Photographs Courtesy of Relais Blu Belvedere
Recipe for Romance
MAKE YOUR NEXT TRIP A
CULINARY EXPLORATION OF ITALY’S STORIED AMALFI COAST. BELOW, KELLEY GRANGER SETS OUT A PLAN SURE TO PLEASE.
Trip: Blue Sky and Sea of Amalfi
Outfitter: The International Kitchen
The Digs: Relais Blu Belvedere is a secluded boutique hotel perched high above the Mediterranean in the town of Termini, with views of nearby islands, Capri and Ischia. The property’s 11 rooms feature paints, linens and furniture of crisp, clean white coupled with aqua-blue accents, hardwood floors and décor so simple nothing distracts from panoramic views framed by massive picture windows.
The Plan: You’ll have an opportunity to take four cooking classes over the course of a week with the Relais Blu’s head chef, Bob Christoph, who’s trained under star-chef Alain Ducasse and Heinz Beck. Classes
depend on what’s fresh and seasonal, but will cover seafood, meats and desserts, all with a Mediterranean twist. When you’re not in the kitchen or eating at Ristorante Relais Blu (try Cristoph’s lemon gnocchi
or octopus salad) you can sample the wares
of local mozzarella and limoncello makers and explore the towns of Ravello, Sorrento, Capri (don’t miss a rowboat ride into the Blue Grotto) and Pompeii.
Book it: The International Kitchen ac-cepts reservations for a minimum of two people any week between March 27 and Nov. 3. Some culinary knowledge is recommended, though not required. For a detailed itinerary and rates (starting at $3,100 per person in March and April), visit
theinternationalkitchen.com.*
