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Host: Nicola and Lia

Santa Maria di Castellabate, Italy

USD
$190-$280 per person

Authentic Italian cooking class near Agropoli with a local family

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Nicola and Lia

Nicola enjoys sharing the food, culture and soul of the region of Cilento with travelers from around the world. The people of Cilento tend to live longer than in other parts of Italy, which they attribute to the regional cuisine and positive attitude. The food of the region of Cilento (referred to as the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet) is based on traditional aspects of the Mediterranean diet that includes fresh and regional ingredients, fruits, vegetables, seafood and extra virgin olive oil. Nicola is passionate about meeting people and helping them enjoy the region of Cilento. In his words, “Arrive as a guest and leave as a friend.” Meet a warm and inviting Italian family in the region of Campania.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join your host Nicola at his parent’s home to learn to cook an authentic Italian meal with a southern Italian family from recipes that have been passed down through generations of your host’s family. Your hands-on southern Italian cooking class involves learning to make 3 dishes made from scratch from Nicola’s mother Lia and will last about 2 hours. Start by learning to make Cilento pizza, homemade pasta like ravioli or fusilli in the Cilento style accompanied by a meat sauce and a vegetable dish. Nicola will act as your translator as his mother Lia does not speak English. You will learn to cook regional dishes that you may not find in restaurants but that are easy enough to recreate on your own. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in Southern Italian cooking and culture before you sit down at the kitchen dining table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Nicola and his parents. Your meal may include dishes such as Cilento pizza, handmade pasta in a sauce, and main of meat or fish and vegetables. Your meal will conclude with a dessert of fresh fruit or dessert and limoncello or artisanal spirits. Wine is included in the cost of your experience.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Nicola will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to a few local shops for your market tour. You will explore a vegetable, meat, cheese grocer and purchase a few ingredients for your cooking class. Walk through the different shops and explore with your host local and regional produce sold by his favored vendors. Your market tour will last about 30 minutes.

Notes: If you are staying within 15kms of Santa Maria di Castellabate, Nicola offers free pick-up and drop-off that is included in the cost of the experience.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Cilento pizza
  • Handmade pasta with ragu
  • Eggplant parmigiana or stuffed peppers
  • Fresh fruit
  • Limoncello

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
This experience exceeded my expectations! From the initial meeting with Nicola and his mother Lia and hanging out in their lovely home, they made us feel like family. Lia showed us how to make a fried pizza, homemade pasta, eggplant parmesan and slow cooked pork and beef. The food was incredible; however, the experience was far better! Highly recommended if you find yourself in or near the awesome village of Castellabate!
- davidrt September 26, 2023
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Nicola and Lia

$190-$280 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$280 $230 $190
Alcohol
$0 per person
Transportation
$0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$280 $230 $190
Alcohol
$0 per person
Transportation
$0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:30am-2:30pm 5:00pm-10:00pm

Meet Nicola and Lia

Nicola enjoys sharing the food, culture and soul of the region of Cilento with travelers from around the world. The people of Cilento tend to live longer than in other parts of Italy, which they attribute to the regional cuisine and positive attitude. The food of the region of Cilento (referred to as the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet) is based on traditional aspects of the Mediterranean diet that includes fresh and regional ingredients, fruits, vegetables, seafood and extra virgin olive oil. Nicola is passionate about meeting people and helping them enjoy the region of Cilento. In his words, “Arrive as a guest and leave as a friend.” Meet a warm and inviting Italian family in the region of Campania.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join your host Nicola at his parent’s home to learn to cook an authentic Italian meal with a southern Italian family from recipes that have been passed down through generations of your host’s family. Your hands-on southern Italian cooking class involves learning to make 3 dishes made from scratch from Nicola’s mother Lia and will last about 2 hours. Start by learning to make Cilento pizza, homemade pasta like ravioli or fusilli in the Cilento style accompanied by a meat sauce and a vegetable dish. Nicola will act as your translator as his mother Lia does not speak English. You will learn to cook regional dishes that you may not find in restaurants but that are easy enough to recreate on your own. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in Southern Italian cooking and culture before you sit down at the kitchen dining table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Nicola and his parents. Your meal may include dishes such as Cilento pizza, handmade pasta in a sauce, and main of meat or fish and vegetables. Your meal will conclude with a dessert of fresh fruit or dessert and limoncello or artisanal spirits. Wine is included in the cost of your experience.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Nicola will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to a few local shops for your market tour. You will explore a vegetable, meat, cheese grocer and purchase a few ingredients for your cooking class. Walk through the different shops and explore with your host local and regional produce sold by his favored vendors. Your market tour will last about 30 minutes.

Notes: If you are staying within 15kms of Santa Maria di Castellabate, Nicola offers free pick-up and drop-off that is included in the cost of the experience.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Cilento pizza
  • Handmade pasta with ragu
  • Eggplant parmigiana or stuffed peppers
  • Fresh fruit
  • Limoncello

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
This experience exceeded my expectations! From the initial meeting with Nicola and his mother Lia and hanging out in their lovely home, they made us feel like family. Lia showed us how to make a fried pizza, homemade pasta, eggplant parmesan and slow cooked pork and beef. The food was incredible; however, the experience was far better! Highly recommended if you find yourself in or near the awesome village of Castellabate!
- davidrt September 26, 2023
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$280 $230 $190
Alcohol
$0 per person
Transportation
$0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$280 $230 $190
Alcohol
$0 per person
Transportation
$0 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:30am-2:30pm 5:00pm-10:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

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    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.