Since 2014 when Turin Epicurean Capital was born, the world has changed and so has our format.
2022 marked the 9th edition of Turin Epicurean Capital and it was fully online on our IG and YouTube channel. This year we dedicated it to Ukraine 🌻💙 and its strong people, those who never left, as well as those who are still out of the country and those who have gone back. The world is with you: Slava Ukraini!
We had the pleasure to meet:
- Ms Jyothi Aimino aka Ms Sharma of Piedmont. Founder, owner and manager of L'ERM winery in the Canavese wine district, here in Piedmont, Jyothi is a real force of nature and a guest to many editions of Turin Epicurean Capital.
- Alex Futter aka 'the Stanley Tucci of Turin Epicurean Capital'. As an old friend of Lucia, Alex has been to Turin many times and knows the city like the back of his hand. He shares his insider's tips and like Stanley would do in Searching For Italy, he interviews Lucia.
- Turinepi19 guest and friend, Reine shares what she loves about Turin and why she keeps coming back as often as she can!
- As the 9th edition was dedicated to Ukraine and Ukrainians, professional photographer Ann Belokurand her son, Alex Belokur, currently student of architecture in Turin, told us about them, their work, life, dreams for the future, what they miss about Ukraine and what they love about Turin.
Turin and some of her amazing
experiences were the protagonists of the 8th edition available on IGTV and YouTube.
Get to see what being in Turin looks and
feels like: first capital of Italy in 1861, she still keeps all her royal splendor 👑
Surrounded by hills, crossed by the Po
river aka longest river in Italy, Turin is a natural movie set thanks to her wide and intimate piazzas,
Roman lanes, 1700 architecture and castles.
Art, antiquities, fashion, a vibrant
intellectual community, the automobile industry, and above all, a deeply rooted food and wine culture
will just make you dream of living here!
For this 2021 edition we our virtual
experiences will allow you to travel from your armchair, enjoy our interviews to:
- Chef Justin Yip of popular Sate & Sake talks about his home country Malaysia and why he made his home in Turin and Piedmont over 10 years ago. Spoiler there are pastries!
- Multi-awarded gelato maestro, Mr Leonardo La Porta of Bar Gelateria Miretti in Turin tells us about his famous chocolate gelato flavors, vegan chocolate sorbet, tangerine sorbet, and also about the Miretti roastery and coffee blends!
- Mr Alberto Landi, Arch., owner and manager of world famous Al Bicerin - coffee house since 1763 tells us about this stargate and living museum, Turin's staple coffee drink: bicerin and their chocolate boutique where you can buy a nice selection of traditional Piedmontese delicacies.
- Giulia the herbalist graduate of the Rosa Serafino herbal shop - founded in Turin in 1875 - tells us about the history of this amazing shop and their top artisan products.
And finally,
- Lucia of Turinepi gives you a virtual royal tour of Turin from the Roman ruins to her favorite royal silverware pieces!
The 8th edition was dedicated to the people of Myanmar who have been fighting for democracy, human
rights and their survival for many years now!
Australian Lisa Brancatisano studied fashion design but in 1993, when she was 22, Lisa
decided to travel to Italy to learn Italian and fell in love with the city of Florence where she
would live for the next 2 years, learning how to paint watercolours which she would sell alongside
the local street artists in the courtyard of the Uffizi gallery. During her time in Italy, Lisa
traveled to her father’s home-town of Motticella in Calabria, learning about her families history as
well as how to cook many traditional recipes.
She returned to Italy in 2006 and worked for a fashion distributor for the next 12 years,
responsible for research, acquisition and marketing of new brands. In 2016, she founded This Tuscan Life, a lifestyle
magazine that celebrates the historic borgos, vineyards, talented artisans, festivals, traditional
recipes and cocktails of Tuscany. The printed magazine is distributed to 4 & 5 star hotels in
Tuscany and available for sale in two bookshops in Florence. The digital version has been downloaded
from her popular blog of the same name in Italy, America, the UK and Australia. Lisa now offers
This Tuscan Life Experiences, including food, fashion and artisan walks. She lives in
Florence with her husband Emiliano and two sons, Matteo and Thomas.
Toni Brancatisano was brought up in Australia by her Calabrian father
and her English mother, surrounded by an abundance of fresh produce, and amazing food prepared by her
culinary talented mother. Even though she became a Registered Nurse after school, her passion for food
led her to Italy where she has lived since 1998. Spending 15 years in Tuscany, Toni is now based in
Rome where her work and life revolves around 'la buona cucina'! She has hosted several TV series on the
Italian food channel, Gambero Rosso Channel & has appeared on various other television and radio
shows in Italy and Australia. She was a guest chef at The Melbourne Food and Wine show in 2011,
and her first book on cake decorating was published in 2012 by Gribaudo Feltrinelli. Toni occasionally
caters for special clients, she has cooked for both the Australian & New Zealand Embassies in Rome.
Apart from developing recipes and food styling for her blog, she has also worked as an assistant food stylist for international
advertising campaigns here in Rome. Toni currently works as a Food Tour guide, offering private and
specialised food and shopping tours, and is a Brand Ambassador for the Italian brand Mamì.
Christina Conte was born in Scotland to
Italian parents, just like St Patrick; but unlike the saintly figure, she now lives in sunny Los
Angeles. She is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious to share with her
readers on Christina's Cucina. When
Christina isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel near and far, as long as there's good food
involved. She's on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from a horrible death, and constantly
promoting her native Scottish (and British) cuisine in order to dispel the myth of "bad British
food".
Christina has two degrees in psychology (one for each child) and used to be a social worker who
taught parenting skills. She could easily be vegetarian if it wasn't for bacon, black pudding, cured
Italian sausages, pancetta and salami. Basically, it’s a pig problem she has.
Just don't get her started by asking her thoughts on using trendy short cuts, one-pot pasta dishes,
faux and processed food, preservatives, and dump dinners. You've been duly warned. Follow her
on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
Antonio De Vecchi & Daniele Taverna of Gelato Village in
Leicester, UK
After 25 years as a nurse in Ivrea and then Britain since 2003, Antonio de Vecchi
decided to follow his true passion: making gelato. He enrolled in the Carpigiani courses at the end
of May 2013 to bring real gelato to Leicester, along with Daniele Taverna. Their Piedmonte
se heritage gives a unique twist to their creations. Crafted in the artisanal style, they use only
the best ingredients. This starts with the fresh milk from Alan Hewson’s cows at the Belvoir Ridge
Creamery and the honey, created by the Slow Food UK Supporter “The Bee Farmer”, David McDowell. With
the support of Renato “Jo Pistacchio” Romano, they have also recently cemented their place in the
local food community by being the first to bring PGI certified Sfusato lemons to their region of the
UK. Organising a co-operative with other local restaurants and delis, they are now bringing this
world-leading fruit regularly to the area, and using it to create delicious sorbetti.
As well as creating gelato inspired by Italian and Piedmontese tradition, Antonio and Daniele also
tirelessly develop new and exciting recipes which represent the flavours of their new home and the
rich diversity of fresh ingredients in the area. if you are in the UK, you must go to Gelato Village in Leicester.
Chiara Franzoso of Latteria Bera in Turin
Chiara is the granddaughter of Ms Romola aka the cheese
pioneer of Turin and the current manager of historic Latteria Bera, in Via San
Tommaso 13 in front of the Lavazza drugstore. She grew up in her grandma's dairy, where she played
selling styrofoam cheese to learn how to give the change to the customers. A graduate in
communication, Chiara specialized in semiotics and worked for a few years for a communication agency
before taking over the shop when Ms Romola retired. Chiara was very rigorously trained to be an
expert cheesemonger, a business woman and an independent educated lady by both her grandma and
mother. Her job is her passion, so she when you can't find her in her shop, she's driving up the
Alps and in other Italian regions to check the farms, small producers and new products. Back at her
place, she loves her kitty!
Renata Haidle is a Romanian-American photographer, writer, and book author. She credits
Paris for sparking her photography career after her first visit there in 2014. Her work has been shared by Google, Frommers, The London
Evening Standard, The Resident London, and Mountain Living Magazine, among others.
She has been featured twice in Google Pixel digital installations: The Meadows at the Highline
(NYC, May 2017), and The Radical Luxury exhibit at the Old Selfridge Hotel (London, May 2018). She is a
regular contributor to Taste of France, FranceToday.com, and Urbansider
Paris.
Her first photo book, French Riviera,
was published in July 2019, a self-published version is available here. She is currently
working on a Paris-inspired poetry collection. Her website is:
https://www.renatahaidle.com
Amanda Jack is a writer, student, mother and grandmother (But not necessarily in that order!)
She loves all things Italian and is often found flitting like a butterfly between her homes in
Scotland and Italy. Amanda and her husband Don love travelling around both countries, sampling the
local produce and recreating traditional recipes back at home.
Looking forward, Amanda will continue her degree studies in English Language and Literature, and is
hoping also to complete her debut novel. Follow her on her website: A Jack
In The Box
Maria Jack was born in Scotland but has lived in Italy since the
'80s. She has done different work over the years, usually getting itchy feet after about 4 years in
the same place. Her past jobs include working in drinks and coffee companies as well as in
publishing. She stopped flitting around when her son was born 16 years ago and has been an English
language teacher at the Politecnico, Torino's engineering and architecture university, since then.
