About me



Ciao sono Helen (Hi I'm Helen),

Born in Italy, the love for food immediately became part of my daily life.

For the Italian people the passion for good food is in their DNA....there isn't an Italian family that doesn't love to sit around a table full of delicious plates with their friends for eating, exchanging the recipes which have been passed down for generation, revealing secrets, tips and giving advice.
I had the luck to grow up in a family with various culinary background, thanks to the different Italian regions from which my parents come from.
From the side of my mother, I came in contact with the Piemontese cuisine, with its sparkling flavors of wine, with sauces rich in  butter, with stews cooked on the wood stove for hours and served with hot "polenta".
From the side of my father, I fell in love of the "Lasagne alla Bolognese", of the hand-made tortellini cooked in stock typical of Emilia Romagna, accompanied by the classic glass of "Lambrusco" wine.

My love story with "good eating" it is expanded with the transfer of the family in Sicilia, a region with a culinary history which is interwoven with Arabs and Normans influences, which will leave indelible traces in the tradition of typical dishes.
Masterly is the preparation of sea food, from the simple appetizer to the more refine "Bass" served with a delicate sauce of capers, all watered with fresh white and rose wines, which enhance the taste of fish.

Cooking is something that makes me happy: the satisfaction to see smiling faces sitting at the table; the pleasure of noticing the plates that are emptied quickly, ready for the second course; the surprise  in tasting something new and unexpected and discovery how they like it.

I'm never bored in the kitchen since good food is closely related to fantasy: open the fridge, observe and come up with imagination and creating something unique is a feeling of great satisfaction.
I always thought that simplicity and seasonal products are a winning key in preparation of recipes.
I'm not a fan of the "nouvelle cuisine" (I like having a full plate in front of me) or the experimental cuisine, despite being fashionable and appreciated by many.

I'm a classic person which go back to the  traditions and love to prepare my own recipes, taking the right time to marinate, cook and taste. I never used a microwave oven, instead the classic wood, electric or gas oven which make  a crispy Lasagna and succulent Roasts, the Cakes soft and deliciously frilly Cookies (short cut in cooking time do not always produce good results).

To end this presentation, I can only say one things:
Food is love!

Food is passion, food is comfort, food is one of the few things that binds us closely to our origins and family, food is something that make us forget a bad day and return a smile.

Helen

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