As featured on the Food Network's "Recipe for Success," Friday, June 27, 2008. DVD available on request.
This is the finest cooking program on the Amalfi Coast (indeed one of the very best in all of Italy).
You may pay more for others, but the experience will not even come close!
About the location: Sant' Agata sui due Golfi is situated about 10 km from Sorrento. It is
one of the "pearls" in the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, facing Capri. The site of
your Amalfi Coast culinary vacation will be the four-star Oasi Olimpia Relais, an elegant hotel
of only seven rooms (and five suites) situated on one of the hills of Sant' Agata sui due Golfi. The
villa was originally built in 1892 for a rich German aristocrat as a luxurious residence. It has
recently been painstakingly restored and is now a splendid hotel, complete with impeccably furnished
interiors and a fine ambiance. There are also three recently completed apartments on the property.
The facilities include a gorgeous 15 meter swimming pool with jacuzzi,
tennis court, outdoor dining, wine bar and lush vegetation. Just completed is a charming cantina in
the main building (complete with Cuban cigars) and an incredible wine cave with premium wines from Italy,
France and Australia. The relais has also recently acquired a breathtaking private beach (see picture below),
with shuttle service from the hotel.
The Amalfi
region is truly one of the most idyllic on earth. From the time of Etruscans to present movie stars,
this has been area that has long enchanted travelers. Sundry excursions during this week-long Amalfi
culinary vacation will take you from the posh island of Capri to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, and the
cobblestoned medieval streets of Amalfi at the cliff's base. An expanse of precarious road will take
you between villages, running through lush greenery and vineyards nestled in the folds of the jagged
cliffs.
About the cooking lessons:
Your guide on this culinary adventure is Gennaro Avagnale,
a young chef from the town of Gragnano, just outside Naples.
He began cooking for friends and family at home, and eventually
his passion inspired him to journey throughout Italy on a quest to master
regional Italian cuisine. His travels lead him through Tuscany, Emilia Romagna,
Lazio, Abruzzo, Trentino Alto Adige and Sardegna, where he learned from many of the best chefs in Italy.
Gennaro is thrilled to be at Oasi Olimpia and looks forward to sharing his
love of Italian cuisine with you.
Cooking classes will be held in the large teaching kitchen
built specifically for our culinary program.
It features
spacious granite counters, a large professional range and an outdoor veranda, where you can
enjoy a break between courses.
Learn to make such typical southern Italian dishes as Sorrento-style gnocchi, stuffed
calamari, and Neapolitan-style
artichokes. All dishes use the freshest ingredients (including cheese made fresh by our friend Signora Rosa)
and recipes that
have been passed down for many generations. After your lesson you will feast on what you have made, so
be prepared to cook, eat, drink and laugh!
A Mediterranean Cooking Experience at Relais Oasi Olimpia
Sorrento, Amalfi Coast
Four & Six Night Itinerary
(During Low Season itinerary items may be switched to take advantage of daylight hours.)
Day
One of Four - or Six- night program
- Pickup from the Naples airport (around 12:00 noon) or train station (around 2:30 pm).
- Arrival at the charming hotel Relais Oasi Olimpia where you check in to your deluxe room.
If you are not jet-lagged, you may wish to take a short walk into Sant'Agata to do a little exploring.
This is a charming little town; perhaps stop with the locals for a coffee and one of the pastry
specialties of the region, or just stroll along the old streets.
- Time to rest before your welcome dinner at the elegant "Villa Oasi" restaurant, enjoying a
superb dinner of local cuisine.
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 Day Two
- A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you.
- In the morning you will venture out to a local farm, where they have been producing top
quality olive oil for years, and where Rosa, the matriarch, has been making mozzarella cheese by
hand for six decades; she is one of the true local food artisans. If you like, you can try your
hand with the preparation. A tasting of this wonderfully fresh and light cheese follows.
- Venture out into the garden visit the lemon and olive grove with Rosa’s son, Antonio, who will
explain the secrets of making the tasty limoncello liqueur.
- A light lunch at Rosa’s will follow.
- Return to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation. If weather permits, you might want to
take a dip in the pool.
- This evening, your first cooking lesson, followed by dinner with wine.
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Day Three
- Breakfast.
- Morning cooking class, followed by lunch.
- Afternoon free, perhaps to explore Sant'Agata or Sorrento. If you like, we can make
reservations for you to do a wine tasting in a lovely wine shop in Sorrento with Alberio Astarita.
