My background stems from traveling around the world since birth. My father, born and raised in Rome and Tuscany, Italy, and my mother, born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, met in Tasmania. I, born in Zambia, have lived in and traveled to Australia, Indonesia, Asia, Africa, Europe, South, Central, and North America. As you can see, my family roots of the ancient Egyptians and Romans goes very deep. Along with this deep culture, our family generations have embraced very deep connections with the delicious cuisines of the Mediterranean and their worldly travels. Many of my family members in both cultures have been exceptional gourmet masters in the kitchen. As a result, all of my fondest childhood memories were always around the kitchen and the garden. It is indeed a family passion and tradition of many generations. I started helping in the kitchen at the age of 5 and at 8, I was able to cook my first meal for the whole family, after I purchased my 1st cook book, which consisted of a whole roasted chicken baked with potatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh rosemary from the garden. This was the beginning of my revelation of how fun, nurturing, and passionately satisfying it was to prepare delectable food. Now I am here to share my eximious creations for you!

On a side note, my website banner containing the coin with the silphium plant (between Cucina and Loli) is a symbol of my ancient culinary heritage. The silphium plant was thought to be a variety of the giant fennel and was used in classical antiquity as a rich seasoning and as medicine. It was such an essential commodity in the ancient city of Cyrene in North Africa that they bore it on their coins. The Egyptians, Greeks, and the Romans (all ancient Mediterranean cultures) considered it worth its weight in gold. Legend has it that it was a gift from Apollo the ancient Greek God.