The Best Food and Cooking Experience at a short distance from Rome
Get ready to live a peculiar day during your stay in Rome. At a short distance from the city, you will spend a day in total relax discovering the famous traditional Roman dishes with us. As food experiences in Rome and surroundings are becoming more and more common and generalized, we at I Need Tours offer a different way to explore Roman’s real food tradition. We ensure you will experience something unique that will stay in your memories for a very long time. The local characters that you will encounter during the tour will not be easily forgotten, too. The departure will be from the center of Rome (or directly from your hotel if centrally located) at 10.00 a.m. in order to give you the opportunity to relax at the hotel and enjoy a nice breakfast. After about 1 hour drive towards South East direction, you will arrive to Villa delle Magnolie, a beautiful estate in the countryside between Zagarolo and San Cesareo. This area has always been known as "The Garden of Rome", thanks to its artistic treasures and beautiful medieval towns perched on gentle hills giving an incredible charm to the general landscape.
At the Villa, you will be greeted by Eddy and Jessica, the owners of the estate. Eddy is a world of characters in one person: artist, musician, singer, director, composer, food journalist, publisher, and professor of cinematography. His estate talks about his many activities and he himself will tell you the most surprising stories about his life. The real interesting part, although, is that Eddy is a real fan of Roman cuisine and, needless saying, an excellent cook! Once you arrive at the estate, he will show you the interiors and the large garden of Villa delle Magnolie, with its terrific panorama over the valley below. Then, he will take you to his vegetable garden, depending on the season you can even pick some of the fresh ingredients that you are going to need for the recipes.
Now that everything is ready, it is time to start the cooking class. Enter the kitchen with Eddy and immerse yourself in a great course on Roman cooking. You will learn how simple the secrets of Italian cuisine are, like the best ways to eat seasonally, how to make the perfect pasta and the best suggestion for a great second course. After a charming welcoming appetizer, you can cook the typical Pasta with “Amatriciana” sauce or a fantastic “Carbonara”, depending on the season. As for the second course, the meat will be the main cast, thanks to famous dishes like “Pollo alla Cacciatora” (chicken with wine, sauce and vegetables) or “Abbacchio al forno con patate” (roast lamb with potatoes). After all your efforts for preparing this delicious food… It is time to eat! Enjoy your lunch with Eddy and Jessica, accompanied by typical local red wine that cannot miss during a real Italian meal. You will taste your own creations while talking and having fun with real friends; it can be shocking, how peaceful and relaxing can be the Roman surroundings, compared to the bustling city! You may also appreciate some live Italian music sang and played by your multitasking host, or discuss with him about cinema and art.
At approximately 04.30 p.m., you will return back to Rome by Minivan. However, it is just a goodbye, Eddy and Jessica will wait for you anytime you are back again in Rome! You will arrive at your accommodation in Rome at approx. 05.30 p.m.; you can also ask the driver to drop you off in a specific place in the city center in order to enjoy other stunning experiences in the great Eternal City.