I recently returned from a cooking holiday with a company 'Convivio Rome' and I must say it was fabulous and much more than I had expected. I was well looked after the whole time. An Australian wife and Italian husband run these holidays in a truly authentic and really untouched part of Italy, in Sabina, just north of Rome. Highly recommended!

If you have some holidays yet, and you like Italian cooking, I suggest you to visit Foligno (Umbria) from 27th to 30th September and to take part to “I primi d’Italia”.This is the 9th national festival of the first courses. There we can find an universe of tastings and of course all Italian cooking culture. you can visit www.iprimiditalia.it.

Italian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved from centuries of social and political change. Its roots can be traced back to 4th century BC through to the introduction of notable chefs such as Maestro Martino who cooked an elegant refined Italian cuisine. The cuisine significantly changed with discovery of the New World helped shape much of what is known as Italian cuisine today with introduction of items as potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper and maize, which are all central parts of the cuisine but were not introduced in scale until the 18th century.Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) (regulated appellation) laws. Coffee, and more specifically espresso has become highly important to the cultural cuisine of Italy.