Villa Azzurra ~ Lemon Lifestyle™

Join Chefs Antonino, Francesco, Antonio and Raffaele as they lead you through their wonderful hands-on cooking classes in Positano for a week of food, wine and sun-filled days. Our chefs share their Neapolitan recipes with you for making pizza, fresh pasta, antipasto, fish, meat and desserts. This program features the healthy Mediterranean diet. This one-of-a-kind cooking experience is set in a luxurious Villa, a private property, perched on the Amalfi Coast overlooking the pastel village of Positano.

Stay in the Contessa’s Villa overlooking the sea in Positano. Experience where her noble ancestors cooked and entertained lavishly and where she continues her family tradition. Recreate her Sette Sapori, Seven herb pasta dish-fit for any Queen!

As featured in February 2011 – Click here to read more!

Lemon Lifestyles™ Cooking Classes

The hands-on cooking classes take place in a professional Mediterranean kitchen and include traditional Neapolitan recipes made with delicious seasonal produce. Following each lesson, cooking class participants enjoy the fruits of their labor by the sea. Toast with a glass of Aglianico, red or Falanghina, white wine and end with a sweet dessert. The Lemon Lifestyles™ program also includes one cooking class during the week that features an ‘all lemon menu’ from the first course to the dessert. Learn how to make lemon infused antipasto, lemon pasta or risotto, and lemon torte or local lemon delicacy – an exclusive at Cooking Vacations.

Positano Regional Sample Menus

Fiori di zucca-delicate Italian squash flowers stuffed with Ricotta and basil.
Arancini - handmade rice balls, stuffed with cheese, peas, meat and flash-fried to a golden crisp.
Focaccia and Pizza – fresh handmade dough baked in a wood-burning oven topped with rosemary and fresh cherry tomatoes.
Fresh Pasta and Ravioli- learn how to mix ingredients for fresh pasta, a seasonal or cheese stuffing, such as Ricotta and pumpkin or smoked Mozzarella, basil and eggplant.
Fresh Orata and Foglie di Limone - fresh caught-sea bass grilled on lemon leaves.
Pasta con le Vongole – pasta with sea clams.
Pasta e Zucca – fresh country pumpkin sautéed with pasta.
Tittoli - fried polenta triangles.
Melanzane Ripiene - stuffed eggplant.
Pesce all’Acqua Pazza – Fish in “Crazy Water” with fresh tomato, white wine, garlic and parsley.
Totani e Patate – local calamari sautéed with potato and fresh cherry tomato.
Risotto al Limone - slow cooked rice in a creamy lemon sauce.
Torta Caprese – chocolate almond cake from Capri.
Torta di Limone – tasty lemon cake made with almonds and lemons.
Zeppole – light fried pastries filled with cream and dusted with powdered sugar.
Biscotti – Italian cookies flavored with almond, orange or lemon.

*This is just a sample of dishes prepared in class.

Positano

Positano is a little Moorish-style village, discovered by American and British troops at the end of World War II. Opening onto the Tyrrhenian Sea, this small town has for years attracted a plethora of renowned artists and writers including the famous writer John Steinbeck. Steinbeck said that ‘Positano bites deep, it’s a dream place’, an opinion shared by many of the town’s modern day visitors. Positano’s narrow winding streets are lined with tiny cafés, terraces, and artisan shops selling ceramics, limoncello, antiques and the distinctive Positano-style handmade clothes.

Walk the cobblestone footpath, the little street that leads down to the beach, lined with local artists selling their crafts. Visit the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Piazza Flavio Gioia, a Romanesque structure that was completely rebuilt in 1700. The locals of Positano celebrate the feast day of the church every August 15th, as they carry the statue of Maria Assunta along the beach accompanied by a parade of musicians. A spectacular fireworks display follows under the stars, with boats arriving in hundreds to watch and celebrate from the sea. Stroll the beach and visit the famous L’Incanto Ristorante dotted with straight lines of orange beach chairs and umbrellas or hop on a boat along the coast. Spring, summer and fall months are most colorful in this seaside town, however the off-season months still have a moody, quiet charm all of their own.

The Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi region and the Sorrento Peninsula have attracted travelers, explorers, emperors, artists and poets for centuries. The mesmerizing colors, dramatic coastlines, year-round warm climate and hospitable people combine to make the region a heavenly seaside destination. One of our adventurous excursions takes you from a private villa to the cobblestone streets of ancient Ravello, driving you through the winding Amalfi Coast past villages and vineyards that are nestled among the jagged cliffs. Each turn on the road is a treasure to behold, and the beginning of a memory that will last a lifetime

The Villa Azzurra Property

Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in the seaside resort of Positano is the Villa, an elegant and charming structure that has a rich history and culture. The Villa is divided into 1, 2, and 3-bedroom suites and each suite in the Villa is decorated with stylish antiques and furnished with modern comforts. Cool, pastel ceramic tiles line the floors, a collection of rare artifacts and paintings deck the walls, and high, vaulted white ceilings give each room a lofty feel. Each suite features modern amenities including a private bathroom, living room, in-room safe, air conditioning and a tiled terrace offering breathtaking sea views. Elegant furniture adorns each room, and a fully stocked kitchen boasts china, pans, silverware and cooking accessories. Spacious floor-to-ceiling windows spill out on to the terrace and showcase a panoramic sea view that spans Li Galli Islands and Positano. There is an air of centuries-old charm surrounding the Villa. Its unmatched setting of sea and sun make it one of the most desirable luxury properties on the Amalfi Coast. A few steps down the Villa’s ancient stone walk is Positano’s town center.

Photo GalleryClick Here For Property Photos

Itinerary: 8 days, 7 nights

~ Saturday to Saturday

Saturday: Benvenuto and Chef’s Tasting Dinner

• Pick-up and transfer from Naples airport or train station to the property.
• Arrival and check-in to your Villa suite and meet the property manager who explains the features of your Suite. Each suite overlooks the sea and has private terrace. Refresh and relax on your private terrace with an aperitivo.
• Read over the contents of your Welcome Bag including helpful information that will acquaint you with the area, and go over your itinerary for your cooking program. Also included is your Chef’s apron and general information and notes on landmarks, and our “Hot Pick list.”
• Later in the evening, you will be served the full course Chef’s Tasting Dinner at our favorite local restaurant. Dine on award-winning southern regional Italian food set in charming surroundings that overlook the panoramic Amalfi Coast. (Wine, drinks, grappa and an assortment of after dinner digestives are not included, and are available at a surcharge).

Sunday: Capri, Italy’s Glamorous Seaside Island and The Blue Grotto

• A full-day visit to the Isle of Capri, where you can choose to see the Blue Grotto – the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, or stroll along the port. The Blue Grotto has a special cavern entrance where the sunlight reflects on the water in the cave, tingeing it a dramatic Mediterranean cerulean shade of blue. Capri is Italy’s most popular and well-known seaside island and is just twenty minutes away. Once in the port of Capri, you can choose to take the funicular up to the famous Piazza Umberto. The square, better known as ‘la piazzetta,’ is perched high above the sea and offers a panoramic view of the Bay of Naples and Ischia. At the main Piazza, you will find many designer shops and luxury boutiques or you can simply sit at a café and enjoy a gelato or Prosecco Mimosa.
• A favorite place on Capri is Anacapri. This old world village that once captured the hearts of writers, artists and poets is dainty, delicate and quiet. Anacapri, the highest point on the island, virtually carries you back in time. Walk through narrow streets lined with Grecian-style whitewashed villas, ancient churches, and small bookshops.
• From Anacapri, take the chair lift up to Monte Solaro; pass the castle of Barbarosso, fields of Capri flowers and marvel at a clear blue sky that seems to turn 360 degrees above you.
• This full day excursion departs from Positano port at 9:00am.

Add-On A Driver:
While on land in Capri and if you want to see all the sites with ease, we suggest that you reserve a private car tour with Signor Costanzo our favorite driver. Costanzo will drive and guide you to each point of interest, while pointing out fascinating historical sites and facts along the way. He will drive to the highest peak in Anacapri, and to hidden gardens and villas where emperors once reigned. A 4-hour excursion in the driver’s sporty Capri Car is available from 1 to up to 6 people, upon request (The Capri Car driver’s fee is extra).

• After your stay on the island, we re-embark on board with our Captain for a sail around the island. The boat tour includes a stop at the Blue Grotto (if open and weather permitting), and a swim by the White Grotto. Return to Positano in the later afternoon.
• Evening free and dinner is on your own. Suggestion: Tre Sorelle. Tell Luigi you were recommended by Cooking Vacations.

