Italian cooking holidays
Sydney Morning Herald - The Age
leading daily newspapers in Australia
18th September, 2010 feature article (travel section):
"Pasta, olives and tradition"
by Murray Johnson (extract)
Murray Johnson does the rounds of the kitchen at a hilltown cooking school north of Rome.
When Guido met Sally he was the Roman editor of a food magazine and she was an Australian teaching English in Italy. That was 13 years ago. Now Sally Ransom and Guido Santi run cooking holidays in Toffia, an unspoilt mediaeval hill town about an hour north of Rome.
Santi teaches students how to make homely regional dishes such as risotto, stuffed zucchini and veal saltimbocca using seasonal local produce and recipes passed down from his grandmother. His cooking is not technical but is high on inspiration and handy tips.
''We want to give people a taste of living in authentic Italy,'' Ransom says. ''We offer a chance to live in a little village and watch daily life go by.''
Their school, Convivio Rome, has one-day, long-weekend and week-long Italian cooking holidays, mixing cooking and sightseeing and promoting local people and their produce.
At the start of my course, students meet for coffee, then Ransom takes us on a walking tour through Toffia to her 500-year-old home. In Santi's kitchen we don aprons and sprightly 70-year-old Signora Lucia pops in and shows us how to make perfect pasta by hand.
Giving students a chance to try their hand at each stage, she rolls out the pasta with a metre-long rolling pin and deftly cuts it into fettuccine with a knife, then shakes out the strands ready for cooking. We make a pasta sauce, a regional salad and a dessert, and sit down to enjoy them with Ransom and Santi over a glass of local wine.
After lunch, village gent Ruggero Migani takes us to an olive grove and explains the history, cultivation, processing and uses of the oil. When he's not guiding tours, Migani is a professional make-up artist for brides and Roman nobility.
The chance to taste vibrant ''novello'' olive oil on fresh bread (pane e olio) among the trees where it grows is a treat. The oil is peppery and herbaceous, like freshly cut grass, and not ''oily'' to taste.
Convivio Rome's longer courses include a trip to one of the oldest olive trees in Italy - 2000 years old and seven metres in circumference - at the nearby town of Canneto. The week-long option includes a welcome dinner, hill town excursion, a wine tasting night and a trip with Santi, an eighth-generation Roman, to the Eternal City's hidden treasures. He visits trattorias unchanged since the 1950s and the 400-year-old Campo dei Fiori, one of Rome's oldest fruit, vegetable and flower markets.
The cooking school also makes a great day trip from Rome. In 40 minutes by train you're at Fara Sabina, where you're met at the station and whisked to Toffia (population 350), where the ''new church'' is 500 years old. There's not a tourist in sight; just rolling forested hills, olive groves, picturesque hill towns and Fara Sabina's sixth-century Farfa Abbey.
Jamie Oliver came here in search of Italy's oldest herb garden. Instead he found unhealthy monks eating out of cans and taught them to cook in one of six episodes of his television series Jamie's Great Italian Escape.
Ransom and Santi include accommodation for their three- and six-night programs in self-contained apartments within the historic walls of Toffia.....
National Geographic's Book 'Food Journeys of a Lifetime' distributed worldwide
Published in 2010, National Geographic published this wonderful hardcover book listing '500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe'. It features Convivio Rome's recipes for Roman artichokes 'Carciofi all Romana'
Rudy Maxa, host and executive producer of the public television travel series, 'Rudy Maxa's World'. Conducted live radio interview on radionews1440.com in USA, and wrote article for Delta Airlines' Sky Magazine:
June, October and November, 2010 2 Radio interviews between Rudy Maxa and Sally at Convivio Rome on 19th June, 2010, to live audiences of over 125 syndicated radio stations throughout USA on newsradio1440.com and on 14th November, 2010 on 'kfwb.com' to LA audiences.
Rudy and his family joined Convivio Rome for part of a week long cooking vacation in October, 2010 and wrote about his 'hands on' experiences, for Delta Sky Magazine titled "Cooking School in Italy":
(an extract) " ......Today, Convivio Rome hosts intimate groups (or even individual couples) in the oh-so-charming village of Toffia. They have several very nicely renovated homes in the town available for their guests, and each day (they offer one day or three and six-night experiences), “students” join Guido and local experts such as Signora Lucia in preparing a several course meal.
