About
I love the stories, the history and culture behind food and finding beautiful items to adorn the table. You can be transported to far away places in a single meal.
Growing up in a large family consisted of long Sunday lunches at my Italian grandmother’s house with at least 20 people feasting on an endless array of dishes. My grandmother orchestrated it all without a great deal of fuss, and those memories formed the foundation for my love of food and entertaining.
As a result, I went on to have a career in the hotel and restaurant business working in Italy, France and the US. The incredible people I met along the way were the best part of the business, and the memories and stories “around the table” formed lifelong relationships.
My career moved out of operations and into corporate management until I left the hotel business altogether and landed in the beauty industry…but my love of hotels, restaurants and food never waned.
Now I’ve come back to where I started funneling creative energy into the table&spoon cooking clubs, feeding friends & family whenever possible, and writing stories about our connections to food.
I’ve also started a new boutique travel company, called CULTIVATE, journeys of friendship. In small groups, we explore parts of the world, and learn about the history and culture of a place through immersive and unique experiences.
I hope my love of food and my curiosity in culture and history, sparks your own creativity, brings you together more often with friends and helps you discover your very own sense of place around the table.
Buon appetito!
Barbara
@cultivate_travels
