“Herrlich" is something German grandmothers would say when eating cake in the afternoon on their terrace. It's a feeling of delight and easiness that they transport through food, table concepts and service. Herrlich Dining started in Berlin a few years ago, when founders Hannah and Dee worked in hospitality. It was love at first sight when Fee double-checked Hannah’s napkin-folding techniques.

Since I've realised that cooking is my passion, I have worked in kitchens as well as a bakery. This year I decided to finally get a professional education in this area so I applied for the Diploma in Plant Based Culinary Arts in Le Cordon Bleu London. I have been vegan for the