The rest of the day is spent prowling the nearby hills, either at leisure or with Guido and Sally tasting local olive oil or a day trip to Rome. That’s my idea of a perfect cooking school.
Together with five other guests, I rolled out pasta made simply of flour and eggs. Guido showed us how to prepare a simple, authentic ragu al Pomodoro......"
International Lifestyle Magazine - distributed world-wide.
August 2010 edition: Feature article 'Italian Flare',
by Lynn Nicholson (extract)
Here you can stay and learn to cook traditional and authentic foods using only what is in season, an area which
is most certainly non negotiable. By sourcing all their ingredients locally they ensure that they are keeping their carbon footprint to a minimum and of course, this is how a village can maintain its authenticity by not having to look for other, more commercial, ways to survive. This is an area which has stood still in time, a true medieval village, Toffia...
TasteItalia, leading British magazine for Italian food lovers- distributed world-wide.
June 2008 edition: Feature article 'Italian Cookery School Focus - Convivio Rome'
"Unspoilt Lazio is the setting for this cookery school, passionate about the local produce and culture.
Underpinned by a commitment to local farming and food producers, Convivio Rome is a cookery school with a passion for the food of Italy and in particular Lazio, of course. It all began back in 2001, when owners Sally and Guido Santi set the wheel in motion organising cookery courses in the Bel Paese, and eventually settling in Toffia, a medieval hilltop village in the Sabina area of Lazio. As her name suggests, Sally is not Italian, although she shares the passion for food inherent in the natives of that country. Eleven years ago she made her way to Italy from Australia and like so many others was captivated by the people, the culture, the history and the food and wine. She adores her new home in Lazio. “This is a very special area of Italy not only because of its wild natural beauty and magnificent views but for me it is truly authentic. There is nothing commercial, no neon signs, no foreign newspapers and definitely no tourist buses. It is not uncommon for our neighbours to knock on our door offering us a paper bag filled with fruit or vegetables that have just been picked from their fields.”
The beauty of the area was not the only reason to stay – she had also met her husband Guido and together they founded Convivio Rome Italian Cooking holidays, which allows them to share their love of Italy. Guido is a native Roman, for whom food is more than just a career. “Every evening, I prepare food for my wife and daughter that has come from my grandmother’s family,” says Guido. “The secrets of these Italian recipes have been passed down from my grandmother to my mother and now onto me. I want to share this love and passion that my family has always had for good food and wine.” So those who attend a Convivio Rome cookery holiday can rest assured that they will be learning about authentic Italian food, full of family history and personality. On top of an innate love of food, Guido also has the professional experience requisite in running a successful cookery school. A food editor for many years, Guido has met some of the most celebrated Italian chefs and learnt their secrets first-hand. Having run cookery schools in other parts of Italy, England and Australia, he has built up some serious cooking knowledge and is now in charge of Convivio’s Italian cooking classes and wine-tasting sessions. These classes have an emphasis on the freshest food available in season, the balance of flavours and ease of preparation.
Perhaps most importantly it’s about having fun, enjoying yourself. The team like to think they offer more than just a cooking holiday. The courses include a day trip to Rome, a walk through an olive grove to learn about the ancient art of making olive oil, a wine-tasting evening and, importantly, free time to relax, or discover your own secrets of the region. Guests can experience life as a resident of Toffia, with personal accommodation in a restored historic home, allowing an immersion in the Italian way of life in what is still a haven from the mass tourism of other areas. This is a holiday that hits all the right buttons, good food and wine, a beautiful setting, new skills and fun."
April 2008 edition: Feature article 'Sun sea and seasoning' - Convivio Rome is listed as one of the 20 best cookery schools in Italy.
"Living like the locals is their motto. And if these locals are living so well, you will find it hard to leave after your seven-day visit to Sabina, between Rome and Umbria. Sinking into the local life in the medieval hilltop town of Toffia, where the classes are held – and much of the accommodation – the unforgettable experience offered by Convivio Rome is only rivalled by the excellent recipes and cooking skills you’ll take away with you. With three mornings of lessons with an Italian chef followed by lengthy lunches and visits to neighbouring villages and markets, this is a great choice if you want to discover a less known part of Italy and also visit the Eternal City."
Cambridgeshire Journal - British monthly lifestyle and social magazine.
