ABOUT ANTONELLA

 

 

My sensitivity combined with my great curiosity often helps me connect deeply with the people I meet.

I like to understand the person in front of me, beyond appearances, clothes, or job function, I want to know which man or woman I'm interacting with, sharing passions, dreams, ambitions. 

A scholar of symbology and quantum physics applied to spirituality, a passionate researcher of ancient healing methods linked to nature, free thinker.

 

With my thirty-year experience as an international chef I facilitate team building in the kitchen to promote a state of psycho-physical well-being, spreading joyful vitality, celebrate nourishment, with conscious and sustainable choices in the kitchen.   

 


"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. P."

 

RECIPES THAT ARE GOOD FOR BODY, MIND AND SOUL 

MY ETHICS IN THE KITCHEN

 

  • I promote the local economy by using products from small family farms.
  • I promote the use of vegetable sources which make up 80 per cent of my menus, thus contributing to a local economy and avoiding pollution from animal farms.
  • I favour short, fat-free cooking that enhances the raw material.
  • I consciously use herbs making the most of their properties to promote health and well-being.
  • I mainly use ancient whole grains that evoke ancient rituals and ancestral symbolism.
  • I limit the use of the 5 white poisons: flour, refined sugar, salt, pasteurised cow's milk, white rice, preferring whole foods and alternative natural sweeteners.
  • I procure food in measured quantities to avoid waste and recycle every edible part with creativity and imagination.
  • I promote a balanced diet as a fundamental support for a state of psychophysical well-being,
  • to combat depression, anxiety, diabetes and obesity.
  • I support employees from the weaker social classes, promoting their inclusion in the work environment.
  • I strictly follow the Haccp system for food cleaning and storage.
  • I often use environmentally friendly cleaning products and self-produce some with natural ingredients and essential oils.  
  • I cook with awareness and ethics inspired by scientific research on Masaru Emoto's water memory, Simoneton's vibrational field of food and the symbolism of food in epigenetics.

 

Do you want to know more about me?

 

I started cooking when I was in my grandmother's arms, listening to the garlic sizzling in the oil.

In 2012, I published my first cookbook,

"Cucina di mamma," when my grandmother was 84.

It contains 84 recipes, in her honor, my teacher in the kitchen and of great values in life, not only from traditional Abruzzo recipes, but also my own reinterpretations.

At the time, I was working with show-cooking for Rio Mare in the Netherlands, and the company allowed me to launch it at its stand at the Kastel de Haar Haar in Utrecht, where the largest Italian event in the Netherlands is held, called Italieevenement.

I've always worked with big brands in Holland, having taken courses in marketing and business management, which helped me develop these skills.

But my knowledge of cooking came through experience, and by studying chemistry books, which I used to experiment with techniques and cooking methods to achieve balance in flavors and textures.

I have a love-obsession for cooking because I wake up thinking to food and, above all, what to cook.

 

I write recipes and food travel tips for Dutch magazines, Italie Magazine and De Smaak van Italie, and for a period, before Covid,

I was an instructor in managment in the kitchen at the Hotel School in Amsterdam, where I taught students how to prepare breakfast and lunch to serve in their cafeteria, always maintaining an Italian approach.

 

Before moving to Amsterdam I managed several restaurants in Trentino and Abruzzo, and I was the manager of a company that manages school cafeterias in Abruzzo and Marche producing 1500 meals per day and organizes food events. 

But when I moved to Amsterdam, my career truly blossomed. I came to Amsterdam when I was pregnant with my son, and after giving birth, I devoted myself first and foremost to him. Then I thought, "What am I doing here? I then decided to share my passion for cooking,

my traditions, and knowledge of my people's stories through cooking classes, culinary events, and team building. My brand Antonella Barbella offers a traditional italian cuisine primarily to a foreign audience.

It started out as a catering service, personal chef, and team building facilitator. " I attended trade shows and events, so having experience in marketing and restaurant management, I entered the market, holding small cooking classes, initially in shops specializing in kitchenware and pastry making. Then came the first requests from clients to cook for them, and I adapted to market demand with personal chef services and catering. Now I collaborate with various institutions, promoting Italian cuisine through events and storytelling with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands and the Italian Embassy in the Netherlands, and I organize most of my team building activities and cooking classes at the Smeg showroom in Amsterdam.

 

I have always been very careful about choosing ingredients, which are always natural, and above all, I feature typical products from Abruzzo.

I organized the last two editions of the "Week of Italian Cuisine in the World" in Amsterdam, several Abruzzo producers came to the Netherlands, and we offered tastings of some of our traditional recipes.

For this commitment, I also received recognition from the Embassy as a promoter of Italian cuisine, during the presentation of the cuisine's candidacy, Italian cuisine, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site.

 

My culinary tradition has been received with great enthusiasm abroad.

I've brought it to the table by speaking about Abruzzo and sharing the stories of small local producers and their products, while offering tastings at events.

From there, the idea of team building in Abruzzo was born.

After organizing culinary tour to groups of clients and Dutch friends in love with Italy and curious to know where I source my olive oil, cheeses, truffles, and wine, between Lanciano and the Costa dei Trabocchi,

a professional format for companies is now taking shape, offering 3 or 5 days for business meetings, presentations, reunions, or corporate incentives.