Monday: Discover Positano ~ Cooking Class 1

• Take the day to discover Positano, and stroll through the cobblestone streets. Visit the 18th-century courtyard of the Palazzo Murat. Stroll the stone pathway, visit the Spiaggia Grande, or take a seaside walk on the Via Positanesi d’America.
• In the piazza at the beach, see our friend and local artist Pasquale Volpe, who paints the people and landscapes of Positano in delicate watercolors.
• Suggestion. Head to Fornillo for a lunch with Mamma Celeste & family. Join in and order one of the local daily speciale. After lunch, go for a swim in the sea, or stroll the promenade. Walk the footpath that overlooks Positano and take in the panoramic view that spans the nearby islands and the Coast.
• Cooking Class 1 In the evening, get ready to don your apron and enjoy your first hands-on cooking class. Follow your chef, step by step, and create your first delicious, authentic Italian meal. Dinner follows and everyone eats the dishes prepared in class together. Toast with a glass of local red or white wine and end with a sweet dessert, included.? Additional wines, beverages and after-dinner digestives available at a surcharge.
• After dinner, take a walk to the beach and visit the fabulous café and music bar, ‘Music On The Rocks’, a unique locale carved in the natural rock formation of the limestone coast, or ‘Buca’, where you can dance under the stars, or sit outside at a café table by the sea.

Tuesday: Sorrento & Cooking Class 2

• Morning is free to relax or head out on your own to discover Sorrento. Sorrento is easy to get to and we recommend either the water taxi, the SITA bus, or a private driver.
• Sorrento, the city of song, poets and the Tarantella makes for a perfect morning visit where you can tour, shop and we suggest you lunch in a street-side café, or even Il Buco. You may want to opt and treat yourself to an unforgettable Michelin Star lunch at the beautiful restaurant Il Buco, where host Giuseppe Aversa will guide you through some of the area’s most delicious specialties and suggest the perfect glass of wine as an accompaniment. A truly memorable experience! Visit typical Neapolitan shops that line the old cobblestone walkways where you stroll past make the town’s delicious limoncello makers, an applauded ice-cream maker, and wine enoteca.

Or

• Choose an Add-On Class such as the Limoncello Making Class. Limoncello is the famous drink of the Amalfi Coast, and you too will learn to make perfect, fragrant, yellow Limoncello. Step-by-step, you will pick up all the tricks and turn out your very own lemon liqueur. (Suggestion optional add on). Our limoncello making class is held on the villa terrace overlooking the sea. The Positano lemons used in making authentic DOP Limoncello, blossom and bloom four times per year. We start off the class with an informal discussion on the history behind the lemons and how they made their way on the Amalfi Coast. Learn our secrets of cooking with the Amalfi Coast lemons. Get peeling and watch the famous lemon liqueur come alive before your eyes. As the lemons bathe in the magic mixture, we fill your glass with an ice cold Limoncello. Tasting of limoncello included.
• In the afternoon, head into the kitchen for your Cooking Class 2: Lemon Lifestyles™. The Lemon Lifestyles™ Cooking Class starts out with a little history on the zesty lemons that grow in abundance on the Amalfi Coast. You will learn about the characteristics of the Amalfi lemon and all of its uses in cooking. Our chef will lead the way in this hands-on cooking class with a lemon-infused antipasto, fresh handmade lemon pasta, local fish or chicken seasoned with lemon, and Amalfi lemon cake.
• Dinner follows and everyone eats the fruits of their labor with a glass of local Aglianico, red wine, or Falanghina, white wine and end with a sweet dessert, included. Additional wines, beverages and after-dinner digestives available at a surcharge.

Wednesday: Cheese Making & Cooking Class 3

• Mozzarella Making: Italian Cheese, made by artisan hands, is always an important part of our Regional cooking. Experience fresh cheese making and see creamy milk twaved into braids and twists with a family who has been making it for over 100 years. Here you will learn the steps in making old-world artisan local cheese including mozzarella and more. Then try your own hand at this artful craft. Tastings follow.
• Cooking Class 3: Tie on your apron and get ready for your third hands-on cooking class. Alongside the chefs, create a traditional antipasto, first course, second course and dessert. Lunch or dinner follows on the foods prepared in class after the cooking class. Toast with a glass of red or white local wine, and end with a sweet dessert, both included. (Additional wines, beverages, after dinner drinks and more are available at a surcharge).
• Olive Oil Tasting. Join us for a tasting of our locally produced Extra Virgin Olive Oil and locally produced wine. At Cooking Vacations we make our own first-cold pressed extra virgin olive oil from healthy olives that have been tended and cared for all summer long. We use only the first cold press Virgin olive oil. It means that the oil we bottle is pressed only one time giving it a clean fresh taste. Virgin means it is pure and not mixed with anything else. It is DOP-Denominazione di Origine Protetta, ‘origin protected’ domain of production-and “made on site in Italy.” Grown under the warm Mediterranean sun, in rich volcanic soil, and with salt sea winds, our olives make perfect olive oil. We respect the old world process of picking just at the right time, just in October and not too late in the season. Always organic. Our olive oil it is made without chemicals or preservatives, we promise. The informal tasting provides a bit of insight into tasting, buying and using olive oil. An informal tasting of artisan wine and limoncello made by a famous local producer is also included.

