Kiddies Culinary Calabria™

Take a culinary journey to Calabria – Southern Italy’s undiscovered treasure. Your 8-day culinary adventure is set in Capo Vaticano at Rosanna and Robert’s family-run, private resort. From the day you arrive at their fabulous coastal resort, you will be immersed in the culture and flavors of the region where your Calabrian cooking adventure begins. Rosanna, a Capo Vaticano native, shares her love of the local food with you and your children, while she teaches you how to incorporate the freshest seasonal ingredients into a number of mouth-watering Calabrian dishes specially chosen to appeal to children. From picking your own ingredients out of her lush, organic gardens, to making fruity syrups and ice creams, this kiddies’ cooking program will be an unforgettable experience. Kids will learn to cook traditional local dishes, and spend time in close contact with nature, where they will understand more about organic farming and the property’s local animals. (Note: all children’s activities are guided by 2/3 adults, but parents are always welcome to participate.)

Cooking Classes

Rosanna’s passion for Calabria’s cuisine is evident in every cooking class she teaches, as is her love for children. Her extensive knowledge of the region’s most prized ingredients and their succulent flavors create perfection in every homemade dish. She will soon have children turning out her simple and tasty Calabrian foods that they will no doubt look forward to recreating at home! Pick the organic produce from her gardens and Rosanna shares ancient recipes with you for favorite family dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

During her classes, Rosanna teaches kids how to make pasta al sugo and pasta al forno, using basic pasta making skills. She will also introduce them to fritelle, polpette and the wonderful world of homemade ice cream, gelato. These dishes are a sample of what can be made, and based on seasonal availability of fresh local ingredients which ensures a delicious array of flavors be it spring, summer or fall: white berries and raspberries in June; figs, pears and peaches in July and August; pumpkins, oranges and lemons in October and November.

Calabrian Cuisine

Calabria’s gastronomy reflects its mixed history, the meeting of past and present represented by the region’s typical products: red onions from Tropea, chilli peppers, red potatoes and porcini mushrooms from the Sila plateau, clementines from Corigliano, bergamot from the Reggio Calabria area, citrons from the Riviera dei Cedri, liquorice from Rossano, and olives from the Piana di Gioia. Then there are all sorts of vegetables and meat, different types of salami, the most famous the rustic ‘nduja, a creamy pâté that is really hot and extremely delicious, pecorino cheese and so much more. Fish is also popular: the fishing of swordfish in the Reggio Calabria area is an age-old tradition and it is still not uncommon to see men out on sea-weathered wooden boats especially used for fishing swordfish, felucca or lustro, characterized by a watch platform and an extended deck. Stock fish exported from Norway has also become a classic food prepared in countless different ways all over the region. But the most typical and flavorsome kind of fish that can be tasted in Calabria has several different names, all of which mean the same thing: neonata, nudilla, rosamarina, nannata, bianchetti: newly born fish (sardines) preserved in oil and spiced up with scarlet flakes of chilli pepper. These tiny fish aren’t always available because the fishing season is limited to a specific short time in winter, so they are often conserved, and are so delicious they are known as ‘the caviar of Calabria.’

Calabria

“…nothing breaks the stillness save the rhythmic breathing of the waves, and a solitary cricket that has yet to finish his daily task of instrumental music, far away, in some warm crevice of the hills.”
Norman Douglas, Old Calabria

Luckily for us, many of the wonderful qualities of Calabria that delighted Norman Douglas back in 1915 are still there to be enjoyed by visitors today: the enviable climate, the beautiful beaches, magnificent, untamed countryside, hillside villages and every so often a Norman church or a Greek ruin to remind us of Calabria’s eclectic past. Add to that, the fact that many parts of Calabria are far from the well-worn tourist track, and this area of Italy becomes utterly irresistible to travelers who wish to discover the other face of Italy and immerse themselves in a culture rich in traditions and history.
Capo Vaticano, your host town, appeals to those who appreciate tranquility and boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Nicknamed Costa Degli Dei – Coast of the Gods – this peaceful town features white granite cliffs giving way to sparkling blue waters below in a dramatic display of natural beauty. Often, capers grow wild in coastal areas such as these and are much used in local Calabrian cuisine.

As part of your cooking tour, visit Tropea, a historic village nestled next to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Here, discover the cipolla di Tropea, the sweet, red onions that have made the village famous. As you browse through local produce markets, be sure to get your hands on some peperoncino which decorate store windows or sit jarred in oil and stuffed with capers. These little chilli peppers pack a big punch in dishes like ‘nduja, Calabria’s famous pork pâté with minced peperoncino.

As the tour continues, see other places such as the town of Pizzo where you can try its famous tartufo ice cream, and Le Grotte degli Sbariati where kids can explore this local ancient settlement and learn how people lived in the past. There is also a fabulous picnic excursion by mule which is sure to appeal to youngsters and, again, remind them how, until very recently, people traveled across Calabria’s wild terrain. Moreover, with frequent trips to Nonna Nora’s farm, children will understand more about the concept of organic farming and see the day to day activities involved in caring for plants and livestock, lending a valuable educational aspect to this kiddies cooking tour.

