in the sweet traditions of Italy’s diverse regions. Learn how to make the famous custard-filled torta della nonna from Tuscany, followed by a rich almond ricotta tart. Then, delight in an Umbrian specialty, pear and fig wrapped in puff pastry. Finally, savor the flavors of southern Italy with a decadent torta Caprese, a flourless chocolate cake made with almonds. Leave with new recipes and the skills to recreate these unique, regional desserts at home. If you took this class in the fall, we will be making entirely new recipes.

Diane Manteca

Diane Manteca has been a professional chef for thirty-three years, working in high end gourmet establishments and catering. For eight years she owned the eclectic and popular Brickyard Café in Cambridge. Diane has co-authored a Zone cookbook on healthy eating and worked as a food consultant and developed recipes for a major specialty food company. Her teaching career spans over 30 years with Italian cooking as her specialty, along with Moroccan, African, Asian, Cuban French, and regional cooking from the United States. She travels to Italy often to learn regional Italian cooking and brings her knowledge back to teach her students.

May 2025