Her interests include good food and wine, reading, being with friends and family, walking her dog,
going to new places, going back to places she liked and singing with her band.
Maria Jack was born in Scotland but has lived in Italy since the
'80s. She has done different work over the years, usually getting itchy feet after about 4 years in
the same place. Her past jobs include working in drinks and coffee companies as well as in
publishing. She stopped flitting around when her son was born 16 years ago and has been an English
language teacher at the Politecnico, Torino's engineering and architecture university, since then.
Her interests include good food and wine, reading, being with friends and family, walking her dog,
going to new places, going back to places she liked and singing with her band.
Stefania Mairano THE Turin ceramic artist
A Turin native, Stefania will tell you her passion was born out of curiosity when she took a class,
but if you get to know her, you'll see how art and creativity have always run in her family. When
her corporate career stalled, she decided to take the leap and open her own shop with workshop. That's
where the magic happens! Always curious to explore new shapes and colors, she
customizes virtually anything that allows her hands to work the clay smoothly. Her creative
process is very holistic, a fusion of her visualization and handcraft. To Stefania, shaping clay is
a meditation form.
In her workshop, she designs and makes fashion accessories like jewelry and buttons, and also one of
a kind art pieces and lampshades.
Monotony and gravity are her only limits for curiosity and new textures (read materials) are her
constant leading force.
Cynthia McCloud Woodman is a classically trained cook from
Southern California. She received her culinary certificate in French cuisine from
the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, now part of the Cordon
Bleu. She also has a Master's degree in English. After culinary school, Cynthia lived in
London where she cooked in a French restaurant, English pub and for a catering company. She
met her husband of 30 years while working in a restaurant in Southern California. They spent their
honeymoon traveling around the world where they visited, India, Australia, China, Malaysia, Greece,
and Egypt, to name a few. Cynthia's website: What A Girl Eats is where she shares "Healthy food with a global spin",
as well as her world travels and adventures. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram too!
Dawn Olsen is an Indianapolis-based writer who covers architecture,
art, urban design, and food/entertainment. She fell in love with the Italian language at age twelve,
after reading Bloomability. The book — Dawn's forever favorite — is about a young American girl who
attends school in the Italian-speaking Ticino region. The coming-of-age story inspired Dawn to study
Italian at Purdue University. (That's where she met Lucia Hannau, the event producer for Turin
Epicurean Capital.) These days, Dawn lives in a historically Italian neighborhood in downtown
Indianapolis. She walks, runs, or bikes every day, and is always planning her next vacation. Follow
her on Instagram, Twitter and her website Candidly Clyde.
Wanessa Navarro Marchini is a Brazilian of Italian origins. Born
and raised in San Paulo, Brazil, as a child, she loved spending her vacations on her aunt's farm
among fruit plantations, the aroma of the freshly roasted coffee beans, the wood oven baked bread
and the unforgattable frothy freshly milked milk!
Already at 10, Wanessa planned to live in the country; then she grew up a travel lover, a
sustainability practitioner, a foodie and she made her dream come true by cultivating her small plot
in the Monferrato heart. Health reasons made her a farmer and very soon, she realized that her hobby
had the potential to become her profession!
Now, after 17 years, her Cuore Verde
Green Heart organic farm produces a wide natural catalog that includes: eggs, fruit,
hazelnuts, walnuts, old grains, medicinal herbs and much more. On her farm she
has a laboratory and a workshop where she makes all her products, beauty products too!
Wanessa loves art and also organizes theatrical tastings both on her farm and
around Piedmont.
I’m Elfin Waters, a language coach. I run All About Italian,
and I’m passionate about helping Italophiles nurture their passion for Italy and soak in la bella
lingua in small, irresistible sips so that they can truly connect with the country of their
dreams. On Instagram where I have created a friendly community of language learners where people
share their goals and hurdles. In order to help my students get out of their tourist bubble and see
a more authentic side of Italy, I host language learning retreats in my hometown, Gaeta in Lazio, 1
hour from Rome. They're language learning experiences that give a taste of what it feels like
to live in a small town in the South.
With my friends and fellow Italian teachers, Silvia and Barbara, I’m also co-founder of Con
Parole Nostre-Italian Conversations, a podcast that I host together with my friends and
fellow Italian teachers, Silvia and Barbara.
I’ve also spoken about the power of connecting on Instagram at events like Women in Language
2018 and the Online Teacher Summit 2019. Together with business coach Elena Mutonono,
I’m co-teacher of Instagram for Language teachers, a course on how to use Instagram to
connect with students more effectively.
Jyothi Aimino is a Piedmontese girl born in India and a graduate
of the University of Gastronomic Sciences (2017). While at university the love for her locality
blossomed and she decided to focus her career where she lives: in Borgomasino, in the Canavese wine
district. The Canavese area has a great potential both for tourism and food and wine. Borgomasino has
always been a land of wine vocation, as it straddles two wine denominations: the Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
- a white wine - and the Canavese DOC - a red wine! So, why not producing wine? This is how L'Erm by Aimino Jyothi,
her own winery was born! She has also many other projects about wine, but she will share them little by
little. One thing is certin, Jyothi will do her best to promote Borgomasino, the town that welcomed her
with open arms and to whom she owes everything. 
Reine Bouton teaches English and food and travel writing at
Southeastern Louisiana University, which is an hour outside of New Orleans. She has published and
presented papers on Italy, travel, and food--much of her work focuses on small plate culture and food
and identity/culture. In addition to her nonfiction work, she has published several short stories and is
working on a novel. During her time at Southeastern, she lead study abroad programs to Italy for ten
years and to France and Ireland as well.
Follow her on Suitcase And All and Twitter.
Monica Buzio
A Turin native and a
mother to two boys, Monica has been living different lives. A Law School graduate, she worked as a EU
project consultant. Then, after marrying an Italian diplomat, she spent ten years moving from Frankfurt
(Germany), to Bucharest (Romania) and finally back to Italy, to Rome. Currently, she's an interpreter
and a translator to and from Romanian. Her earliest memories are of two mysterious notebooks dated
June 1911 in her parent’s house and this is where another life begins... 
Christina Conte was born in Scotland to Italian parents, just like
St Patrick; but unlike the saintly figure, she now lives in sunny Los Angeles. She is usually cooking,
baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious to share with her readers on Christina's Cucina. When Christina isn't
in the kitchen, she loves to travel near and far, as long as there's good food involved.
She's on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from a horrible death, and constantly promoting her
native Scottish (and British) cuisine in order to dispel the myth of "bad British food".
Christina has two degrees in psychology (one for each child) and used to be a social worker who taught
parenting skills. She could easily be vegetarian if it wasn't for bacon, black pudding, cured Italian
sausages, pancetta and salami. Basically, it’s a pig problem she has.
Just don't get her started by asking her thoughts on using trendy short cuts, one-pot pasta dishes, faux
and processed food, preservatives, and dump dinners. You've been duly warned. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
Silvia Cordero
After graduating from the University of Venice, Silvia came back to her native Piedmont with the idea of sharing with as many people as possible her beloved region. After a 10 year career in the Langhe tourism, she founded Incoming Experience - hospitality group and tour services - to best cater new tourist expectations and needs. A tour guide, a gourmet and wine lover, Silvia is introducing some of the Turin Epicurean Capital 2019 guests through their Langhe tour.
Jan Egan
After an international corporate life during which she was well paid,
well travelled and well fed, she now has the luxury of combining her twin passions of Italy and
food. Keen supporter of Slow Food and love to source and cook with authentic ingredients in her
kitchens in London and Milan. Fell in love with Turin about four years ago and now try to be here as
often as she can. Can’t be doing with fake or speedy anything and likely to rant about the
industrialisation of food at the drop of hat. When not in the kitchen, likely to be found with her
nose in a book, wandering around looking at art and architecture or listening to opera (the earlier
the better). Blessed with a wonderful Italian partner, Edoardo, whose role in the kitchen is to keep
my glass filled.
You can follow her on her blog The Watchful Cook
Antonio De Vecchi & Daniele Taverna
After 25 years as a nurse in Ivrea and then Britain since 2003, Antonio de
Vecchi decided to follow his true passion: making gelato. He enrolled in the
Carpigiani courses at the end of May 2013 to bring real gelato to Leicester, along with Daniele Taverna. Their Piedmontese
heritage gives a unique twist to their creations. Crafted in the artisanal style, they use only the best
ingredients. This starts with the fresh milk from Alan Hewson’s cows at the Belvoir Ridge Creamery and
the honey, created by the Slow Food UK Supporter “The Bee Farmer”, David McDowell. With the support of
Renato “Jo Pistacchio” Romano, they have also recently cemented their place in the local food community
by being the first to bring PGI certified Sfusato lemons to their region of the UK. Organising a
co-operative with other local restaurants and delis, they are now bringing this world-leading fruit
regularly to the area, and using it to create delicious sorbetti.
As well as creating gelato inspired by Italian and Piedmontese tradition, Antonio and Daniele also
tirelessly develop new and exciting recipes which represent the flavours of their new home and the rich
diversity of fresh ingredients in the area. if you are in the UK, you must go to Gelato Village in Leicester.
