“I’m a cook, and I was born at the foot of Vesuvius in the province of Naples. Currently, I live in Rome, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Every day here fascinates me more and more.

I came into the kitchen through my family. I was born and raised in a family of workers and farmers where attachment to food and raw materials was the order of the day.

My father found me my first kitchen job when I was 16, so I wouldn’t take bad roads and hang out with bad friends. When you grow up in public buildings in Naples, it’s very easy to get lost.

But the real love for cooking came when I attended the first service. They all seemed crazy! Everyone was running around and trying to prove to the chef who was the best, and it was there that the spark went off. It gave me so much emotion and adrenaline.

This job makes me feel alive. I am myself. My cooking is spontaneous. Every day is different. The dynamics are never the same. When I hold my knives, I start traveling in my mind, and I feel free. There are no rules. That’s what keeps me in this job.”