About the location:
The town of Minori has been well renowned for pasta making since medieval times and since the 17th-century invention
of the 'ngegni, a device which made mass pasta production possible. This turned every available public and private
space in Minori, even the sea-front promenades, into an outdoor display of fresh-made pasta drying in the sun:
macaroni, 'ndunderi, cocce, cannarocini, vermicelli, and tagliarelli.
This gastronomically oriented town,
set in a beautiful inlet, is the perfect base from which to explore the gorgeous Amalfi Coast.
It is also the perfect place for an Amalfi culinary vacation. You will not only visit Minori's
treasures such as the ruins of the 1st-century Villa Romana, but also explore the Coast's best
offerings: Pompeii, the excavation of a town buried by a volcanic eruption 2000 years ago;
Ravello, the most poetic cliff-top town of romantic gardens; and Amalfi, the charming,
cobble stoned, seaside town with a magnificent cathedral.
The Hotel Villa Romana, named after the ancient ruins, is a modest, unassuming hotel, which will
accommodate you in comfort while delighting your palate with masterfully concocted Mediterranean
cuisine. This cuisine will also be the subject of your Amalfi cooking classes. The Hotel is
surrounded by a lemon garden and terraces with a sunny pool overlooking the tiered hills of the Amalfi coastline.
About the cooking lessons: Your Amalfi cooking classes with the hotel's chefs will initiate you
in the Mediterranean cooking style
as well as in Minori's pasta tradition in three or four lessons throughout your culinary
vacation on the Amalfi Coast. The chefs have worked at a number of the best hotels and
restaurants throughout the Amalfi Coast and specialize in Mediterranean
cuisine and Neapolitan gastronomy.
Authentic Amalfi Cuisine at Villa Romana
Minori, Amalfi Coast
4- And 6-Night Itinerary
Day One
- Transfer from the Salerno or Naples train station or the Naples airport.
- Arrival at Hotel Villa Romana. (Please note: Four-night program begins the same day as the
scheduled 6-night program and ends after breakfast on Day Five.)
- Rest until the evening and then enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel.
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Day
Two
- Morning: After breakfast transfer to Pompeii for the visit to the ruins of this very popular archeological site.
- Afternoon: Your first cooking lesson is from 3:30-6:00pm. You will learn to prepare a meal which might include such dishes as:
Cannelloni Sorrentine style (in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese); King prawns and mushrooms in mint sauce; Citrus fruit salad in balsamic vinegar; Bocconotto cake with cream and sour black cherry.
- After the lesson, you will eat what you have prepared for your first Mediterranean dinner!
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Day Three
- Morning: After breakfast depart for a guided visit of a Limoncello factory with a practical demonstration of the production of this popular European lemon liqueur.
- Then visit some of Minori's treasures: the monuments of the town and the excavation of the Villa Romana, dating back to the 1st century A.D.
- Afternoon: Your second cooking lesson will focus on the Amalfi Coast DOC wines, along with recipes for this menu with dishes such as: Mozzarella salad with walnuts; fresh Ricci pasta Mediterranean style; Fillet of beef "Amalfi Coast" style; Aubergines with mozzarella, basil, and parmesan; Lemon torte.
- Enjoy your cooking efforts after the lesson for dinner.
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Day
Four
- Morning: Breakfast at the hotel.
- Enjoy a guided visit to a dairy products factory with a demonstration of the production of mozzarella cheese.
- Afternoon: Your third cooking lesson is from 3:30-6:00 pm and will focus on the construction of this seafood meal,
with dishes such as: Seafood appetizer; fresh 'Ndunderi pasta Amalfi
Coast style; sea bass with cherry tomatoes, escarole, capers, and olives; Lemon profiteroles.
- Dinner will be at a restaurant in Minori.
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 Day
Five
- Morning: After breakfast, check out if you are on the 4-night program,
and transfer back to the Naples airport or the train station
in Salerno or Naples. For those completing the 6-night
itinerary, depart for a guided visit to a local fishmonger from 9:00-10:00am.
- Your fourth and final cooking lesson follows from 10:30am-12:30pm, and will culminate in a gourmet lunch.
The menu prepared will feature such dishes as: Assorted vegetable hors-d'oeuvres; asparagus and scampi risotto;
fresh fish with artichokes; mixed vegetable salad; Tiramisu dessert.
- Afternoon: After the sumptuous lunch, depart for a guided visit to the town of Ravello at the top of the cliffs, where you will see the Cimbrone gardens and the dome of the Villa Rufolo.
- Dinner tonight is at a typical restaurant in Minori.
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 Day
Six
- Morning and afternoon: Spend the day exploring the town of Amalfi. You will have a guided visit to the paper mill,
which produces the very popular "Charta Amalfitana." Sightseeing of the town's cultural treasures: St. Andrew's
cathedral, the Cloister of Paradise, the Arsenal of the Ancient Republic. Weather permitting, you may also take
a trip out to sea to visit the Emerald Grotto.
- The day will culminate in a farewell dinner at the restaurant in Hotel Villa Romana (on the terrace,
weather permitting).
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Day
Seven
- Breakfast and check out.
- Transfer back to the Salerno or Naples train station or Naples airport.
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2008 Price Per Person
All prices based on double occupancy.
6-night program
Low season (October through March):
US$2300 per person for 2 - 4 people
US$2075 per person for 5 or more
High season (April through September):
US$2750 per person for 2 - 4 people
US$2600 per person for 5 or more
Single supplement (high or low season):
US$375
4-night program
Low season (October through March):
US$1800 per person for 2 - 4 people
US$1650 per person for 5 or more
High season (April through September):
US$1950 per person for 2 - 4 people
US$1750 per person for 5 or more
Single supplement (high or low season):
US$275 |
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2008 Tour Dates
Available on request any Sunday to Saturday February through November for a minimum of 2 people.
(Four-night program available any Sunday to Thursday).
Join a date others have booked: February 10-16.
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Included in the 6-night program
-
Six nights accommodations
-
Six dinners (four in the hotel, two out)
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Water, coffee, and local wines (including DOC wines)
with all meals
-
Roundtrip transfers at Salerno train station, or
Naples airport or train station
-
All transportation related to the itinerary
-
Four cooking lessons with an Italian chef, assisted
by a gastronome
-
Breakfast daily
-
English-speaking escort during excursions and lessons
-
All entrance fees
Included in the 4-night Program:
-
Four nights accommodations
-
Four dinners at the hotel
-
Water, coffee, and local wines (including DOC wines)
with all meals
-
Roundtrip transfers at Salerno train station, or
Naples airport or train station
-
All transportation related to the itinerary
-
Three cooking lessons with an Italian chef, assisted
by a gastronome
-
Breakfast daily
-
English-speaking escort during excursions and lessons
-
All entrance fees
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Cooking Vacations 
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