The magical medieval village of Toffia- Video

Toffia, a medieval hilltop village, dates back to 940AD is nestled in the Sabine Hills, just north of Rome, Italy. This little village, population over just over 1200 residents, has an active community. Toffia is best known for it's music and food festivals held over the Summer period. 

Toffia is unknown to mass tourism and continues to offer an authentic taste of Italian life. Come along and 'live like a local' in joining Convivio Rome 4 and 5 Day Italian Cooking Holidays where you will be staying in one of the recently renovated homes within the historic walls. Let Chef Guido and Sally, from Convivio Rome, bring Italy alive for you.

For more information: info@conviviorome.com

Bookings now being taken, (with fully transferable deposit) for 2021 and 2022. 

Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays

One Day Italian Cooking Classes

Half Day Rome Olive Tours

Half Day Rome Winery and Wine Tasting Tours

Virtual Italian Cooking Parties

Online Cooking Classes with Chef Guido

Corporate Virtual Cooking Events

Online Video Italian Cooking Package

Rome Street Food Chef Guido's Memories of his Childhood in Rome

Rome Street Food

Rome Street Food Carts make up a part of Chef Guido's childhood memories, growing up in Rome.  Between Piazza Navona, Trastevere and the Colosseum, street food was everywhere, suppli (arancini), deep-fried, crispy vegetables were quickly served in a cone of thick paper and often consumed on the go. Although more rare today, these delicacies are still available around Rome and Chef Guido is going to show you how to prepare fantastic Rome Street Food how he remembers it from his childhood in the Ethernal City!  

There's something special about delicious snacks that you associate with your childhood, don't you think?

Join us in Italy for Chef Guido's Rome Street Food Workshop, Today

Chef Guido wants to share these childhood memories and ROME STEET FOOD recipes with you LIVE on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October, 2020, via Zoom. 

LEARN MORE AND ENROL NOW FOR EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT HERE! 

JOIN CHEF GUIDO'S ROME STEET FOOD WORKSHOP ON ZOOM ( 2 LIVE cooking classes each day, to suit both Australia and American/UK timezones)

ENROL NOW to Book your Place

CONVIVIO ROME ITALIAN COOKING HOLIDAYS AND COOKING CLASSES

ONE DAY CONVIVIO ROME ITALIAN COOK CLASSES IN ITALY IN PERSON 

ONLINE ITALIAN COOKING PARTIES

LIVE CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING COOKING CLASSES

PRIVATE ON-TO-ONE ITALIAN COOKING CLASSES ONLINE

GUIDOS COOK CLUB MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP

ROME OLIVE TOURS - HALF DAY ROME DAY TRIP

ROME WINERY AND WINE TASTING TOURS - HALF DAY ROME DAY TRIP

Podcast: Foodie Finds in the Sabine Hills, near Rome - Chef Guido and Sally talk to Katy from Untold Italy

Find out more about Sally and Chef Guido and about the beautiful Rome countryside, in Italy, where they have been living and working for the past 15 years. 

Grab a glass of wine, sit back and enjoy this podcast with Chef Guido and Sally, talking to Katy Clarke from Untold Italy.

What made them move to the Sabine Hills?

What is it like to live in a small medieval hilltop village in Italy?

What is the perfect time of year to visit  this unspoilt area?

Why is the extra virgin olive oil of Sabina so famous? 

We invite you to listen to this Podcast and Interview by Katy Clarke from 'Untold Italy' with Chef Guido and Sally from Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Classes and Italian Culinary Vacations

EPISODE #033: FOODIE FINDS IN THE SABINE HILLS NEAR ROME

POSTED ON AUGUST 6, 2020 BY ITALY_ADMIN

*****

Complementary Italian Cooking Package

Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Classes and Cooking Holidays 

Convivio Rome Day Italian Cooking and Touring Experiences

Rome Wine Tours - Half Day Winery and Wine Tasting Tour 

Rome Olive Tours - Half Day Rome Olive Oil Tasting and Olive Grove Tour

Virtual Live Italian Cooking Parties and Cooking Classes

Guido's Cook Club - Monthly Membership

Chef Guido and James talk about Seasonal Foods in Italy and Special Festivals Foods