Accommodations

The resort is set amid lush tropical vegetation, olive trees and eucalyptus trees complete with a sandy beach overlooking the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. A wood trimmed veranda skirts the facade of the residence. Complimentary use of the tennis court is available to guests and there is an outdoor swimming pool available during the summer where kids can let off steam.

While here, enjoy an air conditioned suite with a private bath, private terrace, self-service bar, television, and telephone. Internet service is also available for all guests. In your free time, why not take a rejuvenating swim in the shimmering pool or wander through the luxuriant gardens… Open water diving, horseback riding, playing tennis, biking, and windsurfing are also among your many options for entertainment during your free time.

Itinerary: 8 Days, 7 Nights

Day 1: Arrival & Welcome Dinner

• Arrival and transfer from airport or train station to Calabria’s Capo Vaticano.
• Relish the flavors of your first Calabrian meal and wind down with a regional wine (and soft drinks for kids) at the Welcome Dinner held at the resort’s in-house restaurant.

Day 2: Farm Visit & Tropea Tour

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, join Rosanna for a visit to Nonna Nora’s Farm just minutes from the resort, where kids will make friends with the animals and get their bearings. Take in the farm’s distinctive nuances while Rosanna explains what makes organic farming different from regular farming and explains how raising animals naturally makes for happy animals.
• Return to the resort and lunch on your own.
• Late afternoon, join your personal guide on a picturesque, seaside drive to the medieval town of Tropea where adults can meander through gourmet food stores, explore the town’s history, and take in gorgeous views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and kids get to taste the delicious local gelato. Built into spectacular sandstone bluffs, the Tropea promontory reaches out over the water and offers an exquisite view of the southern Italian coastline.
• Take a brief respite on the drive back to the resort at one of Capo Vaticano’s most scenic overviews. Here, you can observe breathtaking views of the crystal blue water on the southern Italian coast and witness the magnificent, volcanic Aeolian Islands of Sicily.
• Dinner is served. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 3: Cooking Class 1 & Visit Pizzo

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, kids join Rosanna in her own kitchen for Cooking Class 1 where she will teach them how to make pasta con sugo (pasta with tomato sauce) and pasta al forno con polpettini (baked pasta with tiny meatballs), both of which are firm favorites with kids.
• Gather around the table to partake in the meal the kiddies have just helped cook and see how quickly they have picked up pasta making skills. Wine and soft drinks included.
• In the afternoon, join your personal guide on a trip to Pizzo to visit Piede della grotta and then to taste Pizzo’s famous gelato Tartufo in the city center.
• Dinner is served. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 4: Cooking Class 2

• Breakfast is served.
• This morning kids get to join Rosanna in Nonna Nora’s farm where they will pick fruit especially for their morning Cooking Class 2.
• Next, head into the kitchen with Rosanna where she will teach you how to make a mouth-watering selection of gelato, syrups and fruity sweets – an experience no child will ever forget!
• Gather around the table for lunch where you will enjoy to partake in the meal you just helped cook. Wine and soft drinks included.
• Spend the rest of your afternoon and evening as you like lounging by the pool or digging your toes in the sand and making castles at the beach.
• If lunch left you craving local adventure, rent a bike, hike through the mountainous trails surrounding the resort, or ride horses through the Italian countryside. Tennis and various water activities are available, as is transportation to Tropea.
• Dinner is served. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 5: Mule Tour & Picnic Lunch

• Breakfast is served.
• Today you’ll take part in the truly unforgettable experience of a fabulous trip into the Countryside By Mule & Picnic. Mules have been used as a means of transport for centuries in Calabria, and what child can resist the idea of heading off for trip on mule back?
• Tired but happy, make your way back to the resort where you can take a rest or freshen up.
• Dinner is served. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 6: Grotte Cave Tour & Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, set off on a guided tour of Le Grotte degli Sbariati where you can explore these wonderful caves and imagine how it must have been to live there. Evidence suggests they were inhabited right up to the 13th or 14th century.
• Return to the resort and lunch on your own.
• In the afternoon, back into the kitchen for your Cooking Class 3 where Rosanna will teach you to make delicious fritelle and polpette and other local treats.
• Dinner: kids eat their fritelle and polpette while adults can enjoy a full dinner. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 7: Farm Visit, Free Afternoon & Farewell Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, kids set off to Nonna Nora’s farm where they will learn a little more about Farm Life. They’ll partake in a series of activities such as preparing food for the animals – hay for the horses, and fodder for the goats and sheep, and try their hand at milking cows and goats. Depending on the season they might be able to take part in seeding or planting, or perhaps gather ripe fruit or vegetables. And there’s always time for a quick ride on the miniature horses and donkeys!
• Return to the resort for lunch on your own.
• Spend your afternoon and evening as you like lounging by the pool or digging your toes in the sand and making castles at the beach.
• If lunch left you craving local adventure, rent a bike, hike through the mountainous trails surrounding the resort, or ride horses through the Italian countryside. Tennis and various water activities are available, as is transportation to Tropea.
• Savor a Farewell Dinner of homemade seafood pasta and grilled fish. Wine, coffee and soft drinks included.

Day 8: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out & departure.
• Relish the week’s lasting memories as we transport you to the airport or train station.