Stepping into the world of Karen Chiappone’s store, “Cucina Mia”, which is Italian for My Kitchen, feels like you are entering a marvelous place, where a well-traveled cook has thoughtfully stocked the kitchen with delightful epicurean goods from all over the world. Here you will have the opportunity to sample wonderful products and goods from more than just Italy, you will experience many of the finest housewares and foods from France, Spain, and Brazil, with beautiful artistic creations from domestic artists’ studios.

After twenty years of catering in the San Francisco Bay area, Karen opened her space, just over a year ago, with the primary goal of providing a much-needed cooking school, offering classes for adults and teenagers. The classes, which are generally presented demonstration style by local area chefs are very popular, and are great fun. All the participants get to share the meals that are demonstrated and enjoy some of the wines Cucina Mia offers. In addition to the basic series, which teaches such techniques as knife skills, there are several other offerings, providing a wide variety of options on most nights of the week. The series of classes encompass such diverse choices as Indian Vegetarian on Wednesday evenings with an upcoming Thai Class scheduled. Thursday and Friday nights are available to reserve for private party cooking classes, which makes for a great affair, and can accommodate up to 20 guests.

In addition to the cooking classes, which are conducted by chefs and professionals who own local area restaurants and catering businesses, a food and wine pairing event is held once a month on a Saturday evening. It offers a cooking class and wine tasting, with a wine sales representative providing knowledgeable insight into the various wine complements.

During the cooking classes, many of the products for sale in the store are utilized and this is a great way to enjoy and taste them first hand.

While Karen’s initial primary focus was on providing the area with a local cooking school, the lovely space in Tioga Town Center has become a home to not only their extensive selection of gourmet food products, but artisan treasures ranging from linens from France, Vietri Italian Ceramics, Antiques 2000 furniture, a unique custom made banquet from Indonesia, decorative lighting, and Cyclamen organic dinnerware and serving dishes, many of which are exclusive to Cucina Mia.

Although there are even more delights than can be covered here, their wonderful display of gourmet cooking accoutrements, together with the some of the more everyday gadgets and utensils, include Emile Henry cookware, Viking, All-clad, and Staub from France.

Cucina Mia has an entire line of organic spices and salts packaged exclusively for their shop.

As if that weren’t enough to delight and entice the budding chef in you, Cucina Mia carries many specialty and sometimes difficult to find food items, including the rare hanger steak, specialty cheeses, olives, salami, truffle and other ravioli, chorizo, and anchovies.

Stop by anytime…and experience CUCINA MIA!

CUCINA MIA Tioga Town Center
Website: cucinamia.net
Check Website for class schedule
Hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (10 am to 9 pm if class is in session)
Phone: 352-333-6167