Cook In Italy With Ciao Chow Linda

Want to visit Italy and enjoy life like a local, not a tourist?

Longing to try your hand at authentic Italian cooking in Italy but don't know where to start?

Reluctant to travel because you're alone?

Then come spend a week at this 18th century villa cooking with Ciao Chow Linda and visiting the towns and villages nearby. It's all happening from May 19 to May 26, 2012 and you can share the experience with me.

The one-week workshop will be limited to a small group and will be headquartered at Casale Sonnino, a beautiful ancestral home that has been featured in Gourmet Magazine and The Boston Globe. Located about 40 minutes from the heart of Rome near Monteporzio Catone, it provides an ideal location for exploring the Castelli Romani, the name for the group of towns near the Alban Hills.

Each day will begin with breakfast at the casale. If weather permits, you can sit outdoors under a pergola surrounded by vineyards.

Following breakfast, you'll be transported to one of the nearby Castelli Romani or other interesting sights. Some of the excursions may include Frascati, Castel Gandolfo, Palestrina, Nemi, Villa D'Este, Tivoli Gardens and Ostia Antica.

You'll have the opportunity to explore the towns on your own, enjoy a leisurely lunch at your own pace and be transported back to the casale late in the afternoon.

After you've had a chance to rest up, the cooking lesson will begin in the Casale kitchen.
We'll prepare a variety of dishes from the Lazio region and other parts of Italy. We'll all sit down to dinner around the Renaissance refectory table and enjoy the results - all with wines to complement the food of course.

The group will be small - and you don't have to be part of a couple to enroll. But couples are encouraged to participate too. Sign up soon to avoid disappointment before the workshop fills up. A registration form is at the bottom of this page.
Spero di vedervi in Italia - That's "Hope to see you in Italy."

Costs

Cost per person is $2750, based on double occupancy, to be paid in two installments -
Upon registration $500 is due with the balance ($2250) due by Feb. 19, 2012.
The group will be small, so don't wait too long to register or you may be disappointed.

Refunds and Cancellations

Cancellations given with a 90-day notice will receive a refund of the deposit, less a $50 handling fee. Deposits and the balance of the fees will be refunded only in the event of cancellation of the cooking workshop.

A minimum of five people is required to make the workshop possible, so please wait to purchase non-refundable airline tickets until you receive confirmation of adequate enrollment. At the latest, the workshop will be confirmed no later than March 15, 2012.

Travel and trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended as protection to the participant.

Questions?

Hi, I'm Linda Prospero, creator of Ciao Chow Linda and I'll be organizing the week-long adventure at Casale Sonnino for you. I spent my career working as a journalist and my work has appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times to the Times of India, but my real passion is food and sharing it with others. I learned to cook growing up in an Italian household and have continued the tradition of a respect for food, the use of quality ingredients and cooking for my family and friends.

If you have questions about any aspect of the trip, contact me by email at Ciaochowlinda@gmail.com. If you'd prefer to talk by phone, leave me your phone number and I'll call you back.