Tastings begin at 20 Euros, and he can ship wine anywhere in the US. Or, schedule a visit to a small,
boutique leather factory (personal friends of the owner of Oasi) to check out their stunning leather jackets or have one made to order. (They actually supply some of the best stores in Florence!)
- Dinner tonight on your own. You may wish to try one of the restaurants in Sant'Agata (such as the famous Michelin-star restaurant Don Alfonso). Or, if you have spent your free afternoon in Sorrento or one of the Amalfi Coast towns, you may wish to remain there for dinner.
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 Day Four
- Breakfast followed by an excursion to visit the towns of Amalfi and Positano, or Amalfi and Ravello.
- Amalfi is a town that
seems to have climbed up from the sea like froth and crystallized onto the land. The town
is dominated by the impressive Duomo, rivaling in size the cliffs that rise up behind it.
You can sit and observe in the Piazza Duomo or wind upwards through the cobblestone streets, exploring
the little shops along the way. Positano clings to the mountainside, navigable by a narrow winding road set
against the backdrop of palms and citrus groves. At the city's center is the magnificent Santa Maria Assunta
Church with its gaily-colored dome. And Ravello is a charming town also perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea.
It is home not only to the best Amalfi ceramics, but also the lovely gardens of the historic Villa Cimbrone.
- Return to Oasi for your third cooking lesson.
- Dinner to follow based on your efforts.
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Day Five
- Breakfast. For those on the four-night program, transfer back to Naples.
-
Your fourth cooking class, lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- After lunch a
guided visit of Pompeii, the city that was buried alive
by the eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. As you wander among temples, past pottery ruins, and through houses still adorned with frescoes, don't forget to seek out the
city's former inhabitants, whose forms were preserved in the hardened volcanic ash.
- Dinner tonight at a wonderful local restaurant.
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Day Six
- Breakfast.
- Today will be a full-day visit to the enchanting isle of Capri, weathering permitting.
(Traditionally the hydrofoils to Capri run approximately mid-May to mid-October,
and during the winter only
if the temperature is mild and the water calm.) Depart around 7:45 am.
You can visit the magical Blue Grotto, walk private paths past secluded villas,
and gaze across the aqua water from the harbors. (Please note that in the event of
bad weather, Capri excursion will be substituted for a day of shopping and
exploring Sorrento, with a light lunch included.)
- Lunch in Capri on your own. Return to Sorrento around 3:20 pm and transfer back to Oasi.
- Dinner tonight is a pizza evening. Enjoy various types of pizzas prepared the Neapolitan way by the Oasi chefs
and baked in the wood-burning oven.
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Day
Seven
- Breakfast and departure from the hotel to the Naples airport or train station
for those ending the six-night program.
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Included
in the Program:
Because this
is a very busy week, you may want to consider an extra night at the Relais Oasi Olimpia before and/or
after the program. Past clients have found it made their week more relaxing and enjoyable. Arrival and
departure transfers will be included for any pre- or post- nights for clients doing the 6-night program.
Please inquire for details.
-
Six nights accommodations double occupancy with ensuite bathroom
- Arrival transfer from Naples airport around 12:00 noon and from Naples train station (Napoli Centrale)
around 2:30 pm (transfer times may vary slightly week to week, please
contact us before you finalize your travel itinerary).* If you cannot make the regular transfer times, a special transfer can be arranged at the cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Eu per car if after 6:00 pm), payable directly to the Relais Oasi Olimpia. Please inquire for details.
-
Return transfer to Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) or airport around 10 am
the day of departure. If you need to schedule an earlier transfer, it will be at an additional
cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Euro per car if pickup is before 8:00 am), payable directly to the Relais Oasi Olimpia. Please inquire for details.
- Daily breakfast
- Five dinners
-
Four lunches, including one tasting lunch at Rosa's
-
Local wine, water and coffee with all included meals
(Please note that drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
-
 Four hands-on cooking lessons
- Excursions and food artisan visits
- Transportation
- Taxes and service charges
During Low Season itinerary items may be switched to take advantage of daylight hours.
Please note: The WOW itinerary does not include the excursion to Capri (although it can be arranged).
*Should you wish to take a scenic
helicopter ride from Naples, passing over Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, the
hotel has a helicopter pad on which to land. Please inquire for prices and details. |
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Cooking Vacations 
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