Day 7 - Ravello and mama Agata's cooking course

None of us realized what a special day this was going to be. Neil, tami tevel's husband, recommended that if we were going to be near Ravello we must go to mama agata's, an all day cooking course. We were warned to eat a small breakfast and not to make dinner plans. 

We were warmly greeted by Chiara, mama agata's daughter. She gave us a bit of her background and the background of her mom. Her mother cooked for Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra , Gore Vidal and Jackie Kennedy. They started this business 15 years ago in the home that has been in their family for 250 years. Mama Agata is about 70 years old and doesn't speak a word of English. 

We watched and learned as Mama Agata cooked for us. Chiara was so friendly and animated while her mother never cracked a smile. Sometimes she would interject in Italian if Chiara went off topic. Jimmy, Bev and I loved her! She was hysterical! The way she moved around the kitchen reminded me of my bubby.





The setting was spectacular . Set into a cliff in Ravello overlooking the sea we ate al fresco under a covered pergola. In between cooking and eating we were given the opportunity to walk around the grounds or just lounge and rest. We were all so surprised at the size of the lemons. Some of them were like small melons. The garden was pesticide free, they use lizards and frogs instead. She told us to pick and eat whatever we wanted...no need to wash. Auntie Lianne would have loved it!






Our group consisted of nine people and we were joined by a lovely couple from Paris, Christine (a chef from California who looked like a young Barbara Streisand) and Fred. They met in Paris while she was in culinary school and they now operate the first food truck in Paris. Then there was frank who was the unfriendliness person we ever met. 

Our menu, in exact order:
Lemon cake, cappuccino, taste of tomato sauce, wine, fried zucchini with parmasean cheese, fried dumpling with salami,cheese and zucchini flowers, bread, sautéed sweet green pepper, eggplant parmasean, spaghetti with olives and capers, pappardelle  with sautéed peppers and sausage, lemon roasted chicken with rosemary, lemon cake and cappuccino.

We were very, very full!

Spectacular, first class day that none of us will ever forget!

When we were finished, lucio picked us up and drove us into the town of Ravello. Bev and I got ourselves into 2 wedding parties! Bev was asked to step aside by the mother of the bride. Apparently they did not want us in their group wedding photo!

At night Bev and I skinny dipped and Bev did laps in our tiny infinity pool to work off lunch.

We just chilled and enjoyed our last night together.