March 2008 Edition - "Isabel Cockayne travels to Italy to learn how to cook perfect pasta in the kitchen of an expert."
"The best way to learn about a country’s cuisine is to go there. A step further would be to bring a slice of that food know-how back with you, by learning to cook from an Italian passionate about his country and its food. Guido Santi is just the man. He and his Australian wife Sally Ransom have set up a unique cooking holiday in the gorgeous hill-top medieval town of Toffia in the Sabina region, just an hour’s drive from Rome.....
Guido’s advice for pasta-lovers is to choose the make with the roughest edge ‘to better take up the sauce’. The results of our cooked pasta and the addition of the pesto was divine. It was followed by meat cooked with sage and fruit with a chocolate dipping sauce for dessert. But holidays here are not all about slaving over a hot stove. We visited an olive grove, walked around the pretty village of Farfa and enjoyed a car ride up to see more historic hilltop towns – a feature of Sabina. With the sights and smells of Italy around you and such perfect hosts, you cannot help but relax and fall in love with the country – and bring a little cooking know- how back with you to impress your friends."
The Liberty Times - Taiwan's biggest daily newspaper.
This article was submitted by Cecily, one of our clients, after her week-long cooking holiday with Convivio Rome in 2007. This is the e-mail she kindly sent to us:
"I tried to write down my Toffia Italian cooking experience and send to Taiwan's biggest newspaper(they had a weekend column to introduce the readers' special travel experience)........you know what, they really published my Toffia experience on the New Year's special travel column!
"The Liberty Times" is Taiwan's biggest newspaper, they print 800,000 sets everyday. I know you can't read the story (as it is written in Chinese). Sorry I can't translate all of the story. I described the beautiful small town-Toffia and my one week living experience there. I really wanted to share my fantastic experience with all of the readers.
You can find my name on the top area and the familiar photo of Toffia. That small area is my beautiful memories of Toffia and you all. Best Wishes, Cecily"
La Gazzetta Italiana - The respected voice of the Italian American Community.
By Mary Therese Burns-De Francesco
The small mountaintop village of Toffia, in the Sabine Hills near Rome, was drenched in golden late-afternoon light as I sat at a rustic bar near the arched gate of the village, overlooking the green valley below. If you remember your Roman history, the band of men who founded the City of Rome went on an expedition and kidnapped their wives from the Sabine tribe, becoming the original Roman people. I was here in Toffia to interview Sally Ransom and Guido Santi, the owners of the Conviviorome Italian Cooking Holidays, considered to be one of the ten best cooking holidays offered in Italy.
Living the dream
Sally is from Sydney, Australia and originally came to Italy 13 years ago to teach English. She and her Italian husband, Guido, met in Rome and, during excursions together outside the capital, they both “fell in love with the unspoiled Sabina countryside.” They went to live their dream in these stunning hills covered with olive orchards and vineyards, and in 2001 started their first venture of a tourism and cooking business which they later sold. They then launched Conviviorome in 2006, offering one-day and three- and six-night cooking holidays for up to eight people.
Course participants are hosted in several beautiful old homes in the cobblestone village, where they can participate in village life between sessions at the school and settle into the relaxed pace of the rural setting. Meals prepared together in the morning are eaten at lunch and there is a wine tasting dinner at the end of the weeklong stay.
Conviviorome also offers the Olive Tour with olive oil tasting during visits to olive groves. Tours include local sites such as the medieval Farfa monastery and village and one-day Roman tours during the longer courses.
Italian country life
All things Italian, particularly Tuscan, have captured the popular imagination in the Anglophone world, especially after recent films idealizing Italian country life. Only few know about as-yet undiscovered Sabina’s rustic beauty and culinary ways.
Sally stressed that they “place an accent on using local seasonal produce and authentic ingredients in the courses,” according to the age-old local slow-food traditions of the Lazio region.
“Nowadays, there is a widespread trend of returning to one’s roots,” explains Sally, “and culinary traditions are a big part of this.”
It is common for Italian American course participants to rediscover customs from childhood or to notice villagers who look like family members. “Many tourists visiting Rome come for the one-day cooking/touring experience,” she commented, “though we’ve hosted American families of different generations, all living in different countries, that meet up here in Toffia for a Conviviorome Italian Cooking Holiday.”
