Tuscan Chef, Gina Stipo, eats and drinks for a living because she runs a culinary school Ecco La Cucina (translation in English: Here’s the Kitchen!) near Siena, Italy. As a chef, motivational speaker, I, Debbie Gore, interview those with an interesting and successful Recipe for Life. Gina from Ecco La Cucina fits the bill.
Gina found her calling when offered a position to write a cookbook for an Italian estate and vineyard while working in the United States after culinary school. A passion for Italy was developed early when she spent her formative years living with her family in Verona. The passion was stoked further as she traveled through Italy as an adult studying the region foods, cooking with home cooks and chefs. Gina liked the simplicity, freshness and the culture that is intrinsically woven into Italian’s lives via their food, so she made the move to Italy and settled in Tuscany. She wrote another cookbook, a collection of recipes from the Siena area: http://www.eccolacucina.com
Ten years later, Gina’s personal “recipe for life” is quite complete. Centered on her main ingredient is her desire to share her meaty food knowledge with clients, Gina has built a business from this passion. Gina touches people’s lives through her culinary tours and cooking classes that provide guests with introductions to authentic Tuscan cooking. There is a behind the scenes advantage since Gina lives amongst the artisans.
Key Ingredients for Gina’s “Recipe for Life”:
• Meaty: (main ingredient) living in Tuscany, sharing her culinary knowledge and the historical treasures with vacationing visitors
• Binder: (holds the recipe together!) her mother lives in the U.S.(but she visits her during the winter in Florida) and her sister is her sounding board (her brother is not far away in Belgium)
Gina's Tuscan Kitchen
• Healthy: eating Tuscan seasonal foods, drinking good wine, rest, exercise and massages (not to mention great surroundings) contribute to her health and well-being
• Spicy: living in a medieval village and visiting surrounding countries with interesting cuisine (Who can beat that?)
• Sweet: new customers become friends, local friends remain supportive
• Abundant: ten years of hosting fabulous culinary weeks keeps business booming with word of mouth advertising
• Colorful: every group she hosts brings a new perspective and they bond over food, travel and the Tuscan countryside
Her recipe is quite spicy when you think of a single girl living in a medieval village in another country. She has access to new cuisines and countries that are just a short distance from her so there are always food experiences to be shared with new friends and her network in Italy. To stay centered and grounded amidst a busy schedule, she takes walks through the beautiful countryside, attends mass at a local chapel, finds time to go to the nearby hot springs, reads a book or goes to the beach.
Her sister and best friend, Mary, is her marketing person and chief operations officer. Every past customer and potential customer depends on the pair to make their Italy experience exceptional. Mary coordinates the week-long food and wine tours, books Gina’s U.S. culinary classes, maintains the website, sends out the monthly newsletters and ships her cookbooks. In addition Mary runs a villa rental business (http://goitalyhomes.com) helping match clients with the perfect vacation accommodations. The dynamic duo has truly built a recipe for success that is fun, cultural and rewarding.
Website: http://EccoLaCucina.com
