Who We Are
SARA
My name is Sara, and I was born in Liguria (Italy). I moved to Brisbane for love in 2017 and did something crazy, which is not strange for my way of being. Many have told me that it took courage to leave everything behind, to which I answer: yes, because it is really difficult to live so far away from your family and friends, but life is like a wave and must be followed if you want to enjoy the “show”.
Following your instincts and not being afraid to reinvent yourself are certainly characteristics that belong to me.
I like to laugh, play, joke, eat, cook, walk surrounded by nature, I love live music, art in all its forms, children and animals.
I am a sunny, lively person, passionate and engaging, fragile and strong, cheerful by default.
Food for me is connected to cuddles and love. In my earliest recollections as a child, I see my mother and my grandmothers cooking.
Sounds of knives slicing, wooden spoons stirring. Soft simmers, inebriating scents, slow and skillful gestures.
Cooking was an opportunity to be together, to share in everyday life.
Now that I’m older, I believe that cooking for someone is one of the most important acts of love.
In my gestures in the kitchen, I see and recognize in me that which defined the women in my family who came before me.
My hands become theirs… They create, invent, play, knead fast and tirelessly, light and sure, because they are strong and come from an essential bond: that of my roots.
Origins comes into being after a period of repeated injuries that forced me to stop working and spend a lot of time at home. They have been difficult months of reflection and searching within, but also of nourishment of my soul and extreme gratitude.
I dedicate Origins to those who brought me into the world by giving me this wonderful adventure that is life and to me for how I look at it and live it, always smiling.
ANNA
My name is Anna, and I was born in Melbourne, to parents of Italian descent. I was born here because my paternal grandfather was taken prisoner of war by the Allies during WWII and was transported to Australia, spending time in the internment camps of Myrtleford, Murchison and Tatura in Victoria. When, fortunately he returned to Italy, he decided that two of his children would stay and live in post war Italy and the other two would emigrate to Australia, as he had fallen in love with this place. So, my father, the youngest of four boys, and one of my uncles left Italy and came to live in Melbourne in 1960. A funny thing about my family: my father and his brother married two girls who were sisters.
I’ve always felt Italian. It’s evident in my thoughts, in the idioms I use, in my gestures, in my way of reasoning. I like Italian style and elegance and the Italian way of life. I feel Italian in sharing time and food, with the people I love. Since I was a child, I had the privilege of watching my mother and maternal grandmother, (of Maltese & Libyan background), spend hours and hours in the kitchen preparing, transforming, creating, special dishes. Christmas, Easter, anniversaries, birthdays, became moments of authentic happiness. Opportunities to get together to laugh, sing, cry.
For me… Cooking for others is a privilege. Every time I do it I get excited, because a part of me blends in with the ingredients, becoming a powerful vehicle of love.
From my experience in the kitchen, I have learned to treat raw materials with respect, considering their source, recognizing the value of the people who have worked the land, fished, raised animals. I dislike wasting food and always try to limit waste as much as possible. I had the honour of having a very special person next to me, my late husband Silvio, a mentor in the kitchen and in everyday life. After his passing, I had stopped cooking altogether because I felt lost without him. With time, I realized that I could keep his memory alive, continuing to pass on his teachings and Italian traditions, through cooking.
I would like Origins to be my testimony in honour of what Silvio has passed on to, taught and handed down to me about food, nurturing and sharing. I hope it encapsulates all the knowledge that comes from our shared experience of life in our beloved Tuscany, by the sea, with the sunflowers in our hearts. Emotions that have shaped who I am now