Invitation for Sunday August, 9 

LIVE ZOOM Conversation

Chef Guido and James, from 'Wandering Italy',

will be talking about Seasonal Foods and Special foods for Festivals and Local Celebrations

LIVE ZOOM Conversation - Sunday August, 9th at 7.00- 7.30pm (Italian time)

View LIVE on Zoom - link needed: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88153745959

You are invited to join us LIVE on Zoom 

Sunday, Aug 9, 2020 at 7.00 to 7.30PM (Italian time)*

to listen to Chef Guido
chat with James, from 'Wandering Italy'
about
Seasonal foods, Sagra, and Special foods selected for Festival Days

ZOOM LINK: to join in to listen and ask questions LIVE

*TIME: Sunday, Aug 9, 2020 10.00 AM PDT California / 1.00PM EST New York / 6.00pm UK / 07:00 PM Rome (Italian time) / 5.00AM next day Sydney, Australia / 7.00AM next day New Zealand

To join Zoom Conversation, LIVE: 

Use this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88153745959

Meeting ID: 881 5374 5959
If you can't make it Live, this fun and interesting discussion will be recorded for you to view, later on 'Convivio Rome Cooking Holidays' Facebook page.

****
Who is James? James is an avid Italian Food Expert who has been writing about traditional Italian food on La Cucina Povera and on Travelling around Italy, for many years. You can find James on Wandering Italy and  'Traditional Italian Food'


James, works together with Martha, who has runs Martha's Italy  and Italy Travel 2 excellent sources of information to help plan your trip to Italy. 

****
See you 'LIVE' this Sunday on Zoom
Sally and Guido

Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays

Day Italian Cooking Classes

Guido's Cook Club Monthly Membership 

Virtual Italian Cooking Parties and Cooking Classes on Zoom

Half Day Rome Olive Tours

Half Day Rome Winery and Wine Tasting Tours

Lazio Foods and Sabina Olive Oil - Chef Guido Talks to James Martin - Direct from Italy

Direct from the Rome Countryside

Chef Guido from Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays 

and 

James Martin, from Wandering Italy and La Cucina Povera 

Talk about Traditional Italian Food and Italian Culture

Lazio Cuisine and Sabina Olive Oil

Both James and Guido have such a great passion for traditional Italian cuisine. 

Enjoy watching this recording

Grab a glass of wine and join us in Italy, while watching this replay 

NB. You can also find a recording of this Interview on our Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays Facebook Page

Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Classes and Culinary Vacations 

Virtual Online Italian Cooking Parties and Cooking Classes

Guido's Cook Club Monthly Membership - Join Now

Rome Olive Tours

Rome Wine Tasting and Winery Tours

Rome Day Trip: the Sabine Hills

The Sabine Hills: a perfect day trip from Rome 

Only 35 minutes from Rome's outskirts and just north of the Capital, perfect for a day out in the countryside or a longer stay as part of a relaxing holiday, the Sabine Hills (Sabina) will reward its visitors with ancient medieval history, unspoilt landscape, renaissance palaces castles and monasteries, cultural events, art exhibitions, hiking trails and of course the 'Sabina DOP' extra virgin olive oil from its olive groves.

Toffia, 930AD is the oldest medieval village in Sabina (the Sabine Hills)

Dating back to 1200's, this medieval hilltop village is a hidden treasure

Unspoilt countryside

The way the Sabine Hills are still today very rural and unspoilt is almost miraculous, despite its vicinity with a big city like Rome. The landscape of Sabina is quintessentially Italian, with its rolling hills covered by olive groves and fruit orchards and dotted with medieval hilltop villages and castles. Because of the olive trees and other evergreen mediterranean plants, the Sabine hills are always very green, all year round. A visit to one of the many hilltop villages in the area, will reveal beautiful views over valleys and mountains in the far distance. 