Chiara Franzoso
Chiara is the granddaughter of Ms Romola aka the cheese
pioneer of Turin and the current manager of historic Latteria Bera, in Via San
Tommaso 13 in front of the Lavazza drugstore. She grew up in her grandma's dairy, where she played
selling styrofoam cheese to learn how to give the change to the customers. A graduate in
communication, Chiara specialized in semiotics and worked for a few years for a communication agency
before taking over the shop when Ms Romola retired. Chiara was very rigorously trained to be an
expert cheesemonger, a business woman and an independent educated lady by both her grandma and
mother. Her job is her passion, so she when you can't find her in her shop, she's driving up the
Alps and in other Italian regions to check the farms, small producers and new products. Back at her
place, she loves her kitty!
Chiara Franzoso
Chiara is the granddaughter of Ms Romola aka the cheese
pioneer of Turin and the current manager of historic Latteria Bera, in Via San
Tommaso 13 in front of the Lavazza drugstore. She grew up in her grandma's dairy, where she played
selling styrofoam cheese to learn how to give the change to the customers. A graduate in
communication, Chiara specialized in semiotics and worked for a few years for a communication agency
before taking over the shop when Ms Romola retired. Chiara was very rigorously trained to be an
expert cheesemonger, a business woman and an independent educated lady by both her grandma and
mother. Her job is her passion, so she when you can't find her in her shop, she's driving up the
Alps and in other Italian regions to check the farms, small producers and new products. Back at her
place, she loves her kitty!
Alessandra Gambini is an LA-based food writer, cookbook author and
multi-award nominee host chef in web series. She's an Italian food ambassador and develops recipes for
the most prestigious Italian brands. Ale is the head cooking instructor at the Italian Cultural
Institute of Los Angeles. Follow her on her website: A Queen In The Kitchen, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, Youtube.
Alice Giordana a Turin native and a Communications graduate, Alice
joined Silvia at Incoming
Experience - hospitality group and tour services - to manage the company's big event
section. Proficient in photography and SoMe savvy, Alice she is the Media & Communication manager. A
curious lady interested in many things, Alice has a passion for amazing food and great wines and,
together with Silvia Cordero will lead our Turin Epicurean Capital 2019 Langhe tour.
Annette Joseph is an American author, expert on entertaining, cooking,
food, and photo styling, and interior design stylist for numerous lifestyle magazines. She studied at
the Culinary Institute of America in both upstate New York and Napa Valley. With a solid background in
everything from DIY projects to cooking, Annette has worked on countless freelance projects with
cookbook authors and top-notch magazines, such as Better Homes & Gardens, Country
Homes, Redbook, and People, and is a regular lifestyle contributor and
entertaining expert on the Today Show, Better Mornings, and Martha Stewart
Sirius Radio. Her recipes and party ideas have been featured in many magazines and newspapers.
Annette splits her time between Atlanta, Georgia, and Tuscany, Italy, where she and her husband are
restoring a medieval fortress. In Italy their house has been featured in Casa Facile, and
QUIN magazines. She is the author of 2 cookbooks, Picture Perfect Parties (Rizzoli NY) and
Cocktail Italiano, Tales the Definitive Guide to Aperitvo: Drinks and Nibbles and Tales of the
Italian Riviera (Skyhorse NY). She currently is the Entertaining Editor for Atlanta Magazine’s
HOME.
Ulderica Masoni
Originally from Vercelli,
the rice capital of Europe, Ulderica fell for fashion at 15. A law school graduate, she started her
fashion career as a model and ever since then she has always worn many hats like: fashion buyer,
personal shopper, commercial director for companies, artistic director for museums, exhibits, events, PR
and many others. Ulderica has always divided her life between Turin - where she came to complete her
university studies, and Milan - where she once even managed her own jewelry show-room. Working in the
fashion industry has introduced her to many artists and has allowed her to fully devote her life to art
and fashion. She blogs on www.hermyandmomlife.com, she
collaborates with MYBEAUTYBOX Italia – RCS Mediagroup, she's the official Press Office of SeVeC (the Silk, Glass and Cermic museum) in the
Cuneo area here in Piedmont, she collaborates with many art galleries, yet her top passion is: jewelry!
Thanks to her own personal huge collection made up of the works of the most famous Italian and
international fashion and jewelry designers (Correani, Sharra Pagano, De Liguoro, Barbara Uderzo, Carlo
Zini, Moschino, YSL, among the many) she has studied jewelry design and history and in the years, she
has also made of her passion one of her professional expertise.
In fact, over the years, she has been collaborating with many jewelry designers and schools, she has
organized and taught workshops and made presentations at many institutions and events.
As a lifestyle expert and scholar, she has also completed different research projects for the Criminal
Chamber of Turin and her most famous one is about Ulrike Meinhof and the Fashion Revolution.
You can follow her on Instagram too
where she always posts great stories!!
Benedetta Oggero aka Miss Bee
Born and raised in Turin, after graduating as an
interpreter and translator, Benedetta moved to London for seven years working in the financial sector.
Upon her return to Turin, she needed a career change and decided to fully pursue her dreams and started
cooking and teaching English. Under the name of Miss Bee, she started working as a personal chef
and organizing Social Eating supper club dinners in Turin, specializing in several international
cuisines and anything British or Britalian.
When she is not in the kitchen, she teaches English and
manages some real estate properties. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, reading (especially Jane
Austen) and home decorating.
Paola Pressi
Paola is the mastermind, founder and owner of Il Reale an innovative artisan producer of old-fashioned vermouths, gins and
many medicinal liqueurs. Since her first years abroad as a student, producing and sharing with the world
the top of the Italian flavors had always been one of Paola's dreams. Back then though, it wasn't the
right time and she was forced to keep this project on the back burner till she met her husband. When
they met, he instantly saw her passion and decided to jump in with her and give it life. Working in the
beverage sector had always been one of her secret dreams and it finally became true when she met the
perfect essence extractor: the guy who creates all the bases and blends for her company! Thanks to the
many people she has met over her years abroad, Paola has developed a great pride in Piedmont and its
great potential, especially its traditional products and vineyards. After years of professional
collaboration with HRH Prince Serge of Yugoslavia, son of Maria Pia of Savoy - the Italian royal family,
the game was done. She involved him in her 'refined boozy project' and to thank him and represent their
friendship and esteem, she created her own label IL REALE or the royal with a logo that blends
together the Savoy and Croatian royal coats of arms.
With Paola you can see, smell and savor how a woman's dreams can sparkle royally.
Cynthia Woodman is a classically trained cook from Southern
California. She received her culinary certificate in French cuisine from the California Culinary
Academy in San Francisco, now part of the Cordon Bleu. She also has a Master's degree in
English. After culinary school, Cynthia lived in London where she cooked in a French restaurant, English
pub and for a catering company. She met her husband of 30 years while working in a restaurant in
Southern California. They spent their honeymoon traveling around the world where they visited, India,
Australia, China, Malaysia, Greece, and Egypt, to name a few. Cynthia's website: What A Girl Eats is where she shares "Healthy
food with a global spin", as well as her world travels and adventures. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram too! |
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Alberto & Kelly are a cross-cultural couple (he’s Italian, she’s
American) who share a passion for cooking (especially traditional homemade Italian recipes) & good
conversation around the dinner table. By day Alberto (Semenzato) works in IT and Kelly (Strobel) is an
English teacher, but they created italianatheart.com initially
as a language exchange through recipes. The blog has evolved into a mutual passion with a deeper
mission: make authentic Italian cuisine seen & heard in the English-speaking world. After studying
abroad in California, Alberto met his nemesis: chicken Alfredo fettuccine. And after studying abroad in
Torino, Kelly fell in love with the city and the cuisine, and especially the idea that language learning
thrives best over a scrumptious meal around the table. For us there is no greater expression of love
& connection than through the breaking of bread together.
Jan Egan
After an international corporate life during which I was well paid,
well travelled and well fed, I now have the luxury of combining my twin passions of Italy and
food. Keen supporter of Slow Food and love to source and cook with authentic ingredients in our
kitchens in London and Milan. Fell in love with Turin about four years ago and now try to be
here as often as I can. Can’t be doing with fake or speedy anything and likely to rant about the
industrialisation of food at the drop of hat. When not in the kitchen, likely to be found with
my nose in a book, wandering around looking at art and architecture or listening to opera (the
earlier the better). Blessed with a wonderful Italian partner, Edoardo, whose role in the
kitchen is to keep my glass filled.
You can follow me on my blog The Watchful Cook
After 25 years as a nurse in Ivrea and then Britain since 2003, Antonio de Vecchi decided to follow his true passion: making gelato. He enrolled in the Carpigiani courses at the end of May 2013 to bring real gelato to Leicester, along with Daniele Taverna. Their Piedmontese heritage gives a unique twist to their creations. Crafted in the artisanal style, they use only the best ingredients. This starts with the fresh milk from Alan Hewson’s cows at the Belvoir Ridge Creamery and the honey, created by the Slow Food UK Supporter “The Bee Farmer”, David McDowell. With the support of Renato “Jo Pistacchio” Romano, they have also recently cemented their place in the local food community by being the first to bring PGI certified Sfusato lemons to their region of the UK. Organising a co-operative with other local restaurants and delis, they are now bringing this world-leading fruit regularly to the area, and using it to create delicious sorbetti.
