Join Chef Attilio Iervolino our award-winning chef on the island of Ischia. A star on the culinary scene, this exclusive cooking experience gets you up close and in the kitchen with one of Italy’s best. Explore the traditional cuisine of the volcanic island, as you learn to prepare regional specialties, while participating in hands-on cooking classes with Chef Iervolino and our team of Executive Chefs at the luxurious 5-star property on the sea. During your stay you will also visit a typical winery and the famed Poseidon Gardens. Learn to cook the fresh fish and wild rabbit on the Mediterranean Island of Ischia.
Experience the culinary delights of traditional Ischitan cuisine in your hands-on cooking classes. The professional kitchen, led by our team of award-winning chefs, is the setting for your cooking experience. Traditional recipes are prepared with typical regional and island products. Coniglio all'ischitana, the island's most famous dish, is rabbit in white wine, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and chili pepper, and is traditionally served on Sundays. Mackerel, the herring family, squid, octopus, and anchovies are among the many varieties of fresh seafood that are abundant in this fishing community. However, Ischia does not lack the fruits of the land, with aromatic herbs such as basil, oregano, sage, parsley, rosemary, and chili peppers, fresh fruits and vegetables that grow with ease in the volcanic, mineral-rich soil. Used in everything from jams and marmalade to pasta, biscotti, and chocolate, the lemon plays a significant role in the island's cuisine and is what makes the famous Limoncello liquor. The fertile soil around Mount Epomeo produces high-quality wines, which include the white Forastera and Biancolella, and the red Piedirosso and Guarnaccia.
The kitchen is the classroom, in which our professional chefs lead hands-on cooking classes featuring traditional regional cuisine. Following each class, participants eat the fruits of their labor together. Morning caught sea bass slow-cooked with cherry tomatoes, lemon linguine with shrimp, veal & lemon, and Island fruit gelato are a sampling of dishes you will make in the kitchen.
First impressions of Ischia generally fall somewhere between awe and wonderment. While Capri, its neighboring isle, wows you with its charm, Ischia gently casts its spell over you. Ischia, volcanic in origin, has a hidden reservoir of seething molten matter from which come the famous thermal springs, said to cure all that ails. As early as 1580, Dr. Giulio Iasolino had discovered the mineral wells of Ischia and wrote a book about it to tell the world.
As you arrive by ferry, the island begins as a dot on the horizon, before quickly coming into view. Drawing closer, your eyes are met by an impressive sight. With its lush greenery dotted by ancient ruins, Ischia could easily be called Italy's "emerald isle." Located just 17 miles off the coast of Naples, Ischia was first settled by the Greeks in the 8th century BC, and later became a favorite of the Emperor Augustus. Known for its natural luxuriant landscapes, it has remained largely untouched by commercialization, and is a welcome alternative to glamorous Capri.
The terme, or thermal spas, represent one of the most famous attractions on the island. Private spas, located throughout the island, with luxurious swimming pools built on natural hot water springs with salt water and thermal pools, natural holistic baths, a score of beauty treatments, and an atmosphere of total relaxation, make Ischia a must-see.
Ischia, though just a short ferry ride from the mainland, has a cooking style very different from the rest of the area. Here, wild rabbit is the specialty, and every Ischitan will tell you that their rabbit, cooked only with the island's unique white wine, is the best. Wine growing villages dot the island beneath the lush volcanic slopes of Mount Epomeo. The old-world recipe includes island spices, salts, and unique oregano grown and cultivated only on the island's volcanic soil.
The island maintains a strong Greek influence, having been first settled by the Greeks. The beautiful villas that are spread out on the island are painted in pearly whites provide a striking resemblance to the Grecian landscape. The people of Ischia are warm and welcoming and cater to all guests who visit this posh, yet undiscovered island, only a few minutes from Naples by ferry.
The luxurious, 5-star hotel is located on the sea in the Lacco Ameno area of Ischia. Surrounded by lush, tropical gardens, it is only a short walk to the pristine white sandy beach. The hotel boasts 2 swimming pools, a private beach, saunas, beauty spa, health club, and Turkish baths. The tranquil and peaceful surroundings of the hotel provide the perfect atmosphere in which to relax, and soak up the warmth of the sun. Delicious, Mediterranean and international cuisine is served in the hotel's renowned restaurant. Sip a cocktail, while relaxing to music in the piano bar or enroll in one of the many natural spa treatments and spring pools. Each private double room has a private bathroom, air conditioning, safe, mini-bar, telephone, satellite TV, hairdryer and balcony. Each room and suite is appointed with fine Italian linens and furnished with great attention to detail and comfort.
Once on the promenade, the stretch of sea front is dotted with artisan shops, chic shopping stops, and a score of trattories, and cafes. This stretch called Lacco Ameno, originally named only Lacco until 1863 when the attribute "Ameno" (pleasant) was added, is situated in the northwest corner of Ischia. The town of Lacco Ameno has the oldest archeological testimonies of civilization in Ischia being the place where the Greeks founded their first colony. Catacombs and remains of a palaeochristian cathedral are located under the Church of S. Restituta and the museum of Pithecusae hosts testimonies of the history of the island from Prehistory to the Roman Age. The Lacco area is a great location point from where you visit the island, walk to the beach or take a boat for a tour around the island.
$2,900 per person, based on double occupancy. Includes all taxes and Italian VAT.
$300 Single Supplement.
USA: 20 Park Plaza, #400, Boston, MA 02116, USA |
T: 617.247.4112 | 1.800.916.1152 | F: 617.247.4850
ITALY: Via G. Marconi, 177-84017, Positano, Italy • T:
39.339.604.29.33
Email: info@cooking-vacations.com | © 2000-2010