Thursday: Amalfi Coast and Visit To Ravello

• Drive along the famed Amalfi Coast headed with a stop at the artisan ceramic maker. Colors, patterns, and old-world ceramics including tabletops made of volcanic rock are a sample of the unique artisan crafts you will see. This family-owned producer of ceramics also ships worldwide.
• The town of Amalfi is rich in culture and history. This small town, perched on the coastline, is dominated by Amalfi’s Cathedral and its main streets are lined with small shops and elegant bars. Merchants display their wares outside and nothing could be more pleasant than browsing through stalls of herbs and spices, jewelry, shoes, handmade Amalfi paper, and local lemon specialties such as soaps and local lemon liqueurs. Take time out to shop or stop for a cappuccino and enjoy a few minutes of people watching.
• If you have a sweet tooth we suggest a stop at the famous café that has been creating dolci since the 1800’s- get ready for a dessert like you have never tasted. This famous pastry shop bakes a one-of-a-kind Amalfi dessert with chocolate-drenched eggplant flavored with pine nuts, liqueur and orange, or you can try the fragrant ricotta & pear tart.
• Ravello follows. This quaint town, often called the city between ‘Sea & Sky’, is suspended high above the coast, with sweeping views that span everything from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the mountains inland.Ravello Ravello is hailed the ‘International City of Music’ and is known for its precious panoramic view from the gardens of Villa Cimbrone. The town is perched 350 meters over the rocky spur of the Amalfi Coast separating the Valle del Dragone from the Valle del Regina. Today, Ravello is world-famous for its outdoor music concerts. Visit Villa Cimbrone, once the residence of Greta Garbo, wander through the lush gardens and the Terrazza Della Rosa, or stroll down the path that leads to the Terrazzo dell’Infinito (Terrace of Infinity). This natural balcony is adorned with imposing marble busts. From this unique vantage point you can see the distant Cilento Mountains and the Licosa beyond the sparkling sea, the lush Amalfi Coast, its distinctive terraces of colorful lemon trees, and the typical whitewashed houses that cling to the rugged coastline. Stroll along the streets and alleyways and discover little gems of churches, chapels, and noblemen’s residences. Also see the Cathedral, Villa Rufolo, San Giovanni del Tauro, and Santa Maria. 

Add-On A Guide:
You may also reserve a private guided tour with Angela, native Ravello resident and eloquent art history expert who will take you on a Market Visit & Food Lover’s Tour Amalfi and Ravello Landmark Tour to the gardens, pathways, villas and churches of the town.  If  you love food and wine, Angela offers insight and history.  The walking tour starts out with introduction to the historical city of Amalfi, and then moves on to all the best stops for food, produce, wine, pastry and cheese. As we make our way through this beautiful seaside village, we make a couple of tasty stops along the way, meet local producers of wine, cheese, bread and more, and learn about the seasonal fruits, vegetables, fish & cheese of the Amalfi Coast. Tastings included. (Guide’s fee is extra, please reserve in advance.)

• Return to Positano in the afternoon.

• Evening is free and dinner is on your own. Suggestion Grottino, ask for Nino.

Friday: Pompeii Excursion

• Your morning will begin with an unforgettable early morning drive along the Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples for your excursion to Pompei. You will visit this famous seat of ancient Roman civilization near Naples whose ruins date back to 79AD. Discover and explore the ancient city that was covered by the eruption of Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago, and unravel the ancient mystery of the Roman Empire. Visit Pompeii’s open-air museum and explore the labyrinth of paths that leads you through the ruins of this famous buried city.
• Take time out during your visit for a panino in the café near the forum. A private tour guide is available upon request at an extra charge.
• Return to Positano in the afternoon.
• The evening is free and dinner is on your own. Suggestion: Da Vincenzo. Ask for Vincenzo and tell him you are from Cooking Vacations.

Saturday: Departure

• Departure and transfer to the Naples Airport or Train Station.
• Ciao e a presto!

*Note: This schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days or festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the week.