People ask me all the time when I started cooking and why I love it so much… Well, I have to say thank you to so many people in my life for my love of cooking.
It all started when I was 2 years old. My mom Giovanna has this incredible story that, when I was 2, I did not want to play with fake pans and pots. Secretly I used to go into her pantry and get a wooden spoon and pans to use instead.
In one pan, I smashed fresh tomatoes and, in the other, I put some pasta. When in my mind the pasta was cooked, I used to mix it all together, put the final dish in a plastic plate and served it to my mom saying:
“Mamma ti ho fatto la pasta! (Mamma, I made pasta for you).”
This is still her favorite story about me! My mom was a housewife so I used to spend most of the day with her while my dad was at work as a sous chef; she always made me help her cook.
It was our favorite thing to do together other than dance. She showed me how tiramisu is supposed to look, when whipping cream is ready, how to make homemade pasta… She was and is my biggest inspiration in cooking and everything I do!
She always used to follow the recipes but not my dad, Francesco, who is inventor of cook what you have, mix it together and create a great dish!
I LOVED to cook with my dad. Sometimes on Sundays especially, we used to invite my grandparents over and cook for them. It just the two of us, I was the sous chef and he was the head chef . He showed me how to be fast and precise at the same time, how to mix flavors, and how to make 200 pans dirty for just four people. Ha! Coming from a family of restaurant owners and chefs, my dad grow up in a cooking environment, always with fresh ingredients and homemade products.
Where I get my love of cooking is definitely my parents, my best friends, my biggest fans, my mentors, my life. I want to be like them when I grow up.
After my parents are two women who have made a major statement in my life: my grandmother Cosima and my great-grandmother Annita. Both amazing cooks and amazing women who have made a lot of people happy with their cooking.
Annita died at 101 years old and she was a rock. Until her very last moment, she danced, cooked, cleaned, drank two fingers of wine every day and remembered every single detail of her life. Her best meal was seafood, there was no other woman in the city that cooked fish and other seafood stuff like her. She was the QUEEN of the sea!
I miss her every day, especially her honesty. She told me to do everything with love and all will turn out well.
My grandma Cosima, she turned 90 on May 28th. I like to think of her as my baby. I love to cook risotto for her, make her famous ciambella for her breakfast, and take her to the grocery. Unfortunately, living here all of that doesn’t happen very often.
Her Genovese sauce is to die for and her chicken in the pan is sensational… oh my gosh, I want it now! She told me that if you cook with love, then will show on your plate.
She is truly something, la mia nonnina! I can’t wait to see her soon!
Wow, writing this new blog post has me realizing how much I miss all of this. What a beautiful and special rapport I have with my family. They will always be with me. No matter where I go, they are there too.
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Author: Maura Garuccio
Professional Dancer Maura Garuccio is proud to have the opportunity to work with dancers of all styles as teacher, coach and choreographer.
