Guilia

Name: Giula Bertolino

Decade you were born? 1990's

Three things you remember most from that first decade of your life?

1. One of the strongest memories is when I came back from summer holiday and thieves had been in the house and everything was upside down.

 2. When I went to elementary school and would have tea time with my Grandmother. She would pick me up from school and take me to her house and we'd have tea with a Biscotti Novellino (a particular kind of cookie) while watching TV.

3. Being in the old house where I lived with my mother. There was a routine on Friday afternoons- the man would clean the house and I would sit on the white couch and I'd watch Cinderella - that was once a week that I got to do that. My mother didn't let us watch more TV than that.

What is the dessert?

Profiteroles

Who would you want to eat this last dessert with, where and why?  

With my boyfriend in my little apartment in the French Alps - that's where we go to hide if we want peace.  

When I say the word "food" what comes to mind? 

I would say enjoying and celebrating life with the ones you love.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given  you?

My English teacher in middle school strongly influenced me and on the last day of middle school she read a Scottish poem that said, "No matter what just follow your passions and what you want to do and don't worry about restraints of everyday life - follow your dreams."  

What is your job title?

Interpreter

What is your favorite thing I can find in your kitchen?  

A manual Hand Mixer - the result is different from an electric one.

What is your favorite quote?

My grandfather on my mothers side died when I was really young. Somehow he had this really strong impression on me. When i'm in doubt I always have this figure of my grandfather - how he behaved - always happy and generous with people. When I have a hard decision I think what would he do. I also like the word FINE - it's up to you how you read it. If you read it in English it means fine - everything is ok and in Italian it means - it's over - finished.  

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I don't know. It would be restrictive to know because then there wouldn't be possibilities.

The three most important things in your life?  

1. Personal goals

2. My sisters

3. My boyfriend

Sandrine

Name: Sandrine Van Slee

Decade you were born? 1960's

Where were you born?  Island of Curacao, Dutch Netherlands, Antilles

Three things you remember from the first decade of your life?

1. I remember our summers in Italy on the Adriatic Coast and eating the Italian donuts with apricot jam inside and powdered sugar.  I have a picture with sugar all over my face.

2. Being with my Grandmother and baking her butter cake together. I remember asking her secret in making it and she told me she always had all the ingredients at room temperature.  I also remember her making "children lattes" and all the smells in her house. 

3. Growing up we believed in St. Nicholas and didn't know my father was pretending. We would put our shoes by the fireplace before we'd go to sleep and leave water and cookies for the "white horse".  In the morning we'd run down and hope there was a gift in the shoes.  I remember when I finally realised it was my Mom and Dad pretending to be St. Nicholas because I had counted the cookies in our cookie jar and there had been eight cookies the night before ( minus the 2 on the plate for the white horse) and Christmas morning ten cookies were back in the jar!

What is the dessert? 

Dutch Apple Pie

Who would you want to eat this last dessert with and where?

I hope to eat it with all my good friends and family. I can't even say one person. I would just love to share it sitting somewhere cosy in one of the coffee shops outside on the canal in Amsterdam with boats and people going by.  

What comes to your mind when i say the word FOOD? 

Happiness, exploration, discovery and mouth-watering.

Profession:

Make up Artist and Fine Arts Painter

Best advice anyone has ever given you? 

 When I was considering to change my profession as a make up artist and become a reflexologist told me - an old friend said to me, "as long as you are in NYC you must always be a make-up artist!"  - it was the best advice. 

What is your favorite object  I can find in your kitchen? 

My Japanese teapot - I love making Earl Grey tea

What is your favorite quote?

"I belong to no religion, my religion is love and every heart is my temple."  - Rumi

Where do you see yourself in 20 years:

Definitely baking a Dutch apple pie for another 20 years.  Waking up to a sunny blue sky, ocean not too far away, and surrounded by the people and places that I love. To know that I lived a rich and satisfying life. To have loved and been loved.

The three  most important things in your life?

1. My Dutch passport

2. Organic produce

3. Paints and Brushes

Claire

Name: Claire Lawton

What city were you born in?  Fort Collins, Colorado

Decade born? 1980's 

Three things you remember most from the first decade of your life?

1. My curly coat Golden Retriever named Daisy - she looked like a golden sheep.

2. My marble collection that I had when I was about 8-yrs-old.  I played them with kids in the neighborhood. I even had a fanny pack for them!

