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PIZZA TOUR TO ITALY
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OVERVIEW
“See Naples and die,” goes the old saying about the place, alluding to the beauty of the city’s incomparable setting in the shadow of its volcano and the blue waters of its enormous bay. “See Naples and eat pizza!” might be the slogan for those who cannot resist the warm, enticing aroma of a perfect pizza with a crisp crust topped with creamy mozzarella and juicy tomatoes, the kind made by a multitude of neighborhood establishments. There’s no better place to enjoy pizza than Naples, and no better way for pizza lovers to satisfy their appetite than the Pizza Tour To Italy, with pizza experts Charles and Michele Scicolone, authors of Pizza: Any Way You Slice It!.
Naples, Italy’s 3rd-largest city, is arguably its most colorful and certainly its most chaotic. Underneath Vesuvius the streets of Naples teem with activity, where Italians eat, work, play, and gossip. Here the amazing architectural monuments are the backdrop to street markets, small shops, and lively neighborhoods. The narrow streets of the old city are home to a treasure trove of churches and palazzi.
The capital of Campania, Naples was founded by the Greeks, enlarged by the Romans, and invaded by foreign invaders in later centuries. And since Naples was once the center of a far-reaching kingdom, it’s not surprising that there are royal palaces and castles there as well. Il Mezzogiorno, the land of the midday sun, is also home to the pleasure island Capri, the historic ruins at Pompeii, and the stunning Costiera Amalfitana, south of Naples.
Over a century ago, local writer Renato Fucini promised that when the amalfitani go the heaven on Judgment Day, it will be a day like any other. Those who drive along the Amalfi coast still find it heavenly. The road from Sorrento to Salerno winds through quaint white villages built on steep angles, with one side of the village unfolding down to the cerulean water and the other rising up the mountainside. Inside each village, there are more delights for the senses: hand-painted tiles, lemons the size of grapefruits, leisurely lunches of grilled fish from the morning market, and a sea-sky so intensely blue it inspired Steinback to call Amalfi “a dream place.”
Guests on the Pizza Tour To Italy will sample pizza at some of the most renowned pizzerias in Naples and along the Amalfi Coast, watch a pizza-making demonstration, and travel to a water buffalo dairy where mozzarella is made. During the trip guests will also visit many of the spectacular sites in the Campania region. We will tour the famous highlights in Naples and discover some of the picturesque neighborhoods, and explore the unforgettable mountainside towns of the Amalfi Coast. Guests will also travel to the island of Capri and take day trips to the amazing excavations at Pompeii and Paestum, see the royal palace at Caserta, and sample the region’s wines at top local wineries.
TOUR LEADERS
 Charles Scicolone is the wine director at the I Trulli restaurant and wine bar with an all-Italian wine list, and the wine consultant at Vino, an Italian wine and spirits shop, both in New York City. For five consecutive years Charles and the staff at I Trulli have been nominated for outstanding wine service and wine list by the James Beard Awards. He has written articles for publications such as Eating Well, House Beautiful, Gourmet, McCall's, and Wine Enthusiast, and has lectured on Italian wines for the Italy America Chamber of Commerce, the Agricultural Ministry of the Region of Sicily, and La Cucina Italiana Magazine.
Charles has also taught wine tasting classes for The Taster's Guild, Peter Kump's Cooking School (now ICE), Cooking by the Book, La Cucina Italiana, and De Gustibus at Macy's in New York City. He has appeared on national television on Emeril Live!, In Food Today, Ciao Italia, and Cooking Live and is a member of the Wine Media Guild.
Michele Scicolone is the highly respected author of several cookbooks, including the blockbuster bestsellers The Sopranos Family Cookbook and Entertaining with the Sopranos. She has written for Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Prevention, and The Wine Spectator. Michele has appeared on the CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, and Cooking Live, which she has also hosted.
Michele's other titles include A Fresh Taste of Italy, Italian Holiday Cooking, La Dolce Vita, Savoring Italy, The Antipasto Table, and Pasta, Noodles & Dumplings, part of the new Williams-Sonoma Mastering cookbook series. One of her latest books, 1,000 Italian Recipes, features a wealth of recipes for traditional and regional Italian specialties and was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award. Michele teaches cooking classes at schools around the country and visits Italy several times a year.