As well as creating gelato inspired by Italian and Piedmontese tradition, Antonio and Daniele also
tirelessly develop new and exciting recipes which represent the flavours of their new home and the rich
diversity of fresh ingredients in the area. if you are in the UK, you must go to Gelato Village in Leicester.
Andrew Dunne is originally from Dublin, Ireland and moved to the Langhe
region of Piemonte in 2016. With a love of “tutto Italiano” Andrew has been a regular visitor to Italy
since he first visited on holidays in 1988. Self-employed, Andrew’s real passion is food and wine,
particularly Italian but now with an emphasis on Piemontese food and wine. In early 2017, Andrew set up
Piemonte Deli, a food & wine gift box
business presenting local, artisanal, award-winning producers and delivering throughout Europe direct
from Italy. The company’s value is “provenance”, only sourcing gourmet food products directly from some
of the most amazing family businesses and wines directly from award-winning, family run boutique
vineyards. Many of the products are award-winning and some of the products have been awarded the
prestigious "Piemonte Eccellenza Artigiana" in recognition of Italian producers using traditional
artisan methods and an important symbol of excellence and some of our wine suppliers being awarded the
'Slow Food' 'Presidio' award in August 2017, for their Dolcetto. Since then Piemonte Deli is starting to
bring these “hidden gems” to Ireland/UK & Europe by distributing these wonderful products to
independent retailers. 2018 will also see the introduction of the Piemonte Wine Club, a subscription
service showcasing the wonderful wines of Piemonte.
Follow Joyce on her Instagram account where she portrays Turin and the world from an unusual and authentic perspective.
Georgie Knaggs
I grew up on a farm in Africa – Zimbabwe. Since then my life has been
a mixture of family, travel, and writing. I’ve lived in many countries, most recently in Italy where we
spent two years (2014-2016) on the outskirts of Naples. The city and its beautiful location fascinated
me from the start, and thanks to excellent, occasional language classes in the old centre I learned
enough Italian to find my way around the city, and to explore its history, its treasures, its culture,
and the importance it places on family and food. I’m now back in London, where my mind still travels,
and I continue to write and to work on my blog The Phraser – “a broad little blog on culture, travel, elephants and
people”.
Clare Reed is Irish, 42, and living the dream in Alta Langhe,
Piemonte. Brought up in England she has travelled the world and lived in 5 countries as an adult,
settling in Langhe in 2016. She has thrown herself into the community in her village and
entertaining 'Langhe style' has taken over her life. She loves hosting and visiting her Italian
neighbours for lunches and dinners soaking up all the local customs, Piemontese foods and wines, as well
as the great entertainment her new neighbours offer. She writes about her new adventures and living in
the Piemontese way in her blog www.piemontedreams.com, she contributes to international
ex-pat blogs and is in the midst of writing her first novel set in Italy – where else! When she puts her
laptop away she is most often found in the kitchen making up a batch of preserves from her garden’s
fruit trees and vegetable plot.
Francine Segan, one of America’s foremost authorities on Italian
cuisine, is a food historian and engaging public speaker and TV personality. A noted James
Beard-nominated author of six books including her most recent two on Italy are Dolci: Italy’s
Sweets and Pasta Modern: New & Inspired Recipes from Italy. She is the host on NYC’s
popular i-italy TV series “Americans who Love Italy,” which airs Saturdays and Sundays on channel
25 and 22. She also appears on many other programs, including Today Show and Early Show
and has been featured on numerous specials for PBS, the Food Network and the
History, Sundance and Discovery channels. She lectures across the USA for the
prestigious speaker’s bureau Cassidy & Fishman and is a frequent guest speaker at NYC’s
premiere cultural center the 92Y, Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University,
Smithsonian Museum in DC, Virginia Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Natural History in NYC
among others. She recently moderated a panel for the Tribecca Film Festival on food in film
with Isabella Rosellini and Stanley Tucci. Ms. Segan writes for several magazines including
Epicurious, Food Arts, and Gastronomica. She writes extensively about chocolate and
authored several chapters of Rutgers University’s catalogue Bitter Sweet: The Chocolate Show and
contributed the chapter “Italian Chocolate” for the upcoming Oxford Encyclopedia of
Sweets. She also recently wrote a twelve-page cover feature on Italian chocolate desserts for
La Cucina Italiana magazine. Francine Segan is a frequently quoted expert in many
newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,
Vogue, Scientific American, USA Today, L.A. Times, and Chicago
Tribune.
Follow her on her website www.francinesegan.com
Diana Skok Corridori is an Italian-American living in northern
Italy. Her father is from Trieste and she was born in Texas. Growing up, meals included dishes such as
bbq ribs, jota and gnocchi. Food always reflected the multicultural home she was raised in and
contributed to her curiosity of the the cultural differences between America and Italy. Living in Italy
has given her the opportunity to compare the realities of "La Dolce Vita" and "The American Dream." She
writes about food, travel and life in the old country at: www.italytranslated.com and contributes to the
publications: The Telegraph, CNN and National Geographic. When she is not
writing, she is planning trips for independent travelers to Italy. 
Elfin Waters
I was born in the US but grew up in Italy in an English speaking family. I
have a background as a translator and originally, I'm a certified English teacher. I worked in offline
schools until 2013 when I had an accident that forced me to reconsider every aspect of my life and start
teaching online over at Italki. When I first posted my
profile, I offered lessons in every language I knew and to my complete surprise, the first requests I
received were for Italian. That's when I discovered that many people wanted to learn Italian and live in
the very country I was at odds with and that I wanted to leave. Thanks to my students, I started seeing
Italy through new and different eyes. Now, I'm on a mission to get more English speakers to overcome
their fears and learn Italian so they can get to out of their tourist bubble and connect with Italy in a
more meaningful way.
I specialize in using social media to squeeze language learning into a busy
life and I feel that process of learning a language should be just as enjoyable and remarkable as the
final goal, that of becoming fluent.
I give daily Italian lessons on Instagram and have created a supportive Italophile community.
Patriza met astrology for the first time when she turned 13. On that occasion she was given a tiny book
where she found out that Scorpio ladies "aren't pretty but charming" and that most likely, she would
marry a Cancerian or a Taurus. Back then, she was madly in love - and unrequited - with a Sagittarius
and all of that just sounded so cruel to her. Despite the momentary disappointment, her curiosity for
astrology had already seized her interest and it soon changed into a passion. After 40 years and a
degree in maths, plus many certifications in astrology, her curiosity to understand the influence of the
planets on our lives still keeps her up during restless nights.
Naturally, over the past years, she met some beautiful Scorpio women who were also charming, however,
the most important thing is that astrology has slowly taught her to look for the real beauty of people
inside them and to collect their stories.
For the records she didn't marry a Cancerian nor a Taurus. Patrizia has just published her first book
"Ai Piedi di Venere" or At Venus' feet soon to be released in English too. You can follow her on
her website Linguaggi
Simbolici with an English version coming up soon.
Ilva Beretta
Ilva Beretta is a Swedish photographer based in Tuscany. She
specialises in food and still life photography with a predilection for shooting in daylight.
Ilva shoots both commercial and editorial photography, on the editorial side she has worked with
publishers and magazines like Gibbs-Smith Publishing, QA International, Art of Eating, Sale & Pepe,
Alice Cucina, Mat&Vänner, Condé Nast to mention some of her clients. Commercial clients include
Giovanni Rana, Esselunga, Philadelphia, Ferrari, Rio Mare.
Ilva has received many important international recognitions among which the most important are winner of
the IACP Digital Media Award for Best Photography in 2014, finalist in Sony World Photography Awards and
finalist in Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Years Awards, both in 2016.
Patricia Boner
My multicultural background--Asian (Chinese parents), Latin (brought up
in Lima) and European (married to a Swiss-Peruvian for 28 years and based in Switzerland for over 20
years) -- has always geared my foodie spirit and my interest in discovering different places. In
Lima I worked as personal assistant and planning conferences and events at the International Potato
Center. In Zurich I had jobs as personal assistant in private banks. Growing up in Peru and being
raised in a Chinese family played a major role in my current appreciation of food. Sitting down with
the family for most meals was compulsory, now I know that it was something special. It was a matter
of getting together, valuing the flavors but, most importantly, uniting people through food. I have
to confess you that I was the one who spent more hours sitting at the table, because I did not like
to eat when I was little… Fortunately, now that has changed, and I do love food! Throughout my years
in Europe I have been traveling around the world, focusing more and more on foodie spots, searching
out new tastes, photographing, enjoying the whole experience. Since April 2016 I am blogging
on Foodie Sneak Peeks for those who like
to travel and are enthusiasts of good food and wine.
My husband, my son, and I live in a town in the Swiss Alps, in a region
that produces an amazing Pinot Noir. This makes me especially lucky, because life is always
better with a good glass of wine.
Christina ConteChristina was born in Scotland to Italian parents, just like St Patrick; but unlike the saintly figure, she now lives in sunny Los Angeles. She is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious to share with her readers on Christina's Cucina. When Christina isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel near and far, as long as there's good food involved.
She's on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from a horrible death, and constantly promoting her native Scottish (and British) cuisine in order to dispel the myth of "bad British food".
