When a tour ends, many travelers often return home inspired to try to recreate the food they experienced on the trip. But we’ve never seen a group more inspired than our recent group of travelers to the Amalfi Coast this May!
After spending a week eating and drinking their way through the enchanting Amalfi Coast in Italy’s central Campania region, these travelers are staying in touch and sharing their culinary and cocktail creations with one another from home.
From Restaurant to Home Kitchen
Suzann Johnson from New Jersey started the firestorm of activity when she shared pictures of a dish she recreated at home after the trip: Spaghetti al Cartoccio which translates to “spaghetti in a bag.” It’s a pasta dish with olive oil, lemon and shellfish that was served on the last night of the trip at one of Onward Travel’s favorite restaurants in the world. It’s run by the Cavaliere family of four brothers and their parents and it’s truly a magical setting with amazing food and wine.
“This pasta dish was presented to us with great fanfare, and it’s very impressive because it was served in a big parchment bag. It was an unusual presentation, and it was delicious so that’s the dish I decided I wanted to recreate, but in individual portions,” said Suzann. “I added some roasted tomatoes and shrimp, but next time, I think I’ll add some capers. I have some ideas on where I want to take the next version. My goal is to wow my neighbors with dinner this summer, one of whom lived in Italy for several years. I’m in no way comparing my dish to the one we were served at the restaurant but my riff on that dish tasted delicious!”
Suzann at home with her Spaghetti al Cartoccio
Suzann’s Spaghetti al Cartoccio
Suzann says what made the entire experience with the Cavaliere family is that they have known Kat, Onward Travel co-owner and guide for this trip, for a decade. “I felt like it was a homecoming, not a dinner for a group of tourists. I really appreciate that Onward Travel teams up with small businesses and family businesses which is aligned with my personal values.” said Suzann.
Fellow travelers Sue and Dave Apps from the Hudson Valley, New York couldn’t agree more. “Every course served at Ristorante Antica Trattoria Ciccio was mind blowing, but it’s really the local connections that Molly and Kat have made that make all the difference. We had such an amazing experience with our group there which would have been so different had we just gone to the restaurant on our own,” said Dave.
Since their return, they have continued to eat and enjoy the Mediterranean meals they prepare daily. Dave made the Eggplant Parmigiana from the recipe they made during their lemon-centric cooking class and a Funghi Parmigiana (since Sue is allergic to eggplant) with a delicious homemade tomato sauce he cooked for hours.
Dave’s homemade tomato sauce
Fresh pasta with tomato sauce and Pecorino cheese
Eggplant Parmesan and Mushroom Parmesan
Sue has made many variations of pasta and several different salads inspired by the trip.
Pasta with anchovies
Caprese Salad, Anchovy Toast and Toast with Cheese and Jam
Sue and Dave are lucky to have an authentic Italian grocer not too far from their home, so they’ve been able to get their fix of Italian ingredients there, including Taralli, which are a snack common in the southern half of the Italian Peninsula. These wheat-based crackers that will remind you of a grissini breadstick can be sweet or savory.
Anchovy Admirers
But one of the ingredients the Apps did bring back home was Colatura di alici which is anchovy essence. “Kat told us you just need a couple of drops to add to fresh pasta, and she was right. It’s incredibly strong and you must love anchovies to enjoy it, but it adds so much flavor to dishes,” said Dave.
Colatura di alici
Michael and Michelle Marx also brought back a bottle of this anchovy goodness to their home in Chicago. It’s made by layering anchovies with salt, repeating, compressing and aging them. The juice is extracted and captured in the sauce. The Marxes used it in a dish with pasta and clams and said it turned out wonderfully.
One of the stops on the tour is a small fishing village called Cetara, renowned for its high-quality anchovies which are integral to the local cuisine and culture. The anchovies are featured in various local dishes, including spaghetti colatura and simple fried preparations such as anchovy on butter toast.
Anchovy buttered toast
Michelle made cicchetti (Italian small bites) with anchovies and fig jam (a gift to the entire group of travelers from the Cavaliere family) and ricotta cheese on crostini for breakfast.
