Poached Pears with Orange Ricotta Filling

I was born in Provincia di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy and migrated to Australia as a child. In my family, nothing ever happened without food!

Fortunately, my grandmother, my mother and my many aunties were/are amazing home cooks. I once heard the phrase ‘cooking is love made visible’. This was always, and still is, very evident in our family. These caring, wonderful women could turn the most basic (and sometimes boring) ingredients into an extraordinary feast for the senses that pleased young and old alike.

Most of my working life has been in the accounting field. Now, as a ‘born again wog’ (as my dear friend likes to refer to me), I am passionate about holding onto some of the very same food traditions that used to drive me crazy in my younger years.

I recently had the good fortune to work in a culinary school in my homeland of Abruzzo with two wonderful chefs. One, a classically trained chef from one of the oldest and most prestigious cooking schools in Italy and the other with over 25 years in the restaurant industry. With the new knowledge and skills gained, more than ever, I look forward to sharing a little of ‘my’ Abruzzo with you.