We arrived very early into Rome from Naples to await our driver and the other participants for our seven day cooking adventure. Due to some miscommunication, we finally were connected and met Nicki and Tim from the Cincinnati area, Barbara from upstate NY, Jean Marie from Manhattan, Sue and her neighbor Lori from outside of Philadelphia. They all seemed very friendly and it was immediately obvious that wewould be a good group.
In a little over an hour, and we arrived at Casa Gregorio in the small town of Castro dei Volsci, on top of a mountain between Rome and Naples. The views are spectacular, the breezes welcoming, and the staff attentive. We went to our rooms (20, I believe), and the room was gorgeous overlooking the valley below. According to Giuseppe, we had his favorite room. All the rooms have different names. Ours is Saffron, and the colors reflected that. We also are the only room that has a shower and a whirlpool tub!
We got settled and then met for a little walk around the small medieval town center. After only a short time together, you would have thought we came as a group of old friends. The small church is unadorned but charming. There is a lookout point over the valley that provides a splendid view of the area below.
Casa Gregorio was established in 2012 for North Americans to learn about Italian cuisine in a communal, friendly environment. According to the itinerary, every day has a tour, lunch, a cooking class in the Casa and then a wonderful dinner including what we made in class. Luca, the chef, is not only adorable, but very knowledgeable, considering he has not had formal training.
He is capably supported by Dayana, Sara, Antonietta, Carolina, Letizia, and others, who keep things on track, even with our rowdy bunch. There are several kitchens in the Casa, and I am drooling at how gorgeous and functional they are. We had an early dinner in the large dining room.
We started with an amazing first course of pasta with a light sauce that was bursting with flavor. Of course, there was plenty of wine! The second was a lightly dressed plate of salad greens and a chicken roll filled with cheese and ham. Although gorgeous, we could only eat one of the rolls. And, for dessert an incredible ricotta pie.
It was a long day and after enjoying our new companions at Casa Gregorio and eating an amazing meal, it was time to get some rest. Tomorrow, we have a full day with a tour of an olive oil mill and tasting, lunch, and our first cooking class.