Written by: Francesca Montillo, owner of Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures, cookbook author and native Italian, in her kitchen for Italian cooking and baking classes hosted via Zoom! Join from the comforts of your home, and learn to prepare delicious dishes from her native land. Although cooking along is encouraged, the participation level is up to you, you can simply watch and learn, ask questions, while taking notes along the way, or you can cook and bake along during the class. Recipes will be straightforward so you can easily replicate the dishes in the future.
In 2015, a few years away from my 40 th birthday, I made a big life decision: to finally start my own business. The prospect of turning 40 is really what did it for me. I no longer wanted to live a life of “should I” and wanted to just do it. I had been dreaming of opening a food and travel business for a long time, and gave it a lot of thought as to what I wanted to include and what I wanted to offer my clients, and that’s how Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures was born.
I grew up in Italy and my fondest memories are around the kitchen with my mom. I didn’t know it as the time, but during those days is when my love for cooking began. I knew my tours would be food-based, because I wholeheartedly believe food is what we all have in common and what ties us all together. Sure, we all have preferences in what we eat, but we all must eat, no getting around it. And with that in mind, my business was born.
My business has grown and evolved since its inception back in 2015. The food and wine tours have been my favorite aspect of what I do. Bringing people to my native land is like entertaining people in my own home. I love treating my clients like family, showing off the best Italy has to offer. Like an eager child showing off its most prized toy, I show off our Italy, with pride, care and satisfaction. It never gets old, and even with my many returned trips, I always learn something new myself, discover a new spot, or try a new food.
My business, like so many others, was hit hard due to Covid. My 2020 + 2021 tours have been postponed to 2022, when we know with more certainty that travel will resume, and we will be able to better enjoy Italy. As such, my business has evolved to now include Zoom cooking classes.
As cookbook author, having published 2 cookbooks with Rockridge Press, and a third book on the way, offering Zoom classes wasn’t much of a leap. During a period where many folks are limiting many social gatherings, meeting over Zoom to cook some delicious Italian food has been the perfect way to bring a bit of Italy close to people, all from the comforts and safety of their own home. I’m most excited about my upcoming Mothers Day Cooking Class. Since my mom was such a culinary inspiration to me growing up, I’m looking forward to offering this class to mothers and daughters this year.
And until we can travel to Italy again, I look forward to serving my clients via Zoom! https://www.thelazyitalian.com/virtual-cooking-classes.html