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5 Day Cooking Vacation in the Castelli
Romani.
This original food and wine tour near Rome is
located in the Castelli Romani or Roman Hills, about 30 minutes from the
Eternal City.
You will take part in hands-on cooking
lessons in the comfort of a small group where you’ll receive individual
attention with afternoon excursions to historical and artistic points of
interest included in the itinerary.
Join us as we learn to cook in the style of
the old Roman countryside – a rustic cuisine of rich and ancient flavors.
You’ll learn to prepare a range of
antipasti, pasta dishes, secondi, including the famous “quinto
quarto” a traditional dish which combines wild herbs with fresh seasonal
vegetables and meats to create flavors enjoyed in ancient times.
Our cooks are Maria and Sora Anna.
Both come from diverse backgrounds but share
a passion for authentic Roman country cuisine.
You’ll cook with Maria in the bucolic
surroundings of her vineyard and vegetable gardens on the edge of
picturesque Nemi lake where she lives with her husband Carlo.
Maria spent many years cooking in the family
restaurant in Nemi, to great acclaim, feeding the hungry Romans who escape to
the hills of a weekend.
There’ll be plenty of Maria and
Carlo’s own wines on hand during the lesson, along with her extra virgin
olive oil, home-made liqueurs and her seasonal fruit conserves.
Sora Anna has been labelled the “Queen
of the Matriciana” by Stefano Bonilli of Gambero Rosso and the “Queen
of Roman cooking” no less by the great chef Heinz Beck. And not forgetting
the “High Priestess of Authentic Traditional Roman Cooking” by Bob
Noto.
We’ll join her in the kitchen of her
osteria in San Cesareo where she’ll reveal the subtleties and secrets of a
culinary tradition which dates to the time of the Caesars. Anna’s
extensive knowledge, internationally recognized culinary abilities, and sheer
passion for her vocation ensure a stimulating and extremely enjoyable learning
experience.
Your itinerary
Day 1
- Transfer to accommodation.
- Welcome dinner in the small, ancient town of Lanuvio.
- Choose from a list of traditional roman dishes,
mouth-watering pizza, or seafood, accompanied by local DOC wines and enjoyed in
a garden setting.
Day 2
- Morning walking tour of Nemi. Try a prosecco with fresh
strawberries while enjoying the views over the lake. Or stroll the center where
you find many shops devoted to the gastronomic delicacies of the area, along
with artisan workshops.
- Lunch in the town of Ariccia in a traditional
“fraschetta” in a boisterous yet relaxed and enjoyable
atmosphere.
- You can choose from an array of antipasti: prosciutto,
salami, cheeses, olives, seasoned and spiced vegetables and porchetta, the
roasted and seasoned pork which has made Ariccia famous throughout Italy.
Robust local DOC wines and woodfired Genzano DOC bread are included. If you
have any space left, try the pastas or polentas, or the meat secondi.
- After lunch we’ll visit the Palazzo Chigi in the
center of Ariccia. Designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini in the
16thcentury and occupied by a noble family until just over 20 years
ago, it is one of the few examples in Italy of a palace with its original
furnishings intact. A real glimpse into the opulence of the Papal aristocracy
of Italy’s more recent past.
- Dinner overlooking the lake of Albano in Castel Gandolfo,
the site of the Pope’s summer palace. A noted restaurant with a refined
ambience and an excellent selection of local DOC wines, and a menu encompassing
all the major elements of the Roman cuisine.
Day 3
- Morning passeggiata in Genzano and a tour of the bakery
producing the famous DOC bread.
- Then down to Nemi lakeside for our cooking lesson
“al fresco” with Maria, among the vines. Along with the cooking,
you’ll have an opportunity to walk among the fruit trees, olive grove and
vegetable beds and to taste many of Maria’s home-made delicacies.
- After lunch, there will be an opportunity to view the
ruins of the temple of Diana, goddess of abundance and fertility close by, as
well as the small museum dedicated to the remains of the two boats of the
Emperor Caligula who spent time on the lake and was a devotee of the
goddess.
- Dinner at your own leisure.
Day 4
- Cooking class with Sora Anna in the kitchen of her
osteria in San Cesareo. When not “performing delicious miracles”, in
the words of one food critic, the larger than life Anna will entertain you with
stories of her most recent culinary forays to Hong Kong or Hollywood.
- An afternoon excursion to ancient Tusculum with its
sweeping views and ruins of the villas of the Roman nobles. Then downhill to
Frascati, famous for its Doc wines and the villas of the Papal aristocracy,
where we’ll stop for and aperitivo.
- Farewell dinner in Genzano, in the setting of a medieval
cantina, by which time you’ll be ordering like a local.
Day 5
- Transfer to airport or train station.
Contact
us for prices and availability.
Price includes:
- 4 nights 5 days in a charming bed and breakfast situated
in the town of Nemi Click here to view your accommodations.
- breakfast served daily.
- 2 cooking classes with meal to follow including
wine.
- All museum entrance fees.
- All excursions where specified.
- Lunches and dinners where specified on your itinerary all
including Doc wine where specified and local wine.
- Personal transportation during your tour.
- English speaking guide through out your tour.
- Tour notes.
This tour starts every Saturday and is
available all year round.
How to get there
Transfers available from Fiumincino or
Campino airports.
If you happen to be in Rome a local train
approx 20 minute ride to Campoleone and a transfer can be arranged there.
One day cooking classes are
available.
Contact
us for prices and availability. |
