It's still available, though rather pricey these days - on both sides of the Atlantic:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Lovers-.../dp/1873429711

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Wine-Guid.../dp/1873429711

Feltrinelli don't appear to have it listed here, but you might like this - which is at least a little more affordable:

http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Wine-G...ian+wine+guide

We've got the previous version, and refer to both before travelling anywhere new locally!

Even cheaper still, there's a very nice little intoduction to some of our regional specialities that can be downloaded for free!

http://www.bb-napoli.com/english/specialities-guide.pdf

...........................

Those direct ferries are likely to have ended by then - running until very soon after the All Souls holiday at the latest, so you'll probably have to travel via Sorrento... although nice weather and plenty of punters may see them carry on for a while longer, especially after the very slow start there's been to the season this year!

Peter

The price for that books can fluctuate so keep looking, and do check other online sources such as Abe Books. Fred Plotkin's "bible" is another essential companion for a food-focused trip, although he does not have the concentration of information about Campania of the Capalbo book.

Last fall I took a 2-week-plus drive from Lamezia Terme in Calabria, north to Amantea and Maratea and along the Cilento Coast, continuing on to Paestum and to several stops on the Amalfi Coast, both at sea level and in the hills. I will be happy to comment if you are contemplating a trip like this.

Ekocrunch, I would be taking a similar trip but in the opposite direction from Sorrento, Amalfi and then on to Paestum. I would enjoy hearing all about your journey.

Thanks for the information Peter! I have dowkoaded the free book and will keep searching for Capalbo's.

Will you be stopping at Paestum, or continuing further south in the Cilento and beyond?
We spent 3 nights at Sta. Maria Castellabate, a charming town on the beach in the northern Cilento. We used Castellabate as a base to travel to the nearby temples of Paestum as well as to the Tenuta Vannulo, one of several in the area where buffalo are raised for cheese making. (This area is one of two sources for the legendary mozzarella di bufala that you will find throughout Campania, with the other being the area near Caserta) We took the English-language tour of the Vannulo farm, which included samples of the fresh cheese. Here is a brief report about my experience there; note that this was on a visit several years later than the one described in this thread:


TENUTA VANNULO..CAPACCIO SCALO (near Paestum, south of Salerno)

Whenever the discussion turns to mozzarella from the Paestum area, the name Vannulo comes up, as this is the most well-known of the “mozzarella farms” lining the state highway south of Battipaglia. (The word mozzarella, when spoken in the Cilento, refers to buffalo mozzarella only. Mozzarella made from cow’s milk is “fior di latte.” In the Amalfi area, the term “mozzarella” means the cow milk cheese, produced in Agerola; the product from Cilento, or from Caserta, is referred to there as “mozzarella di bufala.”)

Unlike most farms, Vannulo is organic and unlike most farms, they offer tours in several languages. We phoned ahead to book the 10am English tour, making the short drive from Castallabate on a Friday morning.

For a fee of 4 euro per person, about 20 of us received a tour of the vast buffalo pens, housing several hundred female animals and only a few males, with separate sections for eating, relaxing (on rubber mattresses) , and milking. Feeling itchy? Waddle over to the large, vertical car-wash-like rotating brush for a rubdown. Much was made of the special Swedish milking machine. A few minutes were spent in front of a large picture window, watching the stretching of the curds into the familiar mozzarella balls and the not-so-familiar treccia braids. An equal number of minutes were spent inside the “leather boutique,” offering handbags and small accessories made from (male) buffalo skin. (The male buffalo meet a fate far less pleasant than that of the females) A small museum details the history of the farm and displays old implements and interesting photos, including one of the animals grazing amidst the temples at nearby Paestum. Generous samples were handed out at the end of the tour, which lasted about 45 minutes. The information imparted at the tour was pretty basic; one could probably wander around alone and view the animal barns and the through-the-window cheese making.

The most interesting part of the excursion, for me, was the shop selling the buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, provola, and other heavenly incarnations of the milk. Since shipping requires refrigeration, and since this mozzarella should never be refrigerated, it is available only here and the waiting throngs indicated that this is, indeed, a much-prized local product. The cheese often sells out before noon. The white-swathed saleswomen obligingly packed up my meager purchases, with their "acqua bianca" liquid, in a plastic container which was set inside a Styrofoam container. Every other person who exited the shop seemed to be carrying at least 4 of these containers, along with assorted shopping bags. It was quite a sight.

There is a “yogurteria” next door that also saw lots of activity on that Friday morning. Although the menu offers a long list of cakes, and gelati, and yogurt made from buffalo milk, the signature order here appeared to be a heft slice of brioche slathered with fruit yogurt. I tried an apricot yogurt and it was, indeed, pretty terrific.

As for the mozzarella? I lack the words but will never forget.

The farm is but a few minutes drive from the Paestum site.

http://www.vannulo.it/visita.html




Note the disrespect accorded to fior di latte (the cow's milk version of mozzarella, made in Agerola on the Amalfi Coast, as well as in many other locations) on this officlal site:

http://www.mozzarelladibufala.org/all...








http://www.paestum.de/en/paestum.htm

Once I dropped the week in Sicily from my trip I have been rather indecisive about where to spend the extra time. The time of year makes it more difficult to stay and eat where I would like to. I have been talking to Cecilia the owner of the Seliano buffalo mozzarella farm near Paestum. She is willing to stay open and and also provide me with a cooking class. When travelling solo it is also difficult this time of year to join other groups since not many are still travelling in November. It seems that at some point I may very well need to rent a car, although I have been trying to avoid it.

Val, sorry I did not respond sooner.

This B&B in Agropoli (Cilento) gets raves on review sites. It appears that the owners are willing to ferry guests around a bit, and they also offer cooking classes. Agropoli is a large town that I think would make an interesting base for a few days. (We stayed nearby in Castellabate, but I expect Agropoli would be much livelier in the off season, and it is closer (only 9km distant) from Paestum, for the temples and the buffalo farms)

http://www.baiaditrentova.com/

It sounds like a wonderful place and as far as cooking vacations it is really inexpensive.Thanks for the suggestion.

I just had a fun hour re-reding this thread, and it brought to mind so many more posters who are no longer active here: I send them by heartfelt thanksk for their kind contributions here and hope that they are still well, and traveling!!

SeaUrchin
Dayle
Steve_James
A_Brit_in_Ischia
LowCountryIslander

And so many others!

Anyway, since many of you are bound for the Naples/Amalfi area, I hope that this report, although written long ago, might be of some help...

Myself, I plan to fly into Naples and travel south, next month.