About Me

My family come from a southern region of Italy, called Campania, its cuisine, like no other, is celebrated in songs and poetry - it is full of imagination and inspiration. The features which characterise my family’s cooking are those which are common to most Southern Italian families - pasta, nearly every day - even if it’s just a handful in soup, and a huge repertoire of vegetable dishes.

In Australia, our family has abandoned many traditions which once made for survival - curiously, it is my city-bound generation which has rekindled the interest in those aspects of country life that our parents were happy to leave behind - the smoking of meats, the making of sausages and tomato sauce, wine and olive oil making, ancient and humble recipes.

A tradition we have staunchly maintained, however, is that every special occasion is marked by a meal together. These days my mother is engaged to make one laborious dish as the centre point - a properly made lasagne, fusilli, melanzane alla parmigiana, crocchette or her version of a tiramisu. The various aunts and cousins have their specialities and no-one would dare to encroach on their expertise, although each one is easily flattered when I include their recipe in a cookery class.

Everyday meals are characterised by simplicity - good, seasonal ingredients from the garden, cooked long enough to release their own flavours. Except for pasta, separate sauces are rarely made - the pan juices provide the sauce for the meat or vegetable. Meals are usually only one or two courses, dessert is usually only fruit, nuts or sometimes fresh cheese, if the meal has been light.

From this background, I emerged obsessed with seasonal produce and an unshakeable belief in the power of food to bring people together. At university, I studied English Language and Literature and History and while all the other students highlighted linguistic acrobatics and timelines, I read and reread all the banquet scenes, the descriptions of bakery shops and endless passages describing the harvests – I didn’t do very well!

It is not surprising then that I make my living from teaching people, children and adults alike, to appreciate fine, simple food – from the garden to the table. At my cookery school in Goodwood I run many kinds of workshops, tours, demonstrations, practical classes and interesting dinners - all of them based on seasonal, local produce or an exploration of another culture.