May 19 to May 26, 2012


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."