As I begin the countdown, as if it didn’t begin as soon as I boarded my last flight home from Italy, and confirming the itinerary for the Amalfi Coast trip in May, I came across this photo of one of my most treasured parts of our Amalfi Trip, cooking with my dear friends Mamma Agata and her beautiful daughter Chiara.

For those of you who saw any of Bravo’s “First Class” show, Chiara and Agata were featured on one of the episodes about a month or so ago. Mamma Agata has been cooking for royalty, movie stars, political figures, and a few of us common folks as well, for decades. As if just simply being on the Amalfi Coast in a villa on the cliff side in Positano isn’t enough to make you think you have died and gone to heaven, we get to spend a day with Mamma Agata and Chiara in Ravello learning to prepare traditional Italian cuisine, dining on her terrace which overlooks the gardens, which is where all the ingredients used for preparing the meals are grown, which again happens to be on the side of a cliff overlooking the gorgeous blue waters of the coast.

The aromas that surround you are as intoxicating as the wines made by Chiara’s husband. The lemon groves are without a doubt one of the more obvious aromas, as the coast is covered by lemon tree groves. What you see below is the decadent lemon cake that Mamma Agata prepares for us, she always makes extra for me to bring back to the villa….thanks Mamma.

Naturally, as the trip grows closer and the memories start flooding in from our previous trips, I start craving the regional cuisine, so, I’ve given a hand at trying to re-create the lemon cake, as close as I can without having the lemons picked fresh off the tree and yes, there is a HUGE difference in the taste of our lemons and the ones from the Amalfi Coast. So here you go, this is my rendition of her lemon cake, give it a try and let me know what you think (Click on the recipe link on the right). Better yet, plan to come along with us in May as well and then you can do a taste comparison….of the lemons of course, not my cooking and Mamma’s. - Debbie