Let’s set the scene: I’m taking you to one of the most breathtaking destinations I’ve ever visited—Sorrento, Italy. Nestled along the stunning Sorrentine Coast in the Campania region, Sorrento is a charming coastal town that feels like stepping into a postcard. Just an hour’s drive from Naples, where my journey began, this picturesque area is dotted with hillside towns and offers views of the iconic Mount Vesuvius—the very volcano that sealed Pompeii’s fate. My friends, Samantha and Eleonor joined me on this adventure that is the center of this blog post. We attended a cooking class in Sorrento that was one of the best experiences of my life! Filled with laughs, Limoncello, and lots of Italian food, it was a class we will never forget!
Cook like a Local
The class was held by Penisola Experience– which offers classes everyday for lunch and dinner. This class involved 3 courses— an antipasta, pasta and dessert! Since their house was about 20 minutes from Sorrento in a town called Vico Equense, they offer to pick you up for an additional cost. We were picked up, made friends with the driver, and arrived ready to start cooking. Since it takes the most time, we started with making the tiramisu. Did you know that tiramisu means “lift me up”? It has coffee in it, so it wake you up! We started by dipping the ladyfingers in coffee and arranging them in a bowl. We also made the delicious mascarpone filling, and added it to the dish. Because it takes time to set, we did that first and set them in the fridge to be ready later in the night. (Spoiler: it was so good!!!) The picture to the left is our finished dishes with out names on it (with an italian twist!)
Eggplant Parm!
Next, we made delicious eggplant parmigiana! We cut the eggplants, dipped them in flour and eggs, and then fried them. We coated them in a delicious tomato sauce that was by far the best I’d ever tried. Something about Italian tomatoes just makes every dish better! Our teacher, Cristiano, was bubbly, helpful, and full of life! He made the cooking experience so fun, checking on everyone and making an effort to joke around and give everyone Italian twists to their name.
Wine and Dine
In between these cooking process (frying up the eggplant, putting the tiramisu in the fridge), we drank WINE! The beautiful villa where the class was held is owned by the teacher’s family, it has the most breathtaking views. We were able to take pictures in our cute chef’s aprons and hats, and drink wine to the sunset. It truly felt like a scene of out a movie! To the left is a picture of Samantha posing with her glass of wine. Fun fact— she’s vegan, but could still eat everything except the tiramisu!
The Main Course
Now for the main course….. the famous Gnocchi alla Sorrentina! Gnocchi is a type of pasta made from potatoes (hence why Sammy the vegan could eat it). This specific dish is made with gnocchi and delicious homemade tomato sauce— that they claim is their family’s secret recipe! And WOW was it good!!!!! The picture to the right is Eleonor and Sammy posing with their yummy plates! We got seconds!
My Type of Dessert
We ended the night with limoncello shots. Limoncello is a traditional Italian liqueur made from lemons. It is traditional to this specific part of Italy, infusing lemon zest with a neutral liquor. It is super sweet, tangy, and delicious. It is the perfect dessert for after dinner, and in many places in Europe, a shot of liquor is served with your check! We were able to hang out, keep drinking, and socializing with the rest of the group. Then, they dropped us back off at our hotel. Overall, it was such a fun, lively experience!
Here is the link to book the experience: Cook like a Local Sorrento
I wish I could teleport everyone to that night, because pictures truly don’t do it justice. I recommend everyone try a cooking class when they go to Italy, there’s tons out there in every city to choose from! Thank you guys for reading about this amazing experience I had with my best friends.
Share your experiences to be featured here: https://cruisingwithcristy.com/questionnaire/
Leave your thoughts: https://cruisingwithcristy.com/share-your-thoughts/
Be sure to subscribe to my emails here: https://cruisingwithcristy.com/follow-me/
Ciao!
Cristy 🙂
