I was born in London to Italian parents, am bilingual and bicultural and I have always been very proud of my heritage. Growing up and surrounded by the traditions and love of my family has shaped who I am today, and influenced everything from my love of food to my appreciation of family.
Wherever I have lived, the kitchen has always been the heart of the home - "la cucina 'e il cuore della casa." I have special memories of cooking with my mother from a young age. My mother cooked the traditional Italian way, ‘ad occhio‘, meaning cooking by eye, where she would look, feel and taste to know when it was right, using family recipes and traditions passed down from generation to generation. It was my mother's passion for cooking that influenced and inspired me and led to my own love of cooking, and my strong desire to continue family traditions.
I have fond memories from a young age of trips to Italy to visit family, and many of these special memories include the kitchen. I remember the distinctive smell of my nonna's wood oven, the amazing garden where the fresh fruit and vegetables were grown, the enormous baskets filled with delicious freshly picked tomatoes and the tables covered with tomatoes cut in half and left to dry in the sun to make sun dried tomatoes. I remember my nonno tasting the pasta water from the saucepan before adding the pasta, to check it had the right amount of salt in - very important!
In 2002 my childhood dream to live in Italy came true! I moved with my family to live in Tuscany, where we restored an old farmhouse just a short drive down the hill from the centre of Cortona, and where I continue my love of cooking and share this passion with others, as well as cultural experiences.