Christina has two degrees in psychology (one for each child) and used to be a social worker who taught parenting skills. She could easily be vegetarian if it wasn't for bacon, black pudding, cured Italian sausages, pancetta and salami. Basically, it’s a pig problem she has.
Just don't get her started by asking her thoughts on using trendy short cuts, one-pot pasta dishes, faux and processed food, preservatives, and dump dinners. You've been duly warned.
Amanda Courtney
I was born outside of the Boston area, after high school I went to study
metal-smithing and jewelry design at the Maine College of Art in Portland ME. Which then brought me to
Los Angeles and from there I was tantalized by the super passionate and exciting food and wine scene
that LA had to offer. It was then that I found my passion and where I got my wine degree at the
Wine and Spirit Educational Trust. Working with wine, talking and educating people about the different
regions, varieties, and philosophies of the winemakers, I had found my true talent. I now live and work
in one of the most important wine areas in Italy, Piemonte. Having recently started up my own Wine
Adventures company I am now able to show people around this area to educate them about the food, wine,
and culture of this wonderful place.
You can find me at
www.amandaswineadventures.com. 
Adriana Delfino has been designing and producing her own fashion and accessory lines since 1988. She's taught history of fashion, textile micro-modelling and for the last 11 years, she has been teaching very successful workshops to introduce kids and teenagers to fashion.
Adriana is real artisan of fashion, everything she makes, from clothes to jewelry, including all her accessory lines are totally made in Italy in the truest artisan way.
Her works are the result of her constant research on form, materials and concept; and over the years, her investigations and explorations have allowed her to collaborate with endless artists in different fields!
Moreover, Adriana is also a writer, she has a blog www.againstfashion.com where she critiques current fashion from the wider perspective of the maker, the user and the woman; and she also collaborates with an online fashion magazine.
After an international corporate life during which I was well paid, well travelled and well fed, I now have the luxury of combining my twin passions of Italy and food. Keen supporter of Slow Food and love to source and cook with authentic ingredients in our kitchens in London and Milan. Fell in love with Turin about four years ago and now try to be here as often as I can. Can’t be doing with fake or speedy anything and likely to rant about the industrialisation of food at the drop of hat. When not in the kitchen, likely to be found with my nose in a book, wandering around looking at art and architecture or listening to opera (the earlier the better). Blessed with a wonderful Italian partner, Edoardo, whose role in the kitchen is to keep my glass filled.
You can follow me on my blog The Watchful Cook
Bill Goldstein is a professor of psychology, a background that has been very useful for his other passion – understanding, choosing, evaluating, and, - naturally! – drinking the wines of the world. He realized very early that Italian wines are unique for their variety, history, and compatibility with food. For that reason he started buying and collecting Italian wines more than thirty years ago, just as interest in wine in the USA began to grow rapidly. Bill and his wife Margaret also were investors in a wine store, for which Bill had major responsibility for choosing the wines – especially those from Italy. In sum, the thousands of Italian grape varieties provide him with continued delight in his never-ending quest to taste them all.
You can follow Bill on Twitter @sassodoro
Margaret GoldsteinMargaret Goldstein has been drinking and appreciating (mostly!) Italian wines for the last 30+ years. While her professional life has centered around information technology (she has a Master's Degree in Computer Science, worked for IBM for over 10 years, and has had her own IT consulting company since 1994), her "down time" is often focused on cooking (frequently Italian food) and wine. In fact, making pizza from scratch has been a Saturday night ritual for the past several years. Margaret has volunteered as a teacher of English as a Second Language for the past seven years, and she has studied Spanish, Danish, Japanese, and, most recently, Italian, her favorite foreign language, of course!
Follow Margaret on Twitter: @pizzabianca
Sanam LambornSanam Lamborn was born in Iran and spent several delicious years living in Rome. Sanam was first introduced to the culinary world in her grandmother’s kitchen, who has served as a touchstone and inspiration. What started as being a little helper turned into a life long love affair with cooking. Sanam’s website My Persian Kitchen was created out of a love for Persian cuisine and culture, but most importantly to showcase a rich aspect of Sanam’s Iranian heritage.
Besides cooking Sanam enjoys teaching composition classes, traveling, eating food, leading camping trips, hiking, and volunteering at her favorite charities.
Sanam, her husband, and their rescue Great Dane currently live in a seaside suburb of Los Angeles in what they affectionately refer to as the Lamborn Citrus Grove.
Daniel McVicarAmerican actor, producer, director and writer, Daniel McVicar has also worked on the Italian TV and has been knighted honorary Cavaliere del Tartufo or Truffle Knight!
A very versatile actor, Daniel studied with Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Milton Katselis, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Over the years, he has played in different international productions, easily transitioning from world renowned CBS The Bold And The Beautiful to a Russian sci-fi movie - where he did act in Russian!! - to Italian movies, TV series and shows.
Always very active and engaged in many projects, Daniel splits his life between Los Angeles and Turin where he fully enjoys the local epicurean way of life.
Among his many activities, he is also a theater teacher at Teatro Stabile in Turin where he shares the tricks of his trade!
Besides acting, he is also a real estate and insurance expert.
Carolina Stupino Born in Turin to a wine producing father and a food loving mother, I always enjoyed good food and treasure my early memories of sampling traditional Piedmontese dishes in the region’s many restaurants.
I moved to the UK over a decade ago to study and work as a journalist. Since then my goal has been to bring the flavours of Northern Italian cuisine to London, to recreate the dishes of my childhood with the ingredients I could find over here. This has been the starting point of a gastronomic journey which brought me to explore different cooking traditions from around the globe. But without ever losing sight of my origins.
In my work as cookery teacher, I try to transmit this passion for food and traditions to both adults and children. Seeing people discover the beauty of a homecooked meal and how it brings people together around a table is a joy for me. Helping people understand the value of fresh seasonal ingredients and the importance of a good diet to our health is another great motivation behind my efforts.
While my blog Tastes of Carolina is not centred around nutrition, it emphasises how traditional diets often lead to the longest and healthiest lives and on the value of eating wholesome foods.
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Jyothi AiminoA near-DOC Piedmontese with Indian blood, Jyothi has always been a foodie and a winelover thanks to her deep connection to the Italian culinary traditions... as well as many others (!). She's currently attending the University Gastronomic Sciences and after graduation, she's planning a career promoting of her home-locality, the Canavese district, weaving collaborations among producers and small business owners to improve the tourist and cultural scene. You can follow her culinary adventures on Instagram @jo_in_food
Mari Biella makes things up and writes them down. Sometimes, people pay her for them. She is the author of the psychological ghost story The Quickening, Loving Imogen, and Wintergreen. Pressure of work allowing, she enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, wasting time on Twitter and Facebook, and embellishing an already tortuously complicated fantasy life. Her bad habits include talking about herself in the third person.
Mari’s website is at http://maribiella.com. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads. She blogs once a month at Authors Electric. You can sign up to the Authors Electric newsletter here to get news, exclusives, and some nice free stuff.
Liana Campanella
As the president and founder of Italiana Travel Design, Liana Campanella, a proud Italian-American, creates completely
personalized travel experiences, connecting her clients to the perfect specialists from her network of over 400
collaborators in Italy who would otherwise be either hidden or closed. This kind of travel truly has the
potential to be life-changing for her clients as well as for her providers. Liana works directly with local
Italians whenever possible, in an effort to directly support local economy. She is also devoted to the
preservation and promotion of regional traditions throughout Italy, especially those involving arts, culture,
and food. A self-described "peasant cook," Liana keeps things simple, fresh, and filling in her own kitchen. Her
organic urban garden (located on her front lawn!) provides the majority of the produce she uses and she
consistently supports small, local farms and food producers in her state of Maryland who are active stewards of
the land and tradition. She'll try anything once and is looking forward to the professional exchange at
Turn Epicurean - as well as tasting everything imaginable while in Piedmont!
Sonia Castañeda is a native of Dallas, Texas. Growing up in a Hispanic household, it was almost customary to be involved in the kitchen. Whether it was working the assembly line making Tamales with her Abuela or cookies with her Mom, it was always fun and never really felt like work. That love and passion for cooking and baking would eventually seal the deal with her future husband. In 2006 she met an Italian and 8 months later they married. Knowing she would have to leave everything behind and move to Italy, she began to document her move by starting a blog. Living in Turin since 2008, Sonia has transitioned from a foreigner with no previous knowledge of the Italian language, to a mom of 3 girls and a pretty good vocabulary. Sonia has used her past work experience in the field of Hospitality to help other expats become acquainted to life in Turin as well as offer sightseeing itineraries for visitors. She also uses her medical experience to occasionally help her neighborhood pharmacy with translation. A Texas Mom in Torino, is where she writes about the balance of being a wife, mom, shares recipes, craft, and trying to rediscover who she is again. Of course there's also the search for the perfect gelato too!
Jim DunlopJulia's husband and happy to be retired after a life of business in engineering process plant. In later life had my own business consulting and selling large scale printing machinery for the food packaging sector.
Some time ago worked in Italy for a large multinational in both Piemonte and Lombardia. Great love of northern Italian cooking and especially the wines of those regions.
