A Secret from Capri - Pasta Aumm Aumm
The first stop in our newly released -zine, Il Mare, is the beautiful island of Capri. A rocky island surrounded by azure blue seas, it is located just a short ferry or hydrofoil ride from Naples, Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Summer playground to Roman emperors, European nobility, and Hollywood stars, it’s a magical place that holds a special place in my heart.
Like many other tourist hotspots in Europe, its daytime population swells to an unmanageable size but if you can visit like a local or stay overnight, it can be a perfect vacation spot.
I had the good fortune to spend a lot of time on Capri years ago when I became the adopted family member of a big group of people who called Capri home (read more about my time on Capri in Il Mare! 😊). I found the people who live there to be incredibly warm and hospitable. They are so proud of the beauty and tradition of their island home and its place as a world-famous destination.
Almost everyone I met had an occupation in the tourist industry so the summer was a busy time. They still made time to gather in family garden houses to relax. Everyone seemed to have a connection to a family or group garden somewhere on the island. I remember walking through terraced hillside gardens filled with lemon trees, grape vines, and one type of summer vegetable after another. There was always a small stone building to cook, gather friends, eat good wood, and drink local wine.
The cooking I remember was so simple. Fresh vegetables from the summer garden, limoncello made from the winter citrus, and seafood fished that day. Everything was made in minutes and simply seasoned so you could taste summer in every bite.
One of the dishes I remember best was pasta aumm aumm. It’s a simple dish made with tomatoes, eggplant, and mozzarella. Its name “aumm aumm” means “hush-hush” as in telling a secret in the local dialect. So this summer, I offer this hushed secret to you for a simple summer meal.
Buon appetito!
Joe
The island of Capri has a quieter side: the town of Anacapri with its slower pace and peaceful laid-back atmosphere. It is here in their picturesque garden villa that you will find Gianluca and Holly. This husband-and-wife team will teach you how to cook the local cuisine of the island with produce fresh from their garden while sipping their local wine varieties from Campania.
Formerly owners of Ristorante Michel’angelo in Capri, Gianluca and Holly opened the MICHEL’ANGELO COOKING SCHOOL at their Giardino di Capri, in 2015 and have been teaching guests from all over the world how to cook the island’s authentic cuisine using Gianluca’s family recipes.
We first met Holly and Gianluca during an online cooking class and have been ordering their delicious products directly from Capri ever since. And you too can order direct from Capri!
Pair our recipes in Il Mare with their variety of local wines, organic preserved vegetables and tomatoes, or a drizzle of their delicious extra-virgin olive oil (we adore their lemon-infused olive oil!). Grown together in the rich, volcanic soil and favorable Mediterranean climate, these flavor combinations have complemented each other for generations.
Together, we have selected a few curated boxes that can be ordered direct from Capri, and shipped to to your table. (And their shipping is incredibly fast!)
Click on the links below to choose from our favorites:
• Holly and Gianluca’s Special Campania Wine collection
• The Our Italian Table ‘Flavors of Capri’ collection
• Or select your own products to form your very own collection
Order today and cook up a storm in true island style!
Dive in 😊 to over 70 pages, featuring two full menus and recipes to recreate your own Italian island adventure as well as Michele’s photography and tales from our travels. Travel with us to two of our most loved Italian islands: the beautiful paradise of Capri and the windswept island of Pantelleria. Join us at the sea! 🐟
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