Views over olive groves and hilltop villages in the Sabine Hills

The Sabine Hills offers magnificent views over unspoilt countryside

History 
Sabina is an ancient land where civilisation started way before Rome and the local archaeological museum in Fara Sabina tells a story of walled cities, powerful kings and the development of fine art, pottery, jewellery and elaborate bronze manufacts from 2,600 years ago. Three of the seven kings of Rome, Tito Tazio, Numa Pompilio and Anco Marzio, were from here. 

During the middle ages, Sabina was part of the Holy Roman Empire and thanks to Charlemagne and his land donations, a local monastery called Farfa became a huge economic and military power in the area. The Farfa monastery owed its wealth to olive oil production for many centuries, as it was the largest landowner in Central Italy and it become an independent city state, its borders reaching well into modern Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche.

500 year old streets run between the ancient monastery and artisan shops in Farfa

Sightseeing

National parks such as Monti Lucretili and vast conservation areas allow those passionate about hiking or mountain biking to explore the area using ancient  trails, walking through green valleys, woods and cultivated land. However, even just visiting some of the villages in Sabina will be an experience in itself. Medieval villages like Toffia, Castelnuovo di Farfa, Fara Sabina, Farfa, Bocchignano or Montopoli have impressive defensive walls, beautifully decorated renaissance palaces and ancient churches.

Toffia, one of the most beautiful hilltop villages in the Sabine Hills

A maze of picturesque alleyways, archways and little piazzas will welcome the visitor, almost resembling a movie set, without the mass tourism of other Italian regions. Impressive medieval castles can be seen in Rocca Sinibalda (Castello Cesarini, 1084 AD) and in Frasso Sabino (Castello Sforza, 955 AD).

Medieval streets and picturesque doorways in Castelnuovo di Farfa

 Great photo opportunities lie within the medieval streets

Culture
Today, Sabina is well known for its art and music festivals which are organised throughout the year. Toffia is famous for its "Festa del Centro Storico', an art, music and street theatre festival which lasts for 5 nights in mid-August and attracts more than 3,000 people every night. Toffia is also known for its very active theatre, run by 'Officina 33'. In Fara Sabina there is an international Jazz Festival in July and Casaprota hosts the interesting art and music 'Arterie festival'.

A local music trio, called 'Lamorivostri', keeps traditional music alive, with frequent concerts in the Sabina area and in Rome.

Sabina is well known for its music and art festivals 

Food

Sabina is famous for its extra virgin olive oil, the very first in Italy to receive the DOP denomination. Olive oil has been produced here for millennia (there is an olive tree that's 2000 years old) and is known for being light and flavoursome at the same time. The area is also well known for pecorino cheese, olives, salami and of course guanciale (cured pork cheek), necessary for any amatriciana or carbonara sauce. Cooking Holidays are run in Toffia. One day cooking classes, as well as olive oil tours, and wine tours are also offered in the Sabine Hills area.

There are many Restaurants to choose from in Sabina. For an interesting combination of traditional dishes with a touch of creativity there is 'La Taverna del Corsari' in Montopoli.

How to get there from Rome

Fara Sabina is the best place to begin to explore the Sabine Hills. There is an excellent direct train departing every 15 minutes from many stations in Rome (Ostiense, Trastevere and Tiburtina, for example) to Fara Sabina Station. It takes 39 minutes to get from Rome Tiburtina to Fara Sabina. Here there are buses to many different villages in the Sabina area. By car, the direct way is via Rome-Florence (A1) motorway, Fiano Romano exit, then following signs to Rieti and Via Salaria, then to Fara Sabina.
If you join any of our Convivio Rome Culinary Holidays, or day activities such as our cooking classes, olive tour and wine tours, we include a free pick up and return service to our local train station.

