About Us

ANTONIO

Antonio was born in Palermo, Sicily. After having lived for several years in Palermo where he studied computer engineering and, at the age of 19, he started with friends his own activity opening a software house and working for some Companies by creating three software products provided at national level, he moved to Santo Stefano di Camastra a well known town of ceramic handicraftsmen, the heart of ceramic in Sicily. At the age of 27 he was contacted by one of the oldest ceramic company to be their manager. And he was for 6 years and working there he felt in love with the “tradition”. He started working by using his “hands”. He learned the art of ceramic and he specialized in glazing, painting and firing it. Starting from 2003 he opened his own small laboratory of ceramic in Santo Stefano di Camastra where, together with his wife and sister in law, he creates the traditional Sicilian pottery. He has his showroom in Cefalù (www.ceramichesireci.it – facebook page)

 

In the meantime, following his passion for food and making his dream come true, he – together with friends – bought an old country casale (it was the year 2003) and restored it working by themselves and creating a spectacular place called Casale Margherita. During the reconstruction of the Casale he worked in different places as dishwasher, waiter, potato peeler, or whatever in order to get in touch with the kitchen … and then he became cook’s assistant!!! After 8 years of practice, in 2010 he attended a cooking school with one of the most famous and interesting traditional chef in Sicily, the depositary of the old Sicilian cooking school, Chef Salvatore Cascino aged 83!!!

After helping the Casale start-up, being the Chef from 2010-2012, he decided to start his own cookery school

Antonio is not a trained chef, but food has simply always been a central element in his family. It was always about quality, taste and tradition. During his childhood he used to look at his grandmother’s cooking – the best pastry maker in his town, “nonna Teresa!!!” – whose old notes are at the base of Antonio’s cooking. He always cooked (and still cooks) with his mother during the festivity lunches or dinners. Have you ever been to one of the Sicilian festivity lunch or dinner? From 3 to 4 hours sitting on a table sharing spectacular and abundant food with parents and friends who enjoy the role of food critics! Food has always been and it still is “sharing love and tradition” with people. Her grandmother’s old notebooks, enriched with his mother’s notes, are an incredible source of recipes and ideas to which Antonio refers to during his lessons

Learn more about our cookery holidays 

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CINZIA

Cinzia was born in Santo Stefano di Camastra, a small town in the north coast of Sicily famous for being the heart of ceramic handicraft in Sicily

After having lived for several years in Palermo where she graduated in foreign languages in 1995 and in economy in 2000, she moved to the UK working as a translator for a year. She, then, took a Master’s degree in Economics at the University of Bocconi in Milan. She lived and worked there for four years dealing with a frantic but, no doubt, interesting life

After becoming mother of a beautiful and sweet boy, she returned to Sicily – where her husband was working. It was time to create her own family and a certain stability. Together with her husband she opened a showroom – for the pottery he creates – in the splendid medieval village of Cefalù and she manages it

Following her passion for tradition and for food, together with her husband, she started her cookery school

She speaks fluently English and French

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