In retirement travel, art and history and sharing the experiences with Julia are my hobbies and developing a greater knowledge of wine! Eclectic tweeter
Julia Dunlop
Married to Jim, a mother & grandmother, now retired, my career was in education – first as a teacher, then as a psychologist, finally as a consultant. My specialism was children with complex special needs, particularly autism.
I like to keep fit – walking through the countryside most days and running a couple of times a week. We travel to Italy once or twice a year and love the delicate flavours of Piemontese food and enjoy discovering the region’s wines.
Follow her on Twitter: @juliadarwen
Eleanor Fletcher is an Australian living in Barbaresco, in the heart of the
Langhe. She writes a blog www.langhesecrets.com, whose mission
is to uncover the hidden secrets of the Langhe. Eleanor explores roads less trodden, and shares her
experiences meeting local wine and food producers and artisans. Eleanor and her partner also produce
Barolo and Barbaresco, together with Australian nebbiolo, under the label Fletcher Wines (www.fletcherwines.com). She and her partner are in the
process of restoring the old train station of Barbaresco (www.lastazionebarbaresco.com), which will become home to
Fletcher Wines' boutique winery and cellar door. When the doors open officially in July, the station will
hopefully become a hub for the amazing food and wine culture in the Langhe, including hosting events, cooking
classes and meeting spot for the occasional authentic truffle hunt in season.
Manuela Gomez is a Colombian designer and photographer, currently living and working in Turin. After
graduating from the university and spending many years in the fashion industry, she completed a Masters degree
at Istituto Europeo di Design in Fashion & Marketing.Shoes have always been her true passion though, and since always she has made shoe sculptures. Growing up she realized her own shoes - real Fashion Sculptures, and soon after she made her own shoes and accessories line, collaborating with highly skilled Italian artisans. Each one of her works is made in Italy, personally signed by Manuela and can be personalized choosing materials, models and colors! Have a look on www.manuelagomez.com
Sue Hepburn is a serial expat and serious foodie. She has lived all over the world and is currently renovating a Langhe farmhouse and enjoying all things Italian. She also runs the boutique business Naked Tartufi providing fresh truffles to private dining clients and chefs in the UK and other global destinations.
Marcello Oliviero
A native of Turin, Marcello completed his studies in European History, Society and
Cultural Studies with honors. Currently, he is the marketing and communication manager for the Turin fashion designer WALTER
DANG. He believes everyone has a story to tell and he loves to use his own words to understand, change and give
voice to what our daily life leaves unspoken. Literature, music and fashion are his three creative ways of
choice because their strong descriptive power outlines our society, its pulsions, urges and contradictions. For
the rest, he is scared of time passing by too quickly and this is why he is always on the run, even though his
car is at the mechanic's. He has recently published his first novel!
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer, cooking
instructor and philanthropist. As the founder and executive director of Go Eat Give, Sucheta’s personal mission is to raise awareness of
global cultures through meaningful travel, good eating, and community interaction. She founded Go Eat Give as a
blog in 2011, to educated readers about sustainable and volunteer traveling, learning about authentic cuisines,
and engaging with locals. Go Eat Give is now a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit serving audiences across 120
countries. Originally from India, Sucheta graduated in investment banking, market research and human capital
consulting and her vacations to Russia and Morocco, where she volunteered at an orphanage and women’s
empowerment center, inspired her to get out of the cubicle, and uncover facts of life by encountering everyday
people around the world. Sucheta has been a freelance writer for many American and international magazines, she
teaches cooking classes and was named one of the five most influential bloggers on culture in the world by the
Foundation of Florence, Italy in 2012. She was a finalist for the Atlanta Press Club 2012 Award of Excellence,
and nominated for Caribbean Journalism Award 2015. Sucheta is a member of many professional associatoons like
IACP, American Culinary Federation, Association of Food Bloggers and Travel Bloggers Association. She currently
resides in Atlanta with her husband and a few furry friends.
Rosemarie Scavo
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Rosemarie had always dreamed of making her way to Europe after completing a degree in languages and linguistics. Her first stop was France, then the UK and finally, the land of her ancestry, Italy. A passion for food quickly developed as shopping at local food markets, experimenting in the kitchen and buying way too many cookbooks became routine. While on maternity leave from her English teaching job in Turin, she started a food blog, Turin Mamma. A Finalist in the Best Food and Best New Blog categories of the 2015 edition of the Italy Magazine Blogger Awards, she writes about Italian cuisine and food history, with an emphasis on the southern Italian dishes she grew up eating and those of her adopted region of Piedmont. If she’s not on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, then she’s probably wandering her neighbourhood market in Turin in search of ingredients for her latest recipe.
Turin Epicurean Capital 2016 was possible thanks to all our friends' contribution:
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Bailey Alexander
Lucy AntalFood lover, maker of preserves, and writer. I make jams, chutneys, curds & marmalades, bake my own sourdough bread and make a LOT of cakes. I spend time in the kitchen to relax. My father was Hungarian, we used to cook together and it’s a cuisine I love to share. My Scottish grandpa showed me how to preserve, and it’s him I have to thank for knowing how to make jams and jellies. I write and sell my preserves under the name Grab Your Spoon. I’m interested in seasonal ingredients, ethical production and exploring regional dishes and food traditions across the world. Italy is one of my favourite countries so I’m thrilled to be coming to Turin this summer.
I live in Liverpool, UK where I am the coordinator for the Sustainable Food City Liverpool project, working for the food partnership Liverpool Food People. We campaign for better access to fresh and healthy food for everyone, ethical procurement, reduction of food waste and the growth of an independent food economy. I help to run Slow Food Liverpool in my spare time, as well as gardening, photography, reading (esp recipe books) and travel.
After her classical studies in Italy, a degree in architecture and graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Silvia entered the advertising world. She was an art director for many years at famous NYC ad agencies, producing successful and award winning campaigns. Secretly, however, she always dreamed of becoming a chef. So, she went back to school and graduated from the Cornell and French Culinary Institute in NYC with a degree in restaurant management.
She works with private clients, celebrities, fashion and food photographers and cook book authors. She has appeared on national TV and on cooking shows on the Food Network. She is the Jamie Oliver’s food revolution ambassador in New Canaan CT, she is the food contributor for the Hamlet Hub New Canaan, She has developed a series of lectures and culinary demonstrations with Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide to promote and teach about local and sustainable products, and she is currently writing her first cook book, Her work has been mentioned and frequently published in Saveur, the Jamie Oliver food revolution blog, CTBites, Cottages and Gardens, Serendipity, and international magazines.
Michelle Bottalico
Patrizia CattanaA Turin architect with a passion for jewelry making, Patrizia decided to quite her job, after the birth her two kids. This was the turning point in her life that allowed her to follow her passion and to graduate in stylism. She paints, designs furniture and makes unique jewelry pieces with unusual materials and textures, like: semiprecious stones, leather, chandelier crystals and rough metals. Patrizia's jewels express her futuristic feeling of beauty and at the same time, her sense of art; she calls them "necessaries" rather than "accessories" because they do have the power to enrich any outfit. All her jewels are one of a kind and handmade and follow Patrizia's inspiration. In 2013 she opened her shop Unique Pieces in Turin.
Lisa M. ComentoBorn and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area she has called Washington, D.C. home since 2007. She was inspired to cook and bake by her two grandmothers and her mother before she could reach the counter. Having grown up in a half Sicilian-American household Chianti was a staple on the holiday dinner table. After studying abroad in Florence, Italy in college she fell more in love with wine and the Italian culture. By 2009 she had the opportunity to work part-time for a boutique winery in Virginia for nearly five years where she did everything from sales, social media to educating customers on the art of wine tasting. She is currently a contributing food writer for FoodableTV.com covering the D.C. food and beverage scenes. When she is not promoting culinary scene in D.C. or trying a new wine you can find her crafting new recipes, hiking, doing yoga or traveling.
Gabriel Eschenazi
Laura Gobbi is a manager and artistic director of cultural events and promotion of the locality in Italy and abroad, Laura is the creator of the wine festival Di Gavi in Gavi and the Gavi Light Box. Author, journalist, radio host and socialite PR. She does experiential marketing and strategic communication with a special focus on the Monferrato wine district in Piedmont. Keeping in high value her original land, she globally highlights the territory, its products, art and their communication.
Sandra Jimenez OsorioOriginally from Bogota' (Colombia), Sandra has been living in Madrid for 30 years. Her studies in anthropology, archaeology, fine arts and fabrics restoration have slowly and casually led her to delve in the food world for past 15 years. As an amateur baker, she followed her passion for baking and decided to enroll in a High Patisserie class at the Atelier de Formation de Pierre Herme – École Ferrandi en Paris.
Today, Sandra balances her work as a food stylist, food writer and pastry chef instructor at the Alambique Cooking School; she also contributes articles about the Spanish cuisine to the Revista Cocina Semana in Colombia. Sandra is above all an amazing food photographer trained as food and wine critic by the famous José Carlos Capel, organizer of Madrid Fusion.
Sandra "is passionate about the ingredients' origin for she believes that knowing where they are from and how to cook them, their importance in each culture is of paramount importance to respect the cuisine... There isn't any bad ingredient, she tries to enhance the nobility of each one of them" and this is also what her pictures convey. Through her Instagram account, Sandra shares her images, recipes and also the history of the ingredients.
