My name is Anna, I was born in Rome but married a Sicilian and moved here in 1988. After some years abroad and around Italy we decided to settle down in Siracusa, our little corner of paradise. I have been teaching cooking for the last 20 years to showcase amazing Italian recipes.

 

I have cooked for the Pope, ambassadors, and corporate managers, but also for children, seniors, and differently able citizens all over the world. I have been a teacher of Italian traditional cusine at Eataly Milan Smeraldo since 2015, but then decided to move to Siracusa, Sicily and open my own cooking school.

 

I participated in my first cooking competition when I was eight years old and since then, cooking has been a driving challenge enriched by thousands of encounters. I began teaching Italian cuisine to foreign friends as a pastime, but it became a true calling when I moved abroad. It became a way to share my culture and my home with others.

 

For me, cooking is love and is a way of communicating and expressing care and affection. Cooking for those I love, for my husband, for my five children, and for my friends, is my way of sharing a piece of myself.

 

What we eat speaks of our history. I have a passion for Italian cuisine, especially the simple recipes that come from traditions and of the origins of my country. Every Italian dish is the unique product of its geography and history; it speaks of precious ingredients and cultural encounters.

 

I love Sicilian culture: the richness of its flavorful ingredients and delicious cuisine. My dream is to communicate Sicilian culture through food: telling stories about each recipe and teaching others about the ingredients, their origins, and how they fuse together to transform a simple dish in a small masterpiece.

 

Immerse yourself in the sights and smells of Sicily.

 

My cooking school is in the very heart of Ortigia island, the old city center of Siracusa, Sicily. In just 10 minutes, you can walk from the bridge that connects Ortigia to Siracusa, past Greek ruins and through picturesque alleyways to the school.

 

Before the class, we’ll meet at the Temple of Apollo, walk through the Old Market, and then head to the cooking school.