Welcome to the Cooking Vacations Marketplace featuring hand-selected artisan products & Lauren’s cookbook
“It’s a Dream Place – Stories of Food, Love and the Amalfi Coast”
By Lauren A. Birmingham
See pages here
Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author, calls Lauren’s cookbook “a dream cookbook.”
Elizabeth Berg, award-winning New York Times bestselling author says, “This is a dream cookbook. Who in the world wouldn’t want to try ‘Catch of the Day for a Beautiful Woman of the Sea?’ But in addition to being a cookbook, it’s a slice of life from the impossibly beautiful Amalfi Coast: how it looks, how it feels, how the interactions with the people there are so soulful and rewarding. It takes a particular kind of person to attract the kinds of magical stories Lauren Birmingham Piscitelli does. And it takes something more to get chefs to give up their recipes. Call this author not only a charming writer, but a sorceress whose company in these pages we are privileged to keep.”
Spanning 372 stunning pages filled with the culinary artistry of Michelin-Star Chef Andrea Migliaccio (Executive Culinary Chef at Capri Palace), Lauren’s mom, and Italian artisans and winemakers, this book is a treasure trove of stories, recipes, and colorful photographs of the Amalfi Coast and Capri. It’s not just Lauren’s exploration of Italian cuisine that enthralls but her heartfelt stories of family, friendship, and her profound love for Italy.
Lauren’s stories of family, friends, her love of Italy and Italian cooking make this so much more than just a cookbook. It is a celebration of life, love, food, eating and la dolce vita that’s guaranteed to make you want to book the next flight to the Amalfi Coast. A gifted storyteller, Lauren brings to life the people, sights, and flavors of Italy in this one-of-a-kind cookbook. To purchase a copy or request a personally signed copy, email Lauren@Cooking-Vacations.com.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Our Cooking Vacations’ olive oil begins in the olive grove with hard work and passion throughout the four seasons. We care and cultivate 600 trees, some over 100 years old, that grow in rich volcanic soil following biodynamic and organic farming to keep the soil healthy under the warm Mediterranean sun touched by a gentle sea breeze.
In autumn, the harvest begins at sunrise. Nets are spread beneath the trees, then passionate men and women pick the olives by hand. They climb tall wooden ladders and gently coax the olives off the silvery green branches with wooden astrelli, traditional olive-harvesting rakes. At mezzogiorno, a picnic lunch is served with vino locale, local wine, and dolce and espresso. When the day’s work is done, the gorgeous olives are quickly brought to the frantoio, olive mill, where they are cold pressed into extra virgin, olive oil. The cold press process gives a low acidity level and protects them from oxidation. The olive oil is then bottled in dark green glass bottles protecting it from sunlight.
At the mill, everyone celebrates the Olio Nuovo, new oil, drizzling it on artisan bread with a small pinch of sea salt. Our olive oil is made with a blend of Leccino, Curatora, Frantoio and Coratina olives creating an intensely fragrant oil with an emerald-green hue and delicate notes of almond and artichoke. It is a celebration of the harvest, the land and the people who bring it to life—from our farmer Salvatore to our friends and family who gather each autumn to pick the olives.
The oil is available in classic extra virgin olive oil, Amalfi Coast Sfusato lemon, chili pepper and rosemary.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin
Our extra virgin olive oil is fresh and fragrant with delicate notes of artichoke and almond. Drizzle it over antipasti, pasta, risotto, grilled fish, meats, vegetables, and artisan cheeses, or simply enjoy it the Italian way with fresh bread and a pinch of sea salt.
Lemon Olive Oil
Lemon
Sfusato lemons grown on the Amalfi Coast are pressed with the olives, giving it a fresh, delicate citrus flavor. Drizzle it over pizza, pasta, grilled fish, seafood, vegetables, and cheese, and bring a little taste of the Amalfi Coast to your table.
Rosemary Olive Oil
Rosemary
Wild Mediterranean rosemary is pressed with the olives, creating a delicate, fragrant flavor. Drizzle it over focaccia, fish, chicken, roasted meats, vegetables, and potatoes for a delicious taste of the Mediterranean.
Red Chili Pepper Olive Oil
Chili Pepper
Olio al peperoncino, red chili peppers, are pressed with the olives creating a fragrant oil with a pungent Neapolitan flavor. Drizzle it over pizza, pasta, grilled meats, fish, vegetables, and bruschetta.
Prices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Boxes
6 Bottles 250g €120 6 Bottles 500g €150
Ancient Grain Organic Tuscan Pasta
Our artisan pasta is made using farina di grano duro Senatore Cappelli, an ancient variety of durum wheat grown organically in the heart of Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s one hundred percent Tuscan, naturally rich in protein and respects traditional pasta-making methods.
The wheat is freshly grounded into flour at the farm, then mixed into dough and cut with bronze dies creating a matte surface allowing it to soak up sauces. Next, it is slowly air-dried at a low temperature giving it a rich flavor with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. This artisanal method produces a wholesome pasta with a rich, nutty flavor and an al dente bite.
Our pasta is made in the shape of the giglio, a lily, that has graced Florence’s coat of arms since 1251. Inspired by this timeless Florentine symbol, our pasta brings a little piece of Tuscany to your table.
Prices
Ancient Tuscan Grain Pasta Boxes
6 Bags 250g 45E 6 Bags 500g 75E
Gift Certificates
Give the Gift of Cooking!!!
Cooking Vacations gift certificates are the perfect gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Mother’s and Father’s Day, graduations, Valentine’s Day, or simply just because.
Available in any amount, gift certificates may be used toward Cooking Vacations’ week-long experiences, one-day cooking classes, wine tastings, guided tours, and food lover’s walks throughout Italy.
Always inspiring you to cook, travel, and join us in sunny Italy.