Sandra's IG account is one of the top 30 recommended accounts to follow in the Foodies section, according to the recently published "We Instagram" (in Spanish) by Marta Alonso, with an introduction by Phil González, founder of the Instagramers Worldwide Network.
Alberto
Lusonawas born in Turin in 1957, a real artist at heart, he graduated in fine arts both at the Turin Liceo Artistico (high school) and at the Fine Arts Academy. He started his professional career as a high school art teacher and he also taught style at "Original System" the International Fashion School in Milan. He also taught window dressing and make-up at the Art and Fashion Institute "Ilda Bianciotto", in Turin. Here, he also edited the graphic aspect (fashion sketches and models) of the school fashion publications. In the meantime he also attended practical art classes such as pottery, embossed copper, gold foil and exhibited his works in personal and collective exhibitions. In 1992 he opened his Atelier: a high fashion shop, downtown Turin. Following his vivid creativity and hand dexterity, Alberto's collections shows his constant evolution; in fact, he likes to experiment with textures, fabrics, colors and shapes, mixing old and new elements, to create new styles and models. More than just a fashion designer, he's an artisan of fashion who pays equally attention to the outfits he creates, their wearability and the painstaking attention to the sartorial details.
William LyonsWilliam spent his early career as an officer in the Royal Navy. His passion however, was always about food and in 2003 he took over a traditional British pub called The Monro. It was a struggle as great food was normally served in restaurants and not in pubs. Within a year he transformed The Monro into a bar and restaurant and guaranteed that every meal was cooked from fresh. He drove to local farms to collect wild boar, rabbits and lamb and hired exciting young chefs who brought their expertise to the kitchens and then to the customers plates. The success of The Monro was immediately noticed by the national media and later by international media organisations from the USA and Europe. Now in its twelfth year under William's careful guidance The Monro continues to be one of the most popular restaurants in Liverpool.
Daniela Mondino
I have dedicated my working life to students and teachers ever since. In 2006 I was appointed Director of Studies at Oversea/Consorzio Excalibur. It turned out to be an honour and a duty which has fulfilled my life through and through.
I adore meeting people and getting to know about them and their cultures. I am a curious traveler who would like to see the whole world and taste as much as possible of it. I am fond of traditional cuisines and interested in local traditions. When my cultural background supports me, I also like investigating in philology and play around with words, their origin and meaning. I like playing tennis and soft mountaineering.
Maria Pasquale
Born to Italian parents, Maria always knew Rome was her destiny, although she was raised in Melbourne.
She has a formal background in political science and policy and now runs her own event management &
PR company, through which she manages marketing & social media for Eating Europe Food Tours (Rome,
London, Amsterdam & Prague). An unabashed romantic (Rome being her one true love!) she is the
creator of popular food, travel and lifestyle blog HeartRome (www.heartrome.com). Her blog was runner up as the Best Italy
Travel Blog in the 2015 Italy Magazine Blog Awards and is featured as a go-to source for Rome in the
Rough Guide to Italy.
She is a Local Expert for 10Best & Tripology, USA Today and was voted in the top 100
travel bloggers to follow on social media in 2014. In Rome you'll find Maria walking the streets of
Trastevere, checking out the latest bar for an aperitivo or dining with friends.
Anna Savino
Transplanted from Napa, California to Piemonte Italy over 9 years ago, Anna Savino
blogs for a passion about food, wine, and Italian culture. Discovering Piemonte is an endless journey and
she does it one step (sip) at a time.She loves to share the beauty and wonders of the region by collaborating with a top Barolo winery where she does PR, tours and tastings. Thanks to her passion for this area, she was able to make her dreams come true by starting her own custom wine & food tour company Italianna where she provides tourists with an authentic experience in Langhe. Check out her blog for an insider's look at Piemonte!
Bina Shah
is a Karachi-based author of four novels and two collections of short
stories. Her latest novel is A Season For Martyrs, while her previous novel Slum Child became a
best-seller in Italy as La Bambina Che Non Poteva
Sognare. A regular contributor to The International New York Times and a frequent guest on the BBC, she has contributed essays and
op-eds to Al Jazeera, Granta, The Independent, and The Guardian, and writes a regular column for Dawn, the top English-language
newspaper in Pakistan. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard Graduate School of
Education, and is an honorary fellow in writing at the University of Iowa.
Riikka Sukula
is an artesan Barolo producer from Serralunga d'Alba. Her origins are in
Finland where she gained more than 20 years of experience in Restaurant and Hospitality Business and
also 15 years in Italian wine imports to the Finland market. More... on my Linked In profile
Turin Epicurean Capital 2015 was possible thanks to all our friends' contribution:
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The 2014 guests were:
Darryl
Baldwin
After working in the City of London for 40 years trading, selling and marketing the whole gamut of financial
instruments for various international banks, my wife and I stumbled across a piece of Paradise. It was
February 2007 and I had decided the time was right for a bit of permanent R&R. Within a few months we
had bought a house in Neive and properly discovered Nebbiolo. We built a grandchildren attractor (swimming
pool) and within 2 years, when it was a proven success, decided to sell the house in the UK, help the kids
and settle permanently in Italy. We have never looked back and are in love with the wine, the food, the
culture and the family-centric approach to life. Slowly but surely we are educating our English
friends that we live in Piemonte where the best wines in Italy (if not the world) are made and not in
Tuscany which is the only region they appear to know.
Follow Darryl on his website Piemonte mio
Follow Darryl on his website Piemonte mio
Nicole Cappa
Born in Kenitra from French mother and Algerian father, she moved to France
where she studied at the cooking school L'Atelier des Chefs in Paris. There she began her career in
the most renowned restaurants and in the mid 1990s went to London where she met Jamie Oliver and started
working with him. Later she moved to Milan and created a very successful TV format, Chef per una
Notte - Chef for one night only that she had already organised in Paris at the beginning of her
career.
In 2012 she took part in The Chef, a new Mediaset TV program presented by two important
representatives of the Italian food scene: Chefs Davide Maria Oldani and Filippo La Mantia. With the role of
the only blogger at the event, she also
participated in the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, where she interviewed important international
personalities in streaming with great success.
Elena Chesta Schwarz aka ComidaDeMama
Elena is the author of one of the first food blogs written in Italian. An architect by education, she turned
her passion for Italian cooking into a job in the early 2000s, when she moved with her family to Amsterdam -
The Netherlands. Born and raised in South Piedmont - NW Italy, with the Alps' skyline in her eyes, she fell
in love with Turin during her college years. Since 2003 ComidaDeMama has been tracking her work, findings
and family life between Europe and the USA. Now back to Italy, she works on food related projects mainly
focused on fair trade, education, sustainability and intercultural communication.
Photo courtesy of Lorenzo Viesi - Vitamina Studio
Photo courtesy of Lorenzo Viesi - Vitamina Studio
Giuseppe Culicchia
Born in Turin, Giuseppe Culicchia started his literary career
with Tutti giu' per terra or Everybody Down! in 1994 from which an
Italian blockbuster movie followed. Giuseppe's literay career has produced about twenty novels and
essays published by the major Italian publishing houses like Garzanti, Laterza, Mondadori, Einaudi and
Feltrinelli and translated in many languages. He's also translated into Italian major authors like Mark
Twain, Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Bret Easton Ellis. Federica Mafucci
Born in Arezzo, Federica graduated from the Atelier Teatro Fisico school in Turin. In 2013, as an actrice she wrote and directed a reading/play E così vorresti fare lo scrittore… ma pure la Callas? - So you'd like to become a writer... and also M. Callas? In 2014, with Giuseppe Culicchia, she wrote and directed the reading/play Tutti Giù Per Terra Remixed… l’Anti-Presentazione - Everybody down Remixed... the Anti-Presentation. she also wrote and staged Energia della Terra - Earth Energy at the Italgas Museum in Turin.
Walter Dang
A French-Hispanic-Vietnamese cosmopolitan soul, Walter Dang is one of the most talented fashion
designers in Turin and Italy today. His effervescent creativity and multicultural sense of aesthetics
come out in all his works: clothes, accessories, jewelry, even his showroom.
Walter’s fashion career begins in French Haute Couture Houses where he worked with the great masters of style like Pierre Cardin and de Castelbajac, who noticed his remarkable creativity and sartorial skills right away.
In 2003, he opened his own Atelier to share his fashion philosophy: couture, luxury and pure expressive freedom used as tools to create unique, handmade pieces with refined details and mixed references. Today, Walter Dang creates his collections only in his Atelier, in Turin, a friendly city with a strong international appeal, making it the perfect place to found his Maison. This is where his fashion philosophy takes form everyday without sketches or paper patterns, but following a working method refined by the experience, where fabrics, pins and mannequins can talk to people who understand their language. www.walterdang.com
Walter’s fashion career begins in French Haute Couture Houses where he worked with the great masters of style like Pierre Cardin and de Castelbajac, who noticed his remarkable creativity and sartorial skills right away.
