Working up an Appetite.
L’Appetito. The Appetite.
From Latin ‘appetitus’, ‘desire for’, from ‘appetere’, ‘seek after’.
Welcome to L’Appetito, a newsletter dedicated to exploring the rich culture around Italian, Southern French and Mediterranean cuisine and learning its techniques. Wether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting out in the kitchen (but especially if you are starting out in the kitchen), join me as we explore the fascinating history and flavours that make these cuisines so beloved around the world.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Want a full description about this newsletter? Please check out my first post.
I believe that Recipes are only useful when you learn how to treat your ingredients properly, and master a few basics that come in handy in everyday cooking.
I grew up in Italy, in its countryside. I grew up with the idea of cooking what’s available, freshest, and often cheapest. I learned how to shop for vegetables and use them all up, stalk and leaf alike, and make the most of all the food I buy. I learned to find wild fruit trees and edible herbs in the fields.
Call it, if you like, Italian ingenuity.
The kind of ingenuity - which belongs to all of the Mediterranean, really - that made me learn how to be creative thanks to some basic techniques rather than relying on recipes alone. When I moved to Occitania - the beating heart of the South of France - I realized I had moved to a place that shared the same ingredient-forward kind of approach.
Here, we will have a chat about all of the above - shopping at markets, France and Italy, cooking local, and talking about the places that gave birth to these foods and ingredients I love dearly.
WHO I AM
My name is Valentina. I’m an international food photographer who has sometimes worked as a chef in Italy and France.
I have photographed over 10 cookbooks, appeared in multiple publications, worked for a vast array of clients (Barilla, Smeg, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica…), won several awards (including the Saveur Awards in 2014 and 2016) and have been around food professionals all this time.
Beginning 2024, I relocated from my hometown, a medieval village in Italy, to a medieval village in Occitania, in the middle of the South of France, next to the Quercy area. From here, I keep sharing Italian food culture, while also exploring this magical corner of France that has captured my heart completely.
GET IN TOUCH
Any suggestion, comment or request is more than welcome.
The newsletter starts off as free, but will include paid content in the future (this is very hard work!), as well as e-books, recipes collections, and more. Thank you for tagging along!
You can find me on IG at @valentinahortus , and via email at hortuscuisine(at)gmail(dot)com.
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