Who am I?
Hi! I'm Jessica, but you can call me Jess! I am the cook, photographer, and writer behind Cooking my Dreams.
I was born and raised in the medieval town of Siena (Tuscany, Italy). And all my recipes take inspiration and origin from my childhood and the food culture I lived and breathed in Tuscany.
How it started...
My mom was a restaurant chef for a while and to me, she has always been the best ever cook, turning even the simplest dishes into flavorful masterpieces. Though every time I started cooking or baking something, it turned into a disaster. So I haven't really started cooking or taking interest in cooking until I was 18 years old and was an au-pair in Los Angeles for 3 months.
During the flight back from LA to Italy, I watched a movie that subconsciously changed my life: Julie&Julia. As soon as I landed home, I started cooking more. And more importantly, I started appreciating food on a different level.
In 2013 I moved with my boyfriend, now husband, (and my cat Pinkie) to The Netherlands to follow his studies.
I kept cooking and my recipe books kept increasing, so in 2014 I decided to open a food blog (as an escape from my day job), and I promised myself I would not give up; I had to persevere if I really wanted it to be my future career.
Over the years I started to appreciate more and more the traditional Italian cuisine, the recipes that are hundreds of years old and are passed on by generations. Those are the recipe that I want to bring to you, to let you discover a piece of history and culture from my home Country.
All the recipes I share are either from my family or from old Italian cookbooks and are tried and tested many times.
Fun Facts about me
WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY:
- Cheese, lots of cheese.
- Pasta.
- The smell of summer breeze.
- Walking in nature.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
- Truffles and Olives.
- Living in the city.
- Crowds.
What you'll find on Cooking my Dreams
My goal is to bring to you traditional and classic Italian and Tuscan recipes, authentic recipes that are hundreds of years old and passed on by generations, but also new and modern takes on old classics.
Everybody loves a traditional recipe, but it's also nice to mix it up and give it a twist to discover new flavor combos and make delicious meals.
You'll also find a lot of recipes with handmade fresh pasta and everything made from scratch that you would normally buy, like white sauce, pesto, or gnocchi. Don't get discouraged if you don't want to spend too much time making everything from scratch, though. Feel free to cut corners and buy ready-made ingredients, I won't tell! 😉
Keeping in Touch
If you're interested in working with me, please take a look at the Work with Me page to see the services I offer.
If you have any question, remark, or feedback, feel free to send me an email at jessica(@)cookingmydreams.com