Spritz Blitz
Michael made his mark on the group when he suggested having a spritz to other travelers who had never tried one before. In Italy, there is no shortage of spritzes from the classic made with Aperol to the limoncello version favored in Amalfi.
Limoncello
Limoncello Spritz
When he and Michelle dined in Capri, they had dinner at a local restaurant off the beaten path and there was one called Hugo spritz. So, they tried it and loved it!
“This drink is one of the hot things in Italy right now, so I brought it back to the group. We walked away from this tour with a different appreciation of the local favorites. Some of the travelers have been sharing recipes for spritzes, from Hugo to limoncello spritz with our group, and here’s my favorite version of the Hugo,” said Michael.
Hugo Spritz
Hugo Spritz
1.5 ounce elderflower liqueur (St. Germaine is recommended)
8 mint leaves, divided
2 ounces prosecco
2 ounces sparkling water
Lime wheel for garnish
- Muddle half of the mint leaves in the bottom of a wine glass.
- Add elderflower liqueur, prosecco, sparkling water, and ice.
- Stir and garnish with the remaining mint leaves.
- Add a squeeze of lime and garnish with a lime wheel.
Sue and Dave have been enjoying the Hugo Spritz at home as well, which they say is their new favorite summer drink. “We’ve been making these way too frequently since we’ve got back,” laughed Dave.
Michael and Michelle’s Hugo Spritzes at home
Sue and Dave’s Hugo Spritz with garden mint and Tarallis
Fellow traveler Wendy Grossman had to turn around after the Amalfi trip and travel to New York City for work. She asked a bartender if he knew how to make a Hugo spritz and was sadly disappointed in his version but now that she has Michael’s recipe, she says she’ll make her own.
Lemon Lovers
Wendy has been so busy with work following the trip that she hasn’t been able to recreate many of the dishes at home, but she did make pasta with clams and lots of lemon zest. Next, she wants to try Delizia al Limone. “The lemon dessert is the signature dessert of the Amalfi Coast. It consists of lemon sponge cake, lemon custard and cream. However, it’s a two-day affair, so I’m definitely going to tackle that on a weekend,” said Wendy. “I’m also thinking of getting a pasta machine like we used in our cooking class.”
Delizia al Limone aka Lemon Delight
This was Wendy’s first trip to Italy, and she took the tour as a solo traveler. She found the camaraderie of the group to be a highlight for her. “Being able to sit down at a table with so many friendly faces and share a delicious meal in a beautiful environment was a dream come true for me. All the people on this trip appreciated good food and wine. I don’t have many foodie friends so the fact that I was able to meet so many people who were interested in fine food and learning about how to prepare it and where it was from was extraordinary,” said Wendy.
Sue and Dave, who had never participated in group travel before, agree that the culinary components of this trip were a big draw for them as well. As experienced home cooks, they said they were pleasantly surprised at the quality and quantity of food and drink they experienced throughout the week. And since they typically follow a Mediterranean diet anyway, this trip gave them some more ideas.
Michael agrees that the food and wine inspiration is what made this trip so special. “It’s always great to be able to see the local beauty, art and history and have local adventures. But the food experience from the meals out to cooking with the locals made it such a well-rounded trip for us. Now, it lives on in a lot of different ways. My wife and I are wine lovers so now we are in search of the wines we tasted in Italy here at home,” said Michael. “It’s apparent that our group clicked really well by the ongoing level of activity and communication that has continued since the trip ended. Everyone still stays connected, and now, we are sharing our lives from the real world, “ observes Michael.
Michael is the president of Mariano’s, a supermarket chain, and recently shared Mariano’s second cookbook with all the travelers. It features recipes from 46 chefs in Chicago and the proceeds benefit a charity that feeds the homeless. “We are all foodies and that was evident by the time we spent together. We all have a passion for food, so it’s an extension of what we all care about. We had a great trip, so let’s continue to share recipes,” said Michael.
We couldn’t have said it better than Michael when he said, “There’s nothing like sharing the art of cooking!”
