On the second leg of our trip, we spent a few days in a little mountain town called Ravello which is perched high above the Almalfi coast. Ravello is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the whole world, and one very special cooking school.
If you want to learn real, authentic, no-fuss Italian cooking, what better way to do it than in the home of an Italian woman who has been cooking professionally for decades for some incredibly famous people like Frank Sinatra and Jackie O.
Mama Agata is the beloved woman at the heart of the cooking school. Her daughter Chiara, the soul of the school, is the one who runs the day to day, assists and translates for her mother who speaks very little english. They teach out of their home, perched high on a mountainside overlooking the Mediterranean, which has been in their family for over 200 years.
Mama's recipes are simple, clean, and all about the ingredients. Her technique has been perfected in both her kitchen as well as her garden. On their property their garden stretches down the mountainside where they grow everything from capers, to lemons, and of course plenty of tomatoes. In August, the family closes down the cooking school so that they can harvest and preserve their tomatoes so they have plenty to last through the year.
After a day of learning, helping mama cook, and wandering through her gardens, it was time to sit down an enjoy our lunch. It was a meal I will never ever forget. The eggplant parmesan was the best I have ever had, and the pasta dishes were so fresh tasting and absolutely incredible.
The most important lesson from the day ...... that good food comes from the heart. Love is the secret ingredient in every great meal. This was evident from seed to plate at mama's home, and will be something I strive for in every meal served in our home.