3. My Dad's cake decorating.

What is the dessert?  

Mango & Cucumber Lime Sorbet.

Who would you want to eat this dessert with ?

My Uncle. 

Where would you eat this dessert?

In the grass.

What comes to your mind when I say the word Food?  

Conversation.

Profession:

 Producer & Writer 

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

Make yourself useful! --one of my mom's favorites.

Favorite object I can find in your kitchen?

A vintage cocktail glass. 

Favorite Quote: 

"He who knows nothing, loves nothing. He who can do nothing understands nothing. He who understands nothing is worthless. But he who understands also loves, notices, sees....The more knowledge is inherent in a thing, the greater the love. Anyone who imagines that all fruits ripen at the same time as the strawberries knows nothing about the grapes." - Paracelsus

Where do you see yourself in 20 years ?

In a happy place with people I love. 

Three most important things in your life?

1. Light

2. My "person"

3. A really good pen

Marta

Name: Marta

What city were you born in?  Carmagnola, Italy

What decade where you born? 1980's (1988)

Three things you remember most from the first decade of your life?

1. When I was 3-yrs-old I was in the car with my grandparents. My granddad was driving and I was sitting in the back seat with my grandmother. When she moved forward I opened the door and fell out and cracked my head open. My mother who was breast feeding my brother at the time got so scared that her body stopped producing milk. What I remember most is being in the hospital and people giving me lots of toys. 

2. My mom doesn't like cooking so she always cooked the same thing. I remember my mom making Torta d'annais ( Pineapple cake).

3. Me and my cousin who is a girl and one year older than me - we used to play a lot and pretend to be teachers and play "laundry". 

What is the dessert?  Tiramisu

Who would you want to eat this dessert with ?  

All of my friends from here and around the world. 

Where would you want to eat this last dessert?

At my parents home.

What comes to your mind when I say the word FOOD?

I love cooking so when I think of the word food it makes me think that i'd like to learn how to make everything.  Also I love traveling so food is also traveling for me and food is tradition.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

 What is your job?  I work in the Export Department for a coffee company.

What is your favorite object I can find in your kitchen? My teacup

Favorite quote?

The first paragraph of Lentemente Muore by Martha Medeiros

"He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day, 
who never changes pace, 
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes, 
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly."

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I'm quite sure my home will be in Torino, but I am sure I will still be traveling a lot both for work and pleasure. I feel like I have a lot of homes to stay in around the world - Spain, Australia, Nepal. I hope I will have even more homes to stay around the world by then. 

Three most important things in your life?

1. My freedom & independence. 

2. My total family not just my brother and parents -but all!

3. Volunteering

Chiara

Name: Chiara Costa

Where were you born? Savigliano, Italy

Decade you were born ? 1980's 

Three things you remember most from the first decade of your life?

1. Passing a lot of time with my sister and cousin with walkie talkies and spying on our Grandmother.

2. A big house with hundreds of ticking clocks. In every room small clocks all going at different times.

3. When I was 5 years old playing my guitar on the TV show Uno Mattina. I was really shy and I didn't want to talk to anyone. I remember feeling really dressed up with my red stupid bow. 

What is the dessert?  Bunet

Who would you want to eat this last dessert with and why?

My Grandmother because she really knows how this should look and taste like and she is very sharp and precise how this should be. So yes, this would be the person. She has all the tools - it's all about the place you do it and the place is very personal to her.

Where would you be eating this last dessert?

In the countryside house where I spent a lot of time with my family during the summer. That's where I learned how to get drunk because of Bunet.  

When I say the word "food" what comes to mind?

 Something I couldn't live without.  

What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

A very recent one... My father told me to not stop losing interest and hope to the people- even if you're really hurt. Maybe for a little bit of time but not forever.  

What is your job title?

Graphic Designer

What is your favorite thing I can find in your kitchen?

My teapot.

What is your favorite quote?

Something I read on the a pin at the Venice Biennale last year - Give Poetry a Try - Karl Holmquist

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

In a nice spot in-between a city and an escape place.  

Three most important things in your life?

1. Comfort zones

2. Non Comfort zones

3. Sharing

***Chiara is pictured with her once boss, now turned business partner - Roberto a.k.a. Robi.                                                                                                   They've been working together for five years.