Maria
Cesarina from 2024I live in: Rome
Spoken languages: Italian and English
Good to know
I offer vegetarian alternatives
Hi from Maria!
I love preparing first courses with homemade pasta, such as maccheroni alla chitarra, ravioli, and lasagna, along with risottos and dried pasta dishes featuring mushrooms and various vegetables. I have happily experimented with many dishes from Abruzzese cuisine, including ndurciullune, pallotte cacio e ova, and stuffed rabbit. Additionally, whenever I have the chance, I enjoy being inspired by the typical cuisines of Tuscany and Lazio.
Experiences
Reviews
5.0
5 reviews
- We really enjoyed our cooking class with Maria and Giorgio. We learned to make several pasta dishes that we will be able to share with our family. We also shared a delicious meal with them. Also this was more than a cooking class. It was truely an authentic experience where we were welcomed into their home and learned a lot about Italian culture and daily life. It was a highlight of our trip to Rome and one we will remember for many years.
- Maria and Giorgio were WONDERFUL. We had such a great time with them and they made us feel like family. We loved it!
- Our cooking class with Maria was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we stepped into her beautiful home, we felt immersed in authentic Italian culture. The warmth of the kitchen, the scent of fresh ingredients, and the stunning artwork on the walls—painted by Maria’s talented husband—set the perfect atmosphere for an unforgettable evening. Maria’s passion for Italian cuisine shone through as she guided us through the art of pasta-making. With her expert yet approachable teaching style, we kneaded, rolled, and shaped pasta like true Italians. Every step was infused with her knowledge, patience, and love for tradition. As if making fresh pasta wasn’t magical enough, we also learned how to create the perfect tiramisu. Layering delicate mascarpone cream with espresso-soaked biscuits felt like a true Italian ritual, and the end result was nothing short of divine. The highlight, of course, was sitting down to enjoy our handmade meal. The pasta was rich and flavorful, the tiramisu was a dream, and the entire experience felt like a warm embrace of Italian hospitality. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian cooking class, Maria is an absolute gem. Her hospitality, expertise, and the unique charm of her home make this a must-do for anyone who loves food and meaningful experiences. We left with full hearts, happy stomachs, and a newfound appreciation for the magic of Italian cooking. Highly recommended!
- The whole experience was amazing! They did a wonderful job at explaining everything we did, and had a lot of laughs along the way. This family is so welcoming and does their best at giving you a true Italian dinner experience. 11/10 recommend to anyone coming here for an authentic experience. One of the most enjoyable things we did while in Rome!! Grazie!!
- Our family took a cooking class with Maria, her husband Giorgio, and daughter Claudia. It was a really terrific experience. They went well beyond what they needed to do and all five of us were incredibly happy leaving there. We arrived at their apartment and immediately went to the market. It was December 26th, a holiday in Italy, so they took us to the supermarket to buy ingredients. It was a beautiful supermarket and I wish we had something like it back home. On the way back to their home, I talked to Giorgio. We tried French as a common language and it was really fun as I understood most of what he said although he had a thick Italian accent. When we got to their home, we went right to making cavatelli. It was more challenging than I thought, but we practiced a lot and I think that when we go home if we buy the right little tool to make the creases in the pasta, we can do it. We will also have to figure out how to source the right kind of flour because the regular grocery store doesn’t have the kind that they used. We also learned to make a second kind of pasta (linguine) and then we sat down to a feast. We ate so much food that we had to cancel our dinner reservation for that evening. Maria served a variety of food. She taught us how to make a salad with puntarelle and anchovies. We had fried balls with a bread filling and also fried balls filled with the rice and cheese. We had the pasta we had made and then she made a whole other course that we didn’t cook, a chicken stuffed with another meat and a fruit sauce. We also had three different desserts and then Georgio brought out all kinds of after dinner drinks. Altogether, the dinner was accompanied with a Marsala wine by Floriovo, a Greek liqueur called Mastic Tears, a homemade Mirto liqueur, Sassolino an anise liqueur, and Amaro Iannamico an herbal liqueur. Overall the five of us had a really great time and this family was just so lovely. If you get a chance to have a class with them, you will be thrilled.
LeeAnn & Jim - March 2025
Marianne and George - March 2025
Ryan and Peni - February 2025
Chris and Anna Graham - February 2025
Marilyn C. - January 2025