D ay 5: Monday, April 30 Cooking Class
The sun was shining brilliantly at 10:00 AM, as we arrived at Ida’s Villa, a lovely traditional Amalfi Coast home. We quickly enjoyed a light breakfast in the beautifully appointed gardens, consisting of Almond Water, Coffee and cake, before donning our aprons, and getting ready to make our authentic Italian Lunch.
Enjoying the morning sunshine in the Ida Villa Garden
Our cooking instructors for the day, were Marida and Roberta and a Darling little Helper, Charley’s Grand Daughter. They taught us how to prepare 3 dished: 1. Stuffed pasta with 3 cheeses: Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan, cooked in home made Tomato Sauce. 2. Herbed,baked Potatoes and 3. A Desert: Lemon Tiramisu.
Ready for Action:
The Lunch Dishes were based on perfect seasonal ingredients using the chef’s family recipes, and fresh herbs from the garden, including Basil, Oregano and Rosemary.
As we left the dishes to bake for 1 hour, we went in to visit the family wine cellar where Charley ( the Wine maker himself) treated us to tastings of his Vintages: White Wine (named after his wife, IDA); red wine (named Charley) and a blend of Red (Charley’s Blend), that contained grapes with a Strawberry flavor!
After this, we Enjoyed the fruits of our labour: lunch under the pergola, consisting of Fresh Salad, baked Cheese Pasta, Meatballs & Potatoes and Lemon Tiramsu. All accompanied by Charley and Ida’s pleasant wines.