I
started cooking in the summer villa here in Ravello
when I was thirteen. The villa was owned by a wealthy
American woman by the name of Mary Jane Chirigo.
She used to organize large
parties every weekend and the guest list was drawn from
Hollywood and European celebrities such as Elizabeth
Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart,
Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Most of the actors
and actresses stayed on at the villa since it was a
haven for tranquility. |
|
|
It
was Bogart that gave me the name of “Baby Agata”
and he was a sweet man with a wonderful sense of humor.
He made a tradition out
of having my lemon cake (made with limoncello) for breakfast!
This is the cake that is now mentioned in “Naples
At Table”, the cookbook by Arthur Schwartz.
The daily menu was decided
upon in the morning, and after awhile I was making all
the decisions on my own, since my employer had so much
faith in me.
Large gatherings were
decided upon a few days in advance and we always used
regional ingredients in the simple, rustic meals. |
|
I loved
my work then and even more now, whether cooking for
a celebrity, my family, my students, and do not laugh,
my three dogs and 8 cats (I cook for them too). I do
not see any difference in any of them, for they are
all human to me.
I can give happiness through
my cooking and I feel so good at the end of a meal.
I have even had students who came into my kitchen at
the end, crying from a beautiful experience and thanking
me. That is what makes me happy!
My tip for everyone is
that keep it simple, use genuine ingredients and love
what you do. You will have a huge success! |
