David Rocco's Amalfi Getaway

David travels high up the mountains to the town of Agerola for an extraordinary food adventure.  His friend Franco – also known as Buon Gustaio or “man of good taste” is his tour guide.  Agerola is famous for some of the best food on the coast, and still makes many dishes in the traditional artisanal way.  David and Buon Gustaio visit a 200-year-old bakery that still makes the region’s much loved crusty bread in the original stone oven, and they visit a local butcher to taste the extraordinary handmade sausages. Buon Gustaio’s tour also takes David to the mountains for a tasty sunset picnic with Agerolese shepherds, and to Buon Gustaio’s home for a traditional lunch, or pranzo, featuring a hearty meat ragu made in Buon Gustaio’s own kitchen.

David’s longtime friends, the Oliva family, invite him to their family restaurant in the town of Scala, for a birthday celebration for their patriarch Baldino, who is turning 90 years old.  As a tribute, the family prepares all of Baldino’s favourite recipes passed down through generations, and shares secrets with David on how to make these rustic and delicious dishes using local ingredients.  These include handmade sun-dried tomatoes with anchovies, cheeses, and the Oliva family recipe for their celebrated ricotta cake.  This episode features the music of Eddie Oliva.

David travels the stunning Amalfi coast exploring the famous Amalfi lemon.  Sweeter and juicier than lemons grown in other parts of the world, the people of Amalfi have cultivated this extraordinary sunny fruit for centuries.  Here, locals use every part of the “limone” in the kitchen – even the leaves. David cooks inspired savoury dishes using lemon leaves, shares a tasty lemon Granita, and learns how to make the coast’s signature liqueur – Limoncello.

David dives into the world of an Italian culinary treasure - buffalo milk cheeses, starting with a visit to a creamery in the town of Paestum where he meets the majestic buffalos face to face. David gets a taste of the luscious mozzarella di bufala – mozzarella made with buffalo milk, and ricotta made with buffalo milk.  David learns how to use buffalo mozzarella in several traditional seafood dishes and, with the help of his friend Carla, makes a scrumptious cheese dessert for a beach picnic in the beautiful town of Positano.

Amalfi’s rugged coastline facing the open sea has always made it easier to fish than to farm.  Because of this, the Amalfitani make some of the most delicious seafood dishes in the world. David kicks off his pursuit of local seafood at one of the tastiest beachside restaurants in Amalfi, where head cook Catarina prepares her signature anchovy and mussel recipes.  David later travels out to sea with local fishermen, catching fresh shrimp and octopus for a dinner cooked right on the boat!  His journey ends at popular The Blue Fish and Anchovy Festival where he tastes traditional dishes like Parmigana made with what else? Anchovies!
 

The unique climate of the Amalfi coast makes it possible for local wineries to grow superior grapes – and produce some of the top wines in Italy.  David visits one of the most respected wineries on the coast run by his friends Andrea and Marisa.  There, he learns to make a traditional squid dish with wine as the special ingredient.  He also visits a spectacular fjord and takes part in a local wine festival – or Sagra – in the breathtaking town of Ravello.  The festival features a number of rustic local dishes prepared especially for the occasion.