Cooking Classes: https://www.conviviorome.com/one-day/your-day-cooking-experience.html

Olive Oil Tours: https://www.conviviorome.com/olive-tour.html

Wine Tours: https://www.winetoursrome.com/

Visit the Sabine Hills, Virtually: Convivio Rome are also offering fun Virtual Cooking Parties and LIVE Cooking Classes, where you can learn authentic Italian cuisine in a fully interactive live cooking class. If you wish get an authentic taste of Italy, and meet like minded people, you can also join Chef Guido's monthly membership called 'Guido's Cook Club'

Train information: can be found on trenitalia.com site

Bus information: can be found on cotralspa.it

© Guido Santi, 2020

Additional background information on Guido: Guido Santi is an eighth generation Roman who has a passion for cooking traditional Italian cuisine and for local, fresh, organic food and wine. As a follower of the Slow Food philosophy, he supports and promotes local farmers and the 'zero kilometres' philosophy. Guido runs "Convivio Rome" with his Australian wife Sally, offering cooking classes, 3 and 5 night culinary holidays, plus olive oil tours and wine tours in or nearby the medieval hilltop village of Toffia, Sabina (Italy), just north of Rome. You can follow Convivio Rome on Facebook and on Instagram

View from Guido's home and the Convivio Rome Cooking School

www.conviviorome.com

www.winetoursrome.com

Virtual Cooking Classes - A Complimentary Taste of Italy with Chef Guido

We miss you! 

As our Italian borders are beginning to open up and European travel has now recommenced, we are excited that you will soon be able to visit us in person, in Italy! 

When you do come to visit us you will be able to enjoy one of our Italian Cooking Holidays, Day Cooking Classes, Olive Oil Tours and Wine Tours.

However, in the meantime, we would like to continue to bring a Taste of Italy direct to you, by giving you Chef Guido's Complimentary Italian Package, filled with Italian 'goodies'. This is for free, and if you have not already received this 'virtual package' please find out more, today! 

Please SHARE this information with your family and friends, so they can enjoy a Taste of Italy for themselves

With this Italian Cooking Package, you will:

- Cook like an Italian

- Master 5 quick pasta sauces

- Learn to dice an onion & knife skills

- Learn to use fresh ingredients and pair Italian herbs

- Get tips and secrets about authentic Italian cuisine

- Be inspired for your next trip to Italy to take an Italian cooking class or Culinary Vacation with Chef Guido.

The package includes:

1. FREE Recipe e-Booklet includes 5 Simple, Fast, Tasty Pasta Dishes Direct from Rome Italy
2. FREE Step-by-step cooking class video on how to make perfect Pasta Carbonara
3. FREE Step-by-step tutorial video on knife skills and how to dice an onion
4. FREE Italian herb pairing chart
5. FREE Inspirational travel advice for your next trip to Italy

For more information and to pick up your Italian package, for you or a friend, please follow this link: https://easy-italian-cooking-online.teachable.com/p/free-italian-cooking-package

If you would like to visit us in Italy immediately, you are welcome to join us for a Virtual Cooking Party ( just invite your friends and family). You choose the menu and the date and the Cooking Party begins! It's a lot of fun and fully interactive, on Zoom. We also do Private one-on-one Cooking Classes, too.

We also have a new monthly membership for those passionate about Italian food and Italian Culture, called Guido's Cook Club. To find out more about Guido's Cook Club, please just follow this link.

We look forward to seeing you in person, but between now and then, join us Virtually! 
Sally and Chef Guido
Convivio Rome - Direct from Italy 

Virtual LIVE Italian Cooking Party via Zoom making 'Spaghetti Estate' with Chef Guido

Virtual Italian Cooking Party via Zoom,
Friday, June 12,  2020 at 6pm (Italian time)*!

Come along and join in the fun!

CHEF GUIDO'S VIRTUAL PASTA COOKING PARTY WITH A SURPRISE!

Let's Cook Summer Spaghetti ('Spaghetti Estate') with cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs together with Chef Guido LIVE this Friday. THIS WILL BE LIVE ON ZOOM ONLY. (Zoom details below). Chef Guido will be joining you LIVE from his family home in the Italian countryside.