In 2003, he opened his own Atelier to share his fashion philosophy: couture, luxury and pure expressive freedom used as tools to create unique, handmade pieces with refined details and mixed references. Today, Walter Dang creates his collections only in his Atelier, in Turin, a friendly city with a strong international appeal, making it the perfect place to found his Maison. This is where his fashion philosophy takes form everyday without sketches or paper patterns, but following a working method refined by the experience, where fabrics, pins and mannequins can talk to people who understand their language. www.walterdang.com
Writer and translator, Elena was the recipient of the Grinzane Cavour Price and the Italian
National Price - Premio Nazionale for her translations of Umberto Eco's works into
Russian. Her book Why Italians Love to Talk About Food was translated into 16 languages and won
the Bancarella Cucina price in 2007. She supervised the Russian editions of Alessandro Manzoni, Emanuele
Tesauro, Italian and Swiss poets and of various collections of Russian and Jewish short stories. She's the
founder of Elkost International an international
literary agency representing the major contemporary Russian authors.
Elena won the Premio Nazionale for Joining Cultures - L'avvicinamento delle
culture of the Russian Republic and in 2012, she was awarded the Gogol price. She is the author
of Zwinger, a novel at its third edition in Russia and soon to be published also in Italian by
Bompiani.
Andrea Lee
Andrea lives in Turin with her husband and children and has a vacation house in Madagascar, where this
portrait was taken. She is a former staff writer for the New Yorker, and her first book, Russian
Journal, was nominated for a National Book Award. As a foodie she is in love with the Piedmont
cuisine and wrote articles about it.
Mara LeGrand
Mara has worn many hats and worked on many films in
her career. In the past few years as a Writer, Director, Filmmaker of Skydancer Productions she has
made two award winning documentaries "Heart & Soil” and
“Wild Horses In Winds of Change”. Both films inspire stewardship of the earth, compassion for
animals and conservation along with the importance of respect for water and resources. These two films have
international distribution and successful broadcast runs on National PBS channels and The Documentary
Channel. As a healthy planet, healthy people production company we’re always on the look out for our
next project. Her soon to be published children's book is about how fashion, farming and science grow
friendship and the planet. Mara said she loves the opportunity to craft and capture in film
unforgettable characters and create scenes no one will ever forget.” She is an award winning
photo–feature journalist, screenwriter, poet, health columnist and former writer-producer of a weekly public
radio broadcast. She has a vast body of both fiction and non – fiction including a series of
how-to books based on her thirty year career in the field of Public Health & Health Education. . She has
a Master of Science in public health & nutrition and a PhD in Philosophy & Holistic Studies
completed in 1995. The focus of her Ph.D. was Ayurvedic Medicine which Mara spent three years studying
at The Ayurvedic Institute and in India. She then owned and operated an international destination holistic
health retreat and was in private integrative medicine practice.
Andrea Levine
Founder of MiaGola Caffè, born in the US, but raised in Turin, Andrea has a degree in International Relations. In 2013, she earned an MBA from the SAA in Turin. MiaGola Caffè or Cafe Meow, Italy's first cat-friendly cafe is home to six rescued strays and it brings together Andrea's passion for animals, technology (her professional background) and food.
Margherita Oggero
Made her debut as a fiction writer in 2002 with the novel La collega tatuata - the
tattooed colleague, published by Mondadori. A movie and five TV series were based on this novel and the
following five (Una piccola bestia ferita - a little wounded beast, L’amica americana - the American friend,
Qualcosa da tenere per sé - Something to keep for oneself) always published by Mondadori. She also published
a shortstory collection Il rosso attira lo sguardo - Red attracts the look and the novels Risveglio a Parigi
- Awakening in Paris (2009), L’ora di pietra - the time made of stone (2011) and Un colpo all’altezza del
cuore - a bullet at the heart (2012). With Einaudi, she published two surreal stories: Così parlò il
nano da giardino - thus the yard gnome spoke and Il compito di un gatto di strada - the duty of a stray cat;
with Notes she published a YA crimestory: L’amico di Mizù- Mizù's friend.Her last work is titled Perduti tra le pagine - Lost among the pages (2013), by Mondadori: its plot is based at the Turin bookfair.
Margherita writes for newspapers and magazines like La Stampa, Panorama and other weekly magazines
Her books have been translated in many languages.
Antonietta Pastore
studied in Gevena with Jean Piaget and at the Sorbonne University in Paris. From 1977 to 1993 she lived
in Japane where she was Visiting Professor at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies. She has
translated many Japanese authors such as Natsume Soseki, Abe Kobo, Inoue Yasushi, Ikezawa Natsuki,
Kirino Natsuo, Kawakami Hiromi and Murakami Haruki.
She has also published a memoir/essay titled Nel Giappone delle donne - In the women's Japan in May 2004
and Leggero il passo sui tatami - Light stepping on the tatami, a collection of short stories in
May 2010 that granted her the Settembrini Award 2010.
Valerie QuintanillaValerie Quintanilla is a marketing pro by trade with a love for wine, food, and travel. After years of exploring Italy’s wine regions on holiday she decided to give the expat life a try in the Langhe. Today, Valerie splits her time as a marketing consultant, a Piemonte wine & food tour coordinator, and student of the wine, food, and trails of the Langhe.
In 2014 she embarked on her grandest Langhe adventure – planning her wedding in the region. Combining
her event marketing and travel planning skills, Valerie is designing a weekend that showcases the
region’s beauty and culture for both international and local guests. Cin cin!
Follow Valerie's blog Girls Gotta Drink
Gian Luca Ranno
CEO and Co-Founder of Gnammo. Through his extensive
travels around the world, his passion for food and awareness that real relationships are created around
a table, Gina Luca came up with Gnammo: a social eating project that aims to connect people
through new culinary experiences, introducing new products and to give everybody the chance of using the
cyber space to fully live a real life around a table where they can meet new people.
Gnammo instantly caught up the media's interest and it's often mentioned as a best
practice example for its new form of tourism and collaborative consumption, today in steady
expansion. As food, tourism and new media join at Gnammo, its team is often invited to speak at
many public events.
Paolo Rigiroli
Born and raised in Italy, Paolo has a degree in electronic engineering, specializing in biomedical
technology. He works as a software engineer in Vancouver, Canada, where he has been living since 2001.
In 2010, frustrated by how Italian food is misrepresented in North America, Paolo started writing a blog
- Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on
the Menu - on the differences between what is thought of as Italian food and the food of
continental Italy. More recently, Paolo has also been producing a podcast -Thoughts on the Table- in
which he talks with various food personalities about Italian food around the world.
Sandra Salerno aka un tocco di zenzero
Nine years ago Sandra started living a whimsical full immersion in the food world, moving from wine to
restaurants and travelling full time. Her passion turned into her profession five years ago and she's
now a recipe developer, a review author, a travel writer and consultant. In short, Sandra has become the
most acclaimed Turin food blogger in the world.
Lisa Watson
Lisa Watson’s real passion for Italian food began nearly twenty years ago in a small restaurant in
Tavernelle di Pisa, near Firenze, with a plate of fresh tagliatelle smothered in truffles. Lisa grew up
on a sheep farm in New Zealand, where meat, fruit, vegetables and milk were always used fresh off the
farm, which kindled her interest in growing and cooking her meals from scratch. She has an
unbridled enthusiasm for experimenting with new recipes and cuisines, which often have an international
flavor due to the unexpected path her life has taken over the years, leading her all over the world.
Before moving to France, Lisa was a medical researcher, then worked with autistic children. She now
dedicates her time to writing a recipe blog called Italian Kiwi to share her love of cooking, concentrating on Italian cuisine,
which has become such a huge part of her life since that first taste of “real Italian” pasta many years
ago. Lisa has strong ties with Piemonte as her husband grew up in Turin. She visits the region many
times a year.
Diana Zahuranec
Diana’s passion for food and wine began with a small seed: a class on Italian-American Food Culture in Florence when studying abroad. The mix of anthropology, history, and cuisine fascinated her and didn’t let go. She was also previously enamored with Italy from a classic, whirlwind tour of the country. Upon graduating in Cultural Anthropology, Italian, and International Studies, it was a natural step when she attended the Slow Food University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, graduating with a Master’s in Food Culture and Communication. Following her love for Italian cuisine and trying very hard to stay in Italy, she moved from Pollenzo to Parma to Turin, and today works as a journalist, translator, and editor for Wine Pass, an online magazine about wine and wine tourism in Piemonte based in Alba. Still happily learning about wine, she loves discovering new varieties and particularly likes the Nebbiolos from Alto Piemonte. And, Piemonte’s craft beers are just as delicious as its wines.
Diana ZahuranecDiana’s passion for food and wine began with a small seed: a class on Italian-American Food Culture in Florence when studying abroad. The mix of anthropology, history, and cuisine fascinated her and didn’t let go. She was also previously enamored with Italy from a classic, whirlwind tour of the country. Upon graduating in Cultural Anthropology, Italian, and International Studies, it was a natural step when she attended the Slow Food University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, graduating with a Master’s in Food Culture and Communication. Following her love for Italian cuisine and trying very hard to stay in Italy, she moved from Pollenzo to Parma to Turin, and today works as a journalist, translator, and editor for Wine Pass, an online magazine about wine and wine tourism in Piemonte based in Alba. Still happily learning about wine, she loves discovering new varieties and particularly likes the Nebbiolos from Alto Piemonte. And, Piemonte’s craft beers are just as delicious as its wines.
Turin Epicurean Capital 2014 was possible thanks to all our friends' contribution:
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great post
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