Category: Events

Tales from Italian haute couture online talk: princesses, frocks and la dolce vita (new date)

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Join me for a talk about Italian haute couture, Rome and la dolce vita. It’s a star-studded journey through the world of aristocrats and film stars as we go back to the middle of the twentieth century, the time when Rome was known as Hollywood on the Tiber and the city’s film studios Cinecittà welcomed film stars and film directors who made films such as Quo Vadis?, Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita. In fashion terms, couturiers were dressing film stars, aristocrats and everyone who was anyone, and many of the couturiers were aristocrats themselves.

This is the first of a series of online fashion talks I’ll be offering to tie in with the publication of my book The Fashion Lover’s Guide to Milan which will be published on March 31st by Pen & Sword books.

If you’d like to join, please fill out the form below. If you wish to organise an event at your cultural bookstore, boutique or cultural organisation, I can also be contacted at rachaelmartinfreelance@gmail.com.

Date and time: Wednesday 17 March, 5pm (CET), 4pm (UK time)

Duration: about 60 mins

Cost: free

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What others say:

“You took me back to the years I spent in Rome during the 1960s and I remembered it all, 1968, the atmosphere, everything.” Elda Elvedese

“It was great to listen to you talk about the dolce vita but especially about haute couture and all the relationships and the history of Italy and Rome. You reminded me of my mother when she was younger. She founded Desfile in Argentina, which was similar to Vogue, but came before Vogue.” Luisa Forlini

“When Rachael suggested the talk, I was most curious. What were we in for? As it turned out, an amazing morning of fascinating stories about Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. Great morning Rachael – and very well researched.” Anne Stubley, President Benvenuto International Club of Monza

Photo of Irene Galatzine in 1951, Wikimedia Commons

Cooking up a tart’s spaghetti – online cookery class

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Hi everyone! Join me and cook along as I cook one of Italy’s most loved pasta dishes, spaghetti alla puttanesca or tart’s spaghetti.

As we cook, we’ll be taking a journey through the Spanish Quarter in Naples, delving back into the history of spaghetti and taking a general look at what pasta means to those who eat it. It’s a fascinating tale of kings, wheat, foreign invaders – and there’s a car wash in Sicily too.

Set your table beforehand. Any checked tablecloth reminiscent of an Italian trattoria will do, or even just your favourite tablecloth. Don’t forget the bread – even when eating pasta, Italians still love their bread – just lay it on the table to break off.

This is one of my favourite go-to dishes, especially when I’m in a hurry and need to get something on the table quick. Plus I have the luxury of knowing that my kids will always ALWAYS eat pasta.

Ci vediamo là? (See you there?)

Date and time: Thursday 25 February, 6 pm UK time (duration: 60 mins)

Cost: 12 euro

Fancy a glass of Prosecco and a giggle with friends as you cook away and listen to stories of Italian food? Book privately for a group of friends – date and time to be arranged upon request.

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What others say…

“As a food obsessive (read: I’m greedy) I really enjoyed Rachael’s cookery session. As well as being knowledgable about Italian food, she encourages participants to get a feel for the ingredients and cook in a way that feels natural rather than prescriptive or too scientific. The class really sparked my creativity as a chef!” – Lizzie Cernik

“This was such a brilliant workshop! Rachael was warm and engaging and the session managed to be both fun and informative. I loved learning about the history of Italian food and getting tips on how to cook it better. And the best part? Getting to eat the results of it! Tastiest dish I’ve ever made too.” – Rae Ritchie

Spaghetti and sauce: online workshop for kids

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We’ll be cooking spaghetti, making our very own fresh tomato sauce, busting spaghetti myths, exploring a bit of spaghetti history and learning a bit of Italian along the way. The emphasis is on both cooking and culture, so children will cook their own spaghetti and tomato sauce but also learn about the history of spaghetti and what it means to the people who eat it. I’ll encourage children to ask questions and get curious about Italian food in general. I’ll also teach them a few Italian words and phrases along the way. The aim is that children have fun with food and go away wanting to learn more, try out more recipes, and generally gain confidence in the kitchen. Allora bambini, ci facciamo due spaghi? (So kids, shall we make some spaghetti then?)

Date and time: Saturday 27 March, 11 am UK time (class duration about 60-90 mins)

Cost: 12 euro per household

Recommended age around 6-12 years

What others say:

“What a great way to spend a couple of hours, cooking the Italian way with my 9 year old son. Rachael was friendly, informative and fun plus the resulting spaghetti and sauce was delicious and was wolfed down by the whole family! Would highly recommend you spend some time cooking and chatting with Rachael.” Clare & Douglas

“It was really welcoming which made it fun to participate it. I enjoyed learning about new things and the tomato sauce was the best I’ve tasted.” Isobel, aged 11

“I really felt like I had learned a lot by the end of the session in terms of Italian food culture. Rachael was extremely engaging and the session flew by. The result was delicious too!” Emma, Isobel’s mum

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Tales from Italian haute couture online talk

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Had a very enjoyable talk this morning with the loveliest bunch of ladies from the Benvenuto International Club in Monza about fashion, Rome and la dolce vita. It’s the time when Rome was known as ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’ and the city’s film studios Cinecittà welcomed film stars and film directors who made films such as Quo Vadis?, Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita. In fashion terms, couturiers were dressing film stars, aristocrats and everyone who was anyone, and many of the couturiers were aristocrats themselves.

The talk Tales from Italian haute couture: princesses, frocks and la dolce vita is a star-studded journey through Italian Alta Moda. This is the first of the online fashion talks I’ll be offering to tie in with the publication of my book The Fashion Lover’s Guide to Milan which will be published on March 31st by Pen & Sword books.

If you’d like to join or wish to organise an event at your cultural bookstore, boutique or cultural organisation, I can be contacted at rachaelmartinfreelance@gmail.com.

“You took me back to the years I spent in Rome during the 1960s and I remembered it all, 1968, the atmosphere, everything.” Elda Elvedese

“It was great to listen to you talk about the dolce vita but especially about haute couture and all the relationships and the history of Italy and Rome. You reminded me of my mother when she was younger. She founded Desfile in Argentina, which was similar to Vogue, but came before Vogue.” Luisa Forlini

Photo of Irene Galatzine in 1951, Wikimedia Commons