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Host: Massimo and Frederica

Rome, Italy

USD
$70 per person

Traditional Roman family recipes

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Massimo and Frederica

Massimo and Frederica live just outside Porta Pia in a beautiful and contemporary apartment with a fantastic kitchen for cooking. Massimo is a neurologist by profession and Frederica works in the Internal Revenue Agency. Massimo has been passionate about food since his earliest days as a child; he inherited this passion from his grandparents, who taught him their secret family recipes from the Roman-Jewish tradition. Now, Massimo spends most of his spare time in the kitchen, cooking. He and Federica love food, wine and travel and love meeting new people.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-6 guests) Massimo cooks typical Roman family dishes that you may not find in restaurants. Some parts of your menu may also be from Viterbo (Northern Rome), where Massimo's mother is from. Your meal might include antipasti with fresh Italian produce followed by a pasta such as carbonara, cacio e pepe or amatriciana, and a main of Grandma’s meatballs with Florentine beef (which melt in your mouth!) or tuna and Roman ricotta cheese pie. You will end your meal with a typical Italian dessert such as tiramisu (which Massimo likes to make with ricotta cheese instead of mascarpone) or maritozzi (sweet soft buns with cream).

Cooking experience: (2-6 guests) As many traditional Italian dishes take a long time to make, you will only learn to make a traditional pasta dish. It may be cacio e pepe (means "cheese and pepper") or carbonara (made with egg, cheese, Italian bacon and pepper) or amatriciana (guanciale with pecorino cheese and tomato). Please note this is a cooking demonstration rather than a hands-on cooking class. You can expect to watch as Massimo prepares the pasta and explains the process to you. Massimo and Frederica are excited to share their culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Rome. They can also accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free version on request in their Roman cooking class.

Notes: All the dishes and recipes can also be prepared in a vegetarian and gluten-free version, so please do let them know your preference while creating the booking.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Mixed fresh Roman antipasti
  • Bread of Lariano
  • Mezze maniche alla carbonara
  • Grandma's beef meatballs
  • Green beans with boiled eggs and mint
  • Sour cherry and roman ricotta cheesecake
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Join Massimo and Frederica at their apartment for a meal of traditional Italian foods you would eat at home, those you would not necessarily find on the menu in a restaurant. Both Massimo and Frederica are lovely and very friendly. Massimo shares some of his grandmother’s traditional home cooking for an Italian meal that will be the highlight of your trip to Rome. The kitchen is contemporary, the hospitality warm and the food delicious. We felt like we had known them for years by the time we left. Next time we are Rome, we will visit again! Also the meatballs were the best meatballs I have ever had!

Elizabeth and Paul , Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (2)
We had a lovely evening visiting with Massimo , Frederica and her aunt. We started with a delicious antipasto which included a Roman style artichoke that was delicious. We moved on to a traditional carbonara and his grandmothers recipe for homemade meatballs. We drank some delicious wine and finished off the meal with two desserts including a Pistachio cannoli and a traditional Roman cream puff. Massimo and Frederica are very welcoming, interesting, well traveled and knowledgeable. They live in a nice neighborhood in a modern well appointed apartment. We highly recommend having dinner with them .
- Ann W June 19, 2019
Massimo and Federica are the warmest hosts and take care of every detail of the experience... their lovely appartment is beautifully decorated and most welcoming... the table is set and received us with summer colors and all the elements we would need along the steps of the complete dinner...conversation is friendly and supplies information on Rome’s past, traditional cuisine and all the typical ingredients.... when it comes to food, Massimo is just the perfect chef, powered by family learned skills and all the intention of making the best of the night...Creamy ricotta, intense cherry tomatoes, peperoni with tuna, the best pecorino and prosciutto... and to round up those amazing flavors, a remarkable white wine: a great discovery for us and for Bavarian bishop Johannes Defuc back in the year 1111.After this unsurmountable “antipasti”, we found Pepino’s carbonara with local guanciale .... simply great, as only Italian grandparents can create. Perfect chiannina polpete and faggiolini followed, si soft and tasty !!! Red wine matched this explosion of flavors and enhaced delicious food.My Dad had a memourable birthday cake, so his 80’s in Rome won’t be forgotten: tante auguri Pappo! Thank you so so much Massimo and Federica... a perfect meal, top quality repies and your friendship touched our souls!
- Valeria F June 27, 2018
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Massimo and Frederica

