Sweet Tooth Sunday – Daniela’s Cooking School in Rome

Rome. That one word can evoke so much.

Adventure, history, empire, tradition and food are all things conjured in my head when I think of Rome.

But food is what we’ll focus on today, because it’s been far too long since a Sweet Tooth Sunday has been posted.

During our trip to Italy this past November we decided to take a private cooking class with Daniela. She was born in Naples and has lived in Rome for years teaching people like us all about the traditions of Italian cooking.

Not just the how but the why…the feel, touch, taste and soul of Italian cooking. The respect for a good farmer and fisherman. The respect to use each ingredient for what it’s meant to become.

Our day began at the Testaccio Market. We meet Daniela and her wonderful assistant Ariana. It’s only our second day in Rome, we’re a little tired and jet lagged but their smiles and hugs are warm and welcoming. We drink coffee and talk about life in Rome and get to know each other. It doesn’t take long to feel at home.

As we drink coffee a menu develops based on what’s in season. We walk the market together as Daniela and Ariana explain each shop and each specialty and what they buy from each person. Prosciutto, guanciale, zucca, broccolo romano, ricotta…we check them all off the list, one by one.

As we shop, we’re soaking it in, trying to understand the Italian as we go, absorbing all the colors and smells the market offers. We’re given a taste here and there and the fruit is fresh and the meat melts in your mouth. It’s truly incomparable. Our list is complete and we head to Daniela’s home where we chat, taste the ingredients, feel their nuances and learn why things taste differently in Rome. We pick herbs from Daniela’s garden and together we laugh at our highly American ways in the kitchen.

Slowly we catch on. Daniela’s patient. We start to build each dish one slice and ingredient at a time. This is where we had the most fun and realized it’s just as much about the amazing raw ingredients the country has to offer as it is the company we are surrounded by.

We can’t say enough about Daniela and her welcoming spirit. If you’re in Rome this is a must-do item on your list.

Enjoy…