PLEASE, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN IN THE FUN!

SUMMER SPAGHETTI ('SPAGHETTI ESTATE') WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND BREAD CRUMBS (Shopping list and recipes below)

We welcome you into our Italian kitchen this coming Friday, 12th JUNE, at 6.00pm (Italian time)*. Guido will be LIVE on Zoom, cooking and discussing together ‘Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs', a wonderful Italian pasta dish traditionally in Rome, which is simple to prepare and delicious.

THIS WILL BE A FUN, and FULLY INTERACTIVE COOKING PARTY!
This Live Cooking Party is Extra Special as there will be an additional Q&A time directly with Chef Guido and Sally in Italy, and a Special Surprise, at the end of this Party! We know you will love it!
What makes this Cooking Class different? Guido, an eighth generation Italian, born and still living in Rome, will not only be guiding you through the original recipe, but he will also be talking about the history of this dish and giving you some cooking tips and tricks to help you make the perfect 'Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs'.

During the live session you will have a chance to cook along with Chef Guido. Although we encourage you to turn up Live on ZOOM, so we can cook together.....If you cannot turn up LIVE*, we will put a recording of the virtual cooking party on our 'Convivio Rome Cooking Holidays' Facebook page for a few days.

TIP: When Cooking Together LIVE with Chef Guido, we encourage you to have all your ingredients ready (weighed or measured) and a large pot of salted water already boiling. You will only need a chopping board, knife and fry pan as kitchen utensils, ready to use.

Here is the Shopping List and Recipe so you can Cook Together:
Summer Spaghetti 'Spaghetti Estate' with cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs
500 g (17.6 oz) of spaghetti
3 teaspoons of rock sea salt
30 cherry tomatoes ( chopped in half)
2 slices of Italian-style bread (2 days old is better)
A small bunch of parsley ( finely chopped)
2 whole cloves of garlic
5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt
METHOD:
Put large pot of salted water onto boil. Once water is boiling cook pasta until firm. In the meantime, cut 2 slices of Italian-style bread into dices. Toast the bread in a pan with olive oil and 2 whole cloves of garlic. Discard the garlic and put the bread in a blender with chopped parsley to obtain chunky breadcrumbs.
Chop cherry tomatoes in half. Fry the cherry tomatoes in olive oil until they are almost caramelised. Add a pinch of salt. When pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and transfer it in the pan, with a little water from the pasta pot. Mix the ingredients together. Serve the spaghetti in a pasta bowl, sprinkling a large pinch of breadcrumbs on top. Enjoy!
See you this Friday.
Sally and Guido
Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Classes and Cooking Holidays

PLEASE SHARE with live event with family and friends. Thank you!
* Time Zones: 6.00pm Italian time / 5.00pm London UK / 12.00pm New York / 12.00pm Toronto / 9.00am Los Angeles / 2.00am Sydney / 12.00am Perth Australia / 4.00am Auckland New Zealand.

**Tips on Connecting to us Live on ZOOM:
To find Chef Guido's Virtual Cooking Party on Zoom:
Open your Zoom app
Press: 'Join a Meeting'
Enter the Meeting ID  xxxx
Or, please just follow this link: xxxx

Chef Guido and Sally will start the Cooking Party at 6.00pm, and we suggest you turn up a few minutes early, if you can.

FOR REPLAY ONLY
1/ Open your own Facebook page
2/ Search for Convivio Rome Cooking Holidays ( in your search bar), click search symbol, and you will find our Facebook page. Just press the 'Posts' link on our FB page to see the recording, soon after the Cooking Party finishes.

Living in Australia, New Zealand or Asia? If you can't make it Live, the Recording of this Interactive Zoom Cooking Party will be available on our Facebook Page, to watch at your leisure, for a few days.

