Interview: Chef Carmen | Sorrento Cooking Vacation Packages

Our chefs, and their passion for cooking, are the heart of all of our vacations. In this series of blog posts, hear the chefs in their own words as they talk about their background, their love of food, and what they hope you gain from your next culinary vacation.

For Chef Carmen at our Amalfi Coast cooking vacation Sorrento Cooking Adventure, cooking is all about passion and love. We think there’s a bit of magic in her cooking too. Here Chef Carmen talks about why she cooks and what she hopes you learn from her cooking classes when you go to visit her!

When did you first start cooking? What’s your first cooking memory?
I start cooking when I was a child but I was not thinking of a job, only the passion and to spend time with my mamma, from which I learned all my recipes and all little secrets of the kitchen.

What’s your favorite ingredient or food to cook with? Favorite dish to make?
My favorite ingredient to cook is pasta, and I like to mix flavors and tradition with present, such as paccheri with fava beans and clams.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting to cook?
To cook what you need is fantasy, creativity and love. Does not make any difference if you have a diploma or not but person who likes cook are very natural talented.

What do you hope people gain from your cooking programs/classes?
I hope that all my student that maybe never cook so much in their life will enjoy so much cooking with me to go home and practice thinking of me and my cooking school.

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Cook with Carmen at her cooking school in the heart of Sorrento, and stay at a nearby B&B property. The week-long cooking vacation includes excursions as well to such sites as Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast towns, and Capri.

By Liz SanFilippo Hall

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