Born in Sicily some years ago, I started my journey in the kitchen at just four years old, helping my mom and grandmother prepare handmade gnocchi and macheroni for holidays and family reunions. Those early memories shaped my understanding of food: tradition, patience, and love.

After high school, I moved to study Architecture at the University of Reggio Calabria. During that time, I began preparing meals for friends' parties. Everyone appreciated my dishes, but I never thought of cooking as a job.

While studying and working, I started a career in Advertising & Marketing. In less than six years, I set up my own agency, working with important clients such as Lancaster Group, Capo Suvero Hotel & Resort, Comune di Roma, and Gran Paradiso National Park.

In 2000, I sold the company to become a full-time mom to my daughter, Elisa.

In 2008, my culinary career started. Wanting to improve my technical skills, I attended the Colombatto Culinary School in Torino.

After that, together with a friend and sommelier with 19 years of experience in the hotel business, I opened my own restaurant: Locanda del Casale. It quickly became popular for its original cuisine style – traditional with a modern healthy twist – and a wine list focused on Monferrato producers.

After three wonderful years, the economic crisis struck the Piedmont area. With high tax pressure, we had to close the restaurant and the company.

Just weeks later, I joined the team for the new opening of the Mandarin Oriental Group's Hotel in Taipei. I became Sous Chef at Bencotto, the Italian restaurant managed by Michelin-starred chef Mario Cittadini. Soon after, I also took on the role of Pastry Chef, working with Executive Pastry Chef Frank Haasnoot, crowned World Chocolate Master in 2011.

In the following years, I accepted a proposal to become Head Chef at The Warehouse, the dining table of Osteria by Angie (the largest Italian F&B company in Taiwan), and a teacher at Skills Cook School.

After a company reorganization, I moved to Fullon Hotels & Resorts, the largest Taiwanese hotel chain with 14 branches of 4- and 5-star hotels. As Corporate Executive Western Chef, I had the privilege of working with celebrity chef Zheng Yanji (Master A-Ji) and managing the All Day Dining restaurants of seven branches to create western cuisine menus.

In 2017, I moved to the United Kingdom, where I worked with Michelin-starred chefs such as Aiden Byrne and Jason Atherton.

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My Business Philosophy

I believe that great food is honest food.

Tradition is not a cage – it's a foundation. I respect the Sicilian recipes I learned as a child, but I'm not afraid to lighten them, refresh them, and make them work for modern lives.

Quality over complexity. A dish doesn't need twenty ingredients to be unforgettable. It needs the right ingredients, treated well.

Cooking is also business. My years in marketing and agency ownership taught me that a kitchen must be sustainable, efficient, and respectful of its team. Passion without structure doesn't last.

Health is not a compromise. A modern healthy twist doesn't mean sacrificing flavor. It means choosing better fats, fresher vegetables, and balanced portions – without losing the soul of Italian cooking.

Resilience is a recipe. I've closed a restaurant during a crisis, moved across the world, and started over more than once. Every challenge taught me something I brought into the kitchen.

Taking care of the environment in a sustainable way is the right vision to manage a business. I believe that a chef's responsibility goes beyond the plate. It means reducing waste, choosing local and seasonal ingredients, respecting resources, and cooking in a way that honors the planet for future generations.

Today, I bring my Sicilian roots, architectural eye, marketing mind, Michelin-honed skills, and deep respect for the environment to every dish I create. Whether through consulting, private dining, teaching, or collaboration, I invite you to experience Italian tradition – made modern, healthy, sustainable, and unforgettable