Virtual Cooking Parties with Chef Guido

Private online one-to-one Cooking Class with Chef Guido

www.conviviorome.com

www.winetoursrome.com

Virtual Italian Cooking Class Party with Chef Guido from Rome Italy

Live Virtual Italian Cooking Party and Good News for Italy

We just want to keep you updated with the latest good news from Italy. The situation in Italy has improved so much that 'lockdown' has been lifted today and from June 3, travel restrictions between European countries will be lifted altogether. These positive changes bring us hope that international travel will soon be possible. 

The New York Times, in an article titled 'The First Signs of Travel's Return?'
mentioned Italy as one of the 10 safest countries to travel to in the near future.
Everyone has been affected by the pandemic and our family business, like all small tourism-based and hospitality businesses in Italy, had all bookings suddenly cancelled since mid February 2020. So, as you can imagine, we are very excited to see light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to your return to Italy.

This sudden change has given us a chance to go virtual. We thank all of you for supporting us in this new venture, following our Facebook live cooking classes, taking our online virtual cooking workshops and our online video cooking packages. Again, we really appreciate your support.

To add FUN and more interaction to our virtual Italian Cooking Classes, so we are introducing Live Cooking Parties via Zoom (you don't even need a Zoom account). It's almost like being together in our kitchen in Italy, you can catch up with your friends and family over a fun activity and the cooking class is totally interactive.

Here's some wonderful feedback from the Virtual Italian Cooking Party with had with Nola and friends last Saturday:
"We (my daughter and I) and over 15 friends from all over the United States just had the most marvelous Saturday cooking lesson and lunch with Chef Guido. We made gnocchi and ragu sauce and had a marvelous time catching up, learning about Italian cooking and enjoying a delicious lunch. If you are looking for ways to spend time with family and friends, ask Convivio Rome about their zoom cooking parties. My friend Angela made the most beautiful gnocchi!!! What a wonderful time! “ 

To give you the opportunity to try this new fun, interactive activity with your family and friends, please visit this page before midnight Sunday, 24th of May 2020.


If you would prefer an even more personalised experience, Chef Guido also runs one-to-one virtual cooking classes. Find out more here.

Stay in touch and stay safe!
Sally and Guido from Convivio Rome in Italy

Live Virtual Italian Cooking Classes and Cooking Party

www.conviviorome.com

www.winetoursrome.com

Risotto and Gnocchi - Learn how to make it Like an Italian!

ANNOUNCEMENT
Chef Guido will be hosting a NEW Live Workshop
RISOTTO and GNOCCHI MAKING
SATURDAY MAY, 2 and SUNDAY MAY, 3
at 6.00pm ( Italian time)- (Also recorded)
*
Gluten Free and Vegetarian Recipe alternatives included

Chef Guido will teach you have to make the perfect gnocchi and risotto

The Gnocchi and Risotto workshop  on SATURDAY MAY, 2 and SUNDAY MAY, 3
at 6.00pm ( Italian time)*, includes:

-Gnocchi step-by step-live cooking class with ragu’ sauce and vegetarian/gluten free alternatives

-Risotto step-by step-live cooking class with asparagus and speck (Italian smoked ham) and vegetarian alternatives

-Risotto with pumpkin and rosemary step-by-step pre-recorded cooking class

- All recipes

- Shopping lists

- Dedicated Private Facebook group where you can interact and ask questions

- Available on Zoom, for those who do not use Facebook

For more information is now available: Chef Guido's Gnocchi and Risotto Workshop


The Gnocchi and Risotto Workshop is now available on our online Cooking Classes Platform, called 'Italian Cooking Made Easy' on Teachable

NB. The Live Cooking Classes will also be recorded, so this Workshop is suitable for all timezones ( as you can watch the recording and ask questions at your leisure, until May, 16)

To turn up Live * Time Zones: 6.00pm Italian time / 5.00pm London UK / 12.00pm New York / 12.00pm Toronto / 9.00am Los Angeles / 2.00am Sydney / 12.00am Perth Australia / 4.00am Auckland New Zealand.

www.conviviorome.com

Online Cooking Classes - Italian Cooking Made Easy' on Teachable

www.winetoursrome.com