For Fiammetta Mag-gio Pereira food goes beyond the flavour, it’s about bringing people together. Possibly why her classes in Italian cuisine never stop with the demonstration.
“We cook together, sit at the table and also enjoy the food together,” says the expat with a smile. Hoping to give back to Chennai, a city that has been home to this former photo journalist for the past 25 years, Fiammetta decided to go the culinary route when friends and family began asking for cooking lessons on her classic Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and Basil and Chicken scaloppe. Fresh off the success of her first cooking class that took place earlier this month, we get to sample a tasting of the menu in store for her next session in June.
Stepping into her house at Madhava-ram, nestled in the midst of a lush garden, makes for a picturesque and homely setting for these cooking sessions. “The idea is to teach people to cook a food set, like a lunch, consisting of a starter, main dish and the dessert,” she explains, as we dig into dishes like Tomato Bruschetta, Penne with prawns and Zucchini pesto. Now 50, Fiammetta recalls that ingredients for the cuisine of her homeland were not always easy to come by. “I would come home from a visit to Italy lugging suitcases full of basil, vanilla and coffee,” she shares with us. And even though, most raw ingredients are now easily available in the city, she confides, “I still prefer to get my parmesan cheese and olive oil from Italy.” Going for a second serving of the white sauce whisked with parmesan, that melts in our mouth, we don’t have to ask why.
Price of the workshop: Rs1,000. Details: 09840412167 or email fiammettaskitchen@gmail.com