soloSicily, the Sicilian villa specialist, is now offering their clients the opportunity to enjoy authentic local food with Sicilians in their own home.  Food lovers, who want to try traditional Sicilian home cooking not generally found in the island's restaurants, can visit the homes of Giovanna Mandracchia and Rosi Mongiovi in Agrigento in southwest Sicily for lunch, dinner or a cookery lesson.

Rosi and Giovanna with a helping hand from their families, guide guests through the island's rich culinary heritage left by the Greeks, Romans, French and Spanish.

Guests can get hands-on experience of making traditional Sicilian dishes such as caponata, stuffed scabbard fish rolls with red onion, tuna carpaccio with a Sicilian dressing and pasta with sardines.  All are made using fresh local ingredients.

They then join the family around the table and get an insight into the warm-hearted and hospitable nature of the Sicilians.

soloSicily's “At Home with Sicilians” dining experience typically lasts around four hours and can be organised for a minimum of two guests renting a villa in southwest Sicily.  Prices are between 93 Euros per person (excluding cookery lessons) and 143 Euros per person (including food, lesson and live music from a Sicilian folk trio).

soloSicily has eight villas in this less well known area of south west Sicily.  These include Casa d'Eraclea, which is perched on a hill overlooking a sandy beach and pine forest.  This cool modern villa, which sleeps six, has an infinity pool that looks out over the Bay of Eraclea and the sandy beach is just ten minutes' walk down a private road.  Palermo airport is one hour and 45 minutes' drive from the villa.  One week at Casa d'Eraclea costs from £1,584 in the low season to £3,127 in the high season (Euros 2,099 to 4,145).

http://www.solosicily.com/casa-deraclea.aspx

Palummara is a spacious hilltop villa, sleeping eight, with panoramic views across the countryside and Mediterranean.  The outdoor terraces provide dramatic views from their elevated position and there is a hammock, barbecue, wood oven and dining area.  The nearest beach is just five minutes' drive away and the Torre Salsa nature reserve is fifteen minutes' drive and is home to sandy beaches and wildlife.  Palermo airport is one hour and 45 minutes' drive from the villa.  One week at Palummara costs from £1,655 in low season to £3,086 in high season (Euros 2,210 to 4,095).

http://www.solosicily.com/palummara.aspx

For reservations visit www.solosicily.com or call soloSicily on 020 7097 1413.

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For further information or images please contact Emma Hill or Tiggy Dean at Hill & Dean PR on 020 8875 9923

Notes to editors

Founded in 2006, SoloSicily is a private villa rental company with a collection of over 40 hand-picked villas in Sicily.  The portfolio is designed to suit all needs, with romantic hideaways, chic beachfront villas, family-friendly holiday homes, luxury villas with private pools and aristocratic country estates.  Based in Palermo, SoloSicily has a dedicated team of people who are passionate about Sicily and use their local knowledge to find the best villas on the island.