Sorrento (2)

My Second week in Sorrento I traveled to Sant’Angelo where I ate at many cool restaurants, toured really great food markets, and took classes at two more locations.

Below you can see a few of the fruit and vegetable stands I would walk by everyday.

Fruit Market in Sant’Agnello

Cooking School: Mami Camilla is located in Sant’Agnello, Italy.

I had the opportunity to take classes with other chefs who attended this culinary school. The people who were my classmates were either chefs or aspiring chefs. The fun thing about participating in these classes were that each class concentrated on a menu where the class would prepare and eat later for dinner. My best memory of this class was defiantly the laughing and fun while we were learning. The mix of people who were in attendance were from all parts of the world. As students we all ate dinner together and I enjoyed this so much I stayed an extra day. The people who run the school & hotel are a couple that are really laid back, casual, and great hosts. I have made friends at this school that I stay in touch with today. I would recommend this school if you would like to learn cooking skills, have a good time, and eat delicious food.

Dinner with Classmates:

I also had the opportunity to work on my plating technique with Chef David during class. Chef David was working at Il Buco and had picked up some great plating techniques that I still like to use today for my dishes. Below are some beautiful photos of what the plating was:

Esperidi Resort also located in Sant’Agnello

This Resort is really beautiful and has a great outdoor pool. The class I attended was more for beginners, rather than professional chefs. After saying this I would recommend this class for anyone who would like to experience southern Italy cooking, with a very easy skill level required. I loved the resort and all of the people that were guests here. The place is set up into private bungalows that are surrounded by Lemon & Orange Groves. By the time I came to this resort I was exhausted and was ready for some TLC. I have a very funny memory where one night I went to meet friends I had made at Mami Camilla cooking school for the night. When I came home after a night out with new friends I was starving. Since I was staying in a Bungalow surrounded by Orange groves, I turned on my flashlight application on my cell phone and picked an orange off a branch near by. I must admit this is my happiest memory from Esperidi along with the memories of the wonderful staff I also made friends with during my stay.

Sorrento (1)

Sorrento Cooking School:

Location: Sorrento at the Alexia House Studying with Chef Lucia

This cooking class really blew me away. This location is a must for any culinary level. I was welcomed by a warm atmosphere that is a family run school. Lucia is the teacher and her sister and a few others work to provide the students with an unbelievable cooking class. Everything I prepared was either produce grown on the property or local produce. The class was small and I was able to really work on my techniques and learn really great new recipes.

Some of the dishes I learned: Stuffed Zucchini Flowers, Squid & Potatoes, Assorted types of Pasta & Sauces, Sardine recipes, Rolled Peppers, Fish under salt, and Lemon Cake. The list I mentioned were only a few of tons of recipes we created during this class

Lucia is a great Chef, and a wonderful humble teacher who is filled with knowledge! If you are interested in cooking in a beautiful location, with a group of smiling Italians then come to this class.

Below you will find a few photos that are some of the many dishes I prepared during class:

Stuffed Whole Fish

Stuffing for Salted Baked Fish

To get information to visit this school- www.alexiahouse.com

Summer 2013 Southern Italy Culinary Excursion

Summer of 2013 I decided to leave NYC (2 months) and travel to the South of Italy. My experience will stay with me a lifetime, and has made a very big impact on me and the way I express myself as a chef.

The best gift in my opinion I could ever give myself would be the gift of learning. As a professional chef traveling to the Mediterranean was a wonderful way for me to improve and also learn new techniques in the kitchen.

Before I take you all on a tour of my 2013 experience in various kitchens, I would like to thank each and everyone I met on my travels. Each chef I worked with in Italy has taught me techniques and ways of cooking I use today in my own practice. The culinary schools I attended were all very different, ranging from peoples homes to some of the best restaurants and celebrated chefs in the South of Italy.