My passion for cooking goes way back. I grew up in the Italian part of Switzerland in a household where most things were made from scratch. Our meals were rich in seasonal produce from the house’s own garden. Moreover, we loved to travel. Australia was the second home to me, on the way there we often spent several weeks up to months in Thailand. These cultural changes gave me the opportunity to experience exotic flavors from an early age. I left home when I was 17, I moved to Bern – the capital of Switzerland – to get my high school degree. I had no concrete plans after that, although I knew that I wanted to do something in the creative field. The summer after my graduation I stumbled on the website of the Natural Gourmet Institute – a wholefood-oriented culinary school in New York City. It was exactly what I was looking for. Without having time to realize it, my dream came true – I was accepted as a full-time student and I moved to New York that Autumn. The time spent in New York remains positively unforgettable. This experience gave me the inspiration to continue on this path. Back in Bern, I started working in an Ayurveda restaurant where I was most active on the front end of the restaurant serving beverages and communicating with customers. Occasionally, I was hired to bake cakes for private occasions. After that, I found the perfect position in a small seasonal café situated in the botanical garden of Bern. The job was so versatile: it entailed cooking fresh meals for lunch which were served in glass jars; baking bread for the weekend brunches; preparing Appetizers for private events; baking cakes for the afternoon coffee break; serving great coffee and homemade lemonades and communicating with customers. I was given the liberty to cook and bake whatever pleased me, and therefore, I could liberate my creative ideas. As the season took an end, I needed to focus on future plans. I applied for a bachelor’s degree in Design Management, I thought it would give me a good foundation for the upcoming.
Today, I’m a graduated Design Manager and Mother to a wonderful little girl and pregnant with my second baby. I live in Bern with my family in a nice city apartment with a big kitchen. When at home this is where I spend most of my time. Besides my passion for good food I’m a passionate boulderer and swing dancer, these are passions I like to share with my family.
I have the privilege to lead the kitchen of a takeaway in Bern that serves meals from all around the world. The kitchen team consists of people who have a migration background and are establishing their lives in Switzerland. We get to learn from each other, I show them the professional skills one needs for working in a restaurant and how to adapt recipes with seasonal produce, and they show me how the flavors of their home recipes come together.
I believe that good quality food makes us healthier and happier, therefore, my recipes are wholefood based and made from scratch. The ingredients are organic and the vegetables and fruits are mostly local – thus my meals are seasonal. As I’m a vegetarian, most of my recipes are plant-based.
You are welcome to visit and or follow this blog, to try out the recipes and get inspired! I’m happy to get feedback on what I do and to help out if you have questions.
With love,
Lara