Thank you.

I wanted it to be the first word published on this blog.

I feel very grateful to all of those who have worked since now, to make this project  concrete: the architects, the  bricklayers, the site and logo designers, the videomakers, my mom, my mother in law and my father in law, my daughter and my son, my wonderful husband. Without only one of them, the result it wouldn’t be possible, or it wouldn’t be like this. And thanks also to all the friends are supporting me and all of you that will take part of your time to take a break and have a look on what’s on line.

To see that, step by step, your idea is taking place, it’s a unique emotion: the wall covered by tiles, the kitchen island that finds place in the centre of the room.

And all the colours and the food flavours that are going to enrich the pages of this blog, Gusto Vegetariano, with a little bit of spices and a “fusion” character.

An emotion full of different things: from the fear to make wrong choises, to the enthusiasm to go with the new project, that will give to your life a different sense. And that could, I hope so much, give to the other a part of you, of what you are and expecially of what you’ve become….of what you’ve learned during these years from the experiences of your life, like the fact that I’m not afraid of change, but I believe in change.

When, after ten years, I’ve left my job as secretary, I had a lot of dubts, but I needed to get out of that situation, that didn’t give me the possibility to express all my talents.

For a while I’ve been a full-time mom, then I started to ask me what did I want to do in life. Some of my friends and my husband too, asked me: why don’t you become a chef? It sounded good to me, so I choose to follow one of my best passions: cooking.

I thought about my past, my roots: the moments passed with my grandmother, my mom, my aunts Luisa and Mara, when I helped them to prepare tortelli, all together around a table, in the kitchen….with the flour particles that floating around.

This habitat has been lost unfortunately…to stay together around a table to prepare some good things for the family or friends.

So I thought: why don’t  invite people to repeat these cooking rituals? Why don’t create a place to meet others and share with them these memories, share recipes, old and new one? A open place for women and men, in a virtual space with this blog and also in a real place in Modena, for the cooking lessons.

All this for what? To be able to reach others and get in touch with others. I think interaction is very important to me:  comparison,  dialog and sharing are an enormous enrichment.

And I wish that this kind of interaction, was characterized from joy and love.

And from this interaction I would like to talk about the idea of the Good: as good ingredients (organic or km 0) and good taste; the Joy: because I think that if who is cooking is in a joyful state, the food will have a special ingredient; the Beautiful because we need to give attention to the beauty, to create more beauty….the world needs this. What do you think?

Then I would tell you about the name: Gusto Vegetariano. I haven’t been always vegetarian. Traditionally in my family, on Christmas day, we use to eat tortellini, and Modena is famous for its meat plates. But when Tina, my first daughter, came alive, my husband and I asked ourselves what kind of food have been perfect for her and for our second son Elia….and for us too☺.

So we started to have more sensibility to the natural cooking and the organic food. I would like to find the way to cook with the respect of animals, but also the respect of human beings. I don’t like integralisms: I think everyone of us should find the middle way: always the best. I like meet people and cook for them, dialog with them, find a common space, expressing my vision but respecting other visions. I’m afraid of these sides: who is for vegetarian, who’s not! Today the world needs to stay together, to dialog in a peaceful way, also for the food.

It should be wonderful!

Because vegetarian cuisine can be pleasant and appetizing, and I think that we need to approach the food with joy and pleasure.

So Enjoin Food!

Francesca