$70 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 $70
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 $70
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 7:00pm-9:00pm

Meet Massimo and Frederica

Massimo and Frederica live just outside Porta Pia in a beautiful and contemporary apartment with a fantastic kitchen for cooking. Massimo is a neurologist by profession and Frederica works in the Internal Revenue Agency. Massimo has been passionate about food since his earliest days as a child; he inherited this passion from his grandparents, who taught him their secret family recipes from the Roman-Jewish tradition. Now, Massimo spends most of his spare time in the kitchen, cooking. He and Federica love food, wine and travel and love meeting new people.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-6 guests) Massimo cooks typical Roman family dishes that you may not find in restaurants. Some parts of your menu may also be from Viterbo (Northern Rome), where Massimo's mother is from. Your meal might include antipasti with fresh Italian produce followed by a pasta such as carbonara, cacio e pepe or amatriciana, and a main of Grandma’s meatballs with Florentine beef (which melt in your mouth!) or tuna and Roman ricotta cheese pie. You will end your meal with a typical Italian dessert such as tiramisu (which Massimo likes to make with ricotta cheese instead of mascarpone) or maritozzi (sweet soft buns with cream).

Cooking experience: (2-6 guests) As many traditional Italian dishes take a long time to make, you will only learn to make a traditional pasta dish. It may be cacio e pepe (means "cheese and pepper") or carbonara (made with egg, cheese, Italian bacon and pepper) or amatriciana (guanciale with pecorino cheese and tomato). Please note this is a cooking demonstration rather than a hands-on cooking class. You can expect to watch as Massimo prepares the pasta and explains the process to you. Massimo and Frederica are excited to share their culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Rome. They can also accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free version on request in their Roman cooking class.

Notes: All the dishes and recipes can also be prepared in a vegetarian and gluten-free version, so please do let them know your preference while creating the booking.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Mixed fresh Roman antipasti
  • Bread of Lariano
  • Mezze maniche alla carbonara
  • Grandma's beef meatballs
  • Green beans with boiled eggs and mint
  • Sour cherry and roman ricotta cheesecake
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Join Massimo and Frederica at their apartment for a meal of traditional Italian foods you would eat at home, those you would not necessarily find on the menu in a restaurant. Both Massimo and Frederica are lovely and very friendly. Massimo shares some of his grandmother’s traditional home cooking for an Italian meal that will be the highlight of your trip to Rome. The kitchen is contemporary, the hospitality warm and the food delicious. We felt like we had known them for years by the time we left. Next time we are Rome, we will visit again! Also the meatballs were the best meatballs I have ever had!

Elizabeth and Paul , Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (2)
We had a lovely evening visiting with Massimo , Frederica and her aunt. We started with a delicious antipasto which included a Roman style artichoke that was delicious. We moved on to a traditional carbonara and his grandmothers recipe for homemade meatballs. We drank some delicious wine and finished off the meal with two desserts including a Pistachio cannoli and a traditional Roman cream puff. Massimo and Frederica are very welcoming, interesting, well traveled and knowledgeable. They live in a nice neighborhood in a modern well appointed apartment. We highly recommend having dinner with them .
- Ann W June 19, 2019
Massimo and Federica are the warmest hosts and take care of every detail of the experience... their lovely appartment is beautifully decorated and most welcoming... the table is set and received us with summer colors and all the elements we would need along the steps of the complete dinner...conversation is friendly and supplies information on Rome’s past, traditional cuisine and all the typical ingredients.... when it comes to food, Massimo is just the perfect chef, powered by family learned skills and all the intention of making the best of the night...Creamy ricotta, intense cherry tomatoes, peperoni with tuna, the best pecorino and prosciutto... and to round up those amazing flavors, a remarkable white wine: a great discovery for us and for Bavarian bishop Johannes Defuc back in the year 1111.After this unsurmountable “antipasti”, we found Pepino’s carbonara with local guanciale .... simply great, as only Italian grandparents can create. Perfect chiannina polpete and faggiolini followed, si soft and tasty !!! Red wine matched this explosion of flavors and enhaced delicious food.My Dad had a memourable birthday cake, so his 80’s in Rome won’t be forgotten: tante auguri Pappo! Thank you so so much Massimo and Federica... a perfect meal, top quality repies and your friendship touched our souls!
- Valeria F June 27, 2018
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 $70
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 $70
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 7:00pm-9:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

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    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

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    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

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