21 May 2025
Absolutely a wonderful day!! This taste of Porto and Portuguese culture was extraordinary. The people of Portugal have treated us with courtesy and smiles all over the country, and there are amazing sites and vistas here. But if you want to immerse yourself in the feel of Porto as a living, breathing city, a day with Cook in Ribeira will epitomize the magic of Porto through wonderful food, wine and vitality.
Vitor, our host, driver, market guide, chef and entertainer was completely marvelous. We had a market and cooking class for myself, my wife and our two daughters. Vitor took us to a real Porto food market (not a tourist stop), and talked with us at length as we selected the menu for the day to suit the tastes and needs of our group.
His teaching kitchen in the heart of Porto was divine, and perfectly suited to a casual day of cooking and conversation.
We made sautéed prawns in rosemary and garlic butter, mushrooms with red onion and peppers, sea bass and prawns cooked in shrimp stock, tomato and rice, and a caramelized almond tort. All made from scratch by one of us under his gentle supervision.
I forgot to mention the other add ons: amazing Portuguese bread, chorizo roasted in a terra cotta dish over an open alcohol flame, fish roe in olive oil and cilantro, and fresh cooked barnacle snacks. Plus a lovely selection of local white wines to accompany our meal.
But the best part of the experience was Vitor himself, whose friendly, welcoming style made everyone feel like we had dropped in on a friend and cooked a 7-course meal on the spot of the moment. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with the world inside of Porto.