‘Pasta makes you smile’
I was born in Italy and had the opportunity to have had loving parents and grandparents. Growing up, I was very shy and introverted and I struggled to understand what I would like to do when I grew up. Having time off from school during the summers and having the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with my grandmothers (one was living in Lake Como, the other close to Venice by the mountain side), I started to have an understanding and a passion for food. By watching and helping with food tasks, I developedĀ a love for it and learned very quickly. I slowly learned all the aspects of cooking, like making pasta, potato gnocchi, sauces, braising and roasting meat, fish, poultry, cutting, shaping. And all that learning was going on in an Italian family kitchen, the fun of cooking and the screaming if something went wrong.
As an adult, it took plenty of training in many kitchens to get to where I am today. Some were great for learning, while others I wanted to walk away on the same day. After being an apprentice in several kitchens in Italy, England and Switzerland, I made my first jump to U.S.A. where I started to get a feeling about the restaurant business. I have to say that it was a great experience:ŠĀ not only was I in charge of a brigade in the kitchen (after being trained) but also, I learned all the aspects of how to run a restaurant, from food cost, payroll, stocking, etc. Basically, all the administrative procedures of having a successful restaurant.
