The Island of Procida™

Join Chef Mariana for cooking classes on Procida – the island brimming with pastel houses and small beaches set in the Bay of Naples. It’s one of the three Phlegraean Islands – an archipelago between Capo Miseno and Ischia – that include Vivara and Nisida. Procida is referred to as the island of il Postino, the Postman, as this film, based on the life of poet Pablo Neruda, was shot here.

In Chef Mariana’s kitchen, you will tie on your apron and step back in time with local cuisine on an island that’s steeped in tradition and the slow way of life. You’ll learn hands-on how to prepare antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce and locally caught fish as well as meat and rabbit, shellfish, pizza and dessert. The program focuses on local seasonal recipes based on the healthy Mediterranean diet. During your week, you’ll be immersed in the slow-paced life of times past, while soaking up the culture and sipping the wine of Campania. There are also fun artisan foods and landmark visits which make this experience an ideal tour for the foodie.

Cooking Classes on Procida

Three hands-on cooking classes on Procida including an antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce, main course and dessert are included with lunch or dinner following and accompanied by a glass of local red or white wine.

Learn how to prepare stuffed squash flowers and peppers as an antipasto. Pastas are endless here with favorites such as ravioli with Vesuvius tomato and pungent basil or Paccheri with calamari and olives and seafood risotto. Although the island is noted for its fish, such as Rombo and Saint Peter’s fish with lemon, there’s wild rabbit too. Vegetables are plentiful with stuffed eggplant, zucchini and mint along with zucca, pumpkin, and rosemary. Desserts are endless; you will be making, crostata, fruit pie, and caprese, almond cake, along with limoncello and jams.

Chef Marianna learned the secrets of Italian cooking from her grandmother using only seasonal farm to table produce and fresh fish from the sea, and she shares them with you. You will experience this precious island’s cooking style paired with the Falanghina, Fiano, Biancolella white wine and Piedirosso, Aglianico and Taurasi red wine of Campania. Buon appetito and raise your wine glass to a salute!

A Note on Procida

Procida is a small, picturesque volcanic island just off the coast of Naples in Campania in southern Italy. Visitors are attracted to the island’s unique charm, beautiful vistas and historic sites. It is a quintessential Mediterranean paradise. During your cooking program, visit Terra Murata, a fortified medieval town perched on a hill and well worth the climb. Discover Palazzo D’Avalos and the Abbazi a di son Michelle, an 11th century Benedictine Abbey. There’s also the main square near the port brimming with caffès,
art galleries, restaurants and artisan ceramic makers.

If you are a film buff, you will appreciate the many notable films that were shot here including: Il Postino and The Talented Mr. Ripley. A well-known quote from Pablo Neruda was used in Il Postino. Procida is also the literary setting for L’Isola di Arturo, Arturo’s Island, written by Elsa Morante.

During your stay, you can easily do some island hopping and visit Ischia, just minutes away, or the city of Naples.

A note on Ischia

Ischia‘s history is as rich and as varied as its climate and natural properties. It began with the Greeks, who colonized the island in the eighth century B.C.  On the island, visit the Ischia Giardini, La Mortella, Castello Aragonese, Monte Epomeo and Sant Angelo. Ischia is also known for its parks and natural beauty.

A note on Naples

Romantic Naples is the largest city in southern Italy. It is often referred to as an open-air museum due to its many historic sites and monuments. Naples is also a quintessential destination for dining, shopping and promenading along the Bay of Naples. Additionally, here you can view finds from Pompeii Herculaneum, destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., at the Museo Archeologica Nationale, or revel in the art and architecture of Museo Cappella Sanserva, built in the 1500’s. There is more than enough to delight you on a day trip to Naples.

Procida Accomodation

The gorgeous island accommodation is a short minute walk from the beach, so it’s ideal for taking a swim, kicking back with a book or sipping a wine on the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea. You also have a gourmet restaurant on site serving garden to table Mediterranean cuisine, known as zero-mile products, featuring a new menu every day. Step into the wellness centre with a spa and hot tub in front of the sea, and indulge yourself with any of the natural beauty and wellness offerings that are available. Every room includes a private bath, TV, toiletries and a hairdryer.

Itinerary Procida~ 7 Days, 6  Nights

Day 1: Arrival

• You will be welcomed to the property and the cooking and tour week with a welcome bag including a chef’s apron and a recipe book.
• Welcome Prosecco toast and a personal introduction to the week’s festivities.
• The Chef’s Tasting Dinner including a sampling of traditional antipasto, primo-pasta, secondo and dessert. A toast of red or white wine included as well as soft drinks for the children and non-wine drinkers (additional wine, liqueurs and other drinks are available at a surcharge.)

Day 2

• Free continental breakfast is served
• Following breakfast, is a hands-on cooking class with a professional chef. Under their guidance, we’ll prepare a traditional antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce with dessert. Lunch follows with the foods prepared in class. A toast of red or white wine is included with soft drinks for the children and non-drinkers (additional wine, liqueurs and other drinks are available at a surcharge).
• The rest of your day is free to roam the streets of this picturesque island and visit the Terra Murata, the fortified medieval town perched on a hill, the Palazzo D’Avalos or the Abbazi di son Michelle, an 11th century Benedictine Abbey.
• Also visit the site where Il Postino, the famous film telling the story of Pablo Neruda, was filmed!
• Dinner on your own.

Day 3

• Breakfast is served
• After breakfast, take a boat tour around the picturesque island of Procida. Take in its natural vistas and view Ischia and Naples, which you will be visiting later in the tour.
• After the boat tour, head back for your hands-on cooking class. Under the guidance of our professional chef, we’ll prepare a traditional antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce with dessert. A white or red wine toast is included. After cooking, you’ll all join together in enjoying the dinner you created.

Day 4

• Breakfast is served
• After breakfast, take a trip to romantic Naples, the largest city in Southern Italy with lots to do and see! Visit its historic sites and monuments, stroll its streets and promenade along the Bay of Naples. Take advantage of the exceptional dining and shopping. Also, view finds from Pompeii Herculaneum destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, or visit Museo Cappella Sansevero built in the 1500’s. Enjoy your day!
• In the evening, we will all dine together at a local restaurant in Procida featuring natural home-grown foods.

Day 5

• Enjoy your breakfast
• After breakfast, join our professional chef in a hands-on cooking class of a traditional Italian meal. Lunch will follow as we dine on the foods we created together.
• In the afternoon, take a boat ride to neighboring island, Ischia. Visit its historic sites – the Ischia Giardini, La Mortella, Castello Aragonese and others. Be sure to take in Ischia’s famous parks and natural beauty.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 6

• Breakfast is served
• After breakfast say a final ciao ciao to your newly made friends and Chef.
• Transfer to and from the port and the airport is included.