Together Charles and Michele wrote the best-selling and definitive work on the subject, Pizza: Any Way You Slice It!. The Scicolones share their easy-to-follow tips and shortcuts—from mixing, kneading, and shaping the dough to choosing the right toppings—so that anyone can make top-quality, authentic pizza from scratch. There are recipes for such classics as Pizza Margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil) and Pizza Marinara, and pizza American style, including New Haven White Clam Pizza and Chicago Sausage and Cheese Deep-Dish Pizza.
Charles and Michele spent a considerable amount of time in Naples both eating pizza and watching pizza being made by the Neapolitan pizzaioli while researching for the book. Charles makes the following observation regarding the tomatoes used:
“In Naples they use San Marzano tomatoes, which come from the area around Mt. Vesuvius. You can see them hanging in bunches in the pizzerias. They're smaller than you would imagine, slightly bigger than cherries. They have a wonderful flavor and aroma. When using these tomatoes, the pizzaiolo takes them off vines and just squeezes them onto the pizza. This brings out the wonderful flavor of these tomatoes. They do not cook them before firing the pizza.
Another way they are used is sliced and put on the pizza before it goes into the oven. The flavor, again, is wonderful and the tomato is one of the reasons why pizza may be called the ‘perfect food.’ We are talking here, of course, about Neapolitan-style pizza and pizza Margherita in particular.”
In her article “Pizza Town,” which Michele wrote for The Wine Spectator, she describes how Italy’s most beloved export reaches its pinnacle in Naples and why there’s no better place to enjoy it: “Watching a Neapolitan pizzaiolo as he goes about his work is almost as enjoyable as eating the pizza...He slides the disk into the white-hot oven, shuffling around the pies that are already baking to ensure even browning. When he sense the time is right, he removes the baked pie from the oven and slips it onto a plate. The whole process, from shaping to topping to finished pizza, takes less than 5 minutes.”
Charles and Michele also conduct pizza classes several times a year. During the hands-on seminar participants learn how to make true Neapolitan pizza dough, experiment with traditional and fusion toppings, and sample wines that pair well with pizza.
During the Pizza Tour To Italy Michele and Charles Scicolone will lead daily discussions about pizza, pizza-making, and wine. Local English-speaking tour guides will escort guests to the archaeological site at Pompeii as well as Ravello, the historic center of Naples, and the royal palace in Caserta.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Sample pizza at some of the most renowned pizzerias in Naples and along the Amalfi Coast
Tour the picturesque towns of the Amalfi Coast
Take part in a cooking demonstration at a private home in Ravello
Watch a mozzarella cheese-making demonstration at a traditional water buffalo dairy
Sample the region’s wines at top local wineries
Shop for ceramics in the town of Vietri sul Mare
Marvel at the well-preserved Greek temples in Paestum
Savor a delicious tasting menu at the Feudi di San Gregorio estate
Explore the historic ruins of Pompeii
Discover Napoli’s historic center, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Watch a pizza-making demonstration at one of Naples’ great pizzerias
Visit the spectacular Reggia di Caserta, Italy’s largest palace and once home to Bourbon royalty
Travel by boat to Capri, the pleasure island that was once the resort of choice for Roman emperors
Savor the local delicacies at Naples’ bustling food market La Pignasecca
TOUR MANAGER
Michael San Filippo, the founder and director of Cantalupo Tours To Italy, will also accompany guests on the tour. The author of Everything Learning Italian as well as co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Italian History and Culture, Michael is also founder and editor of About Italian Language, the leading online destination for Italian language.
Michael studied in Italy as a graduate student and currently conducts private tutoring in Italian for students of all levels and abilities. With a Master of Arts degree in Italian Studies from the Middlebury College Italian School Abroad program, he has a thorough knowledge of all things Italian including Italian culture, history, literature, and Italian wine and cooking. Having traveled throughout il bel paese, Michael is dedicated to sharing his passion and enthusiasm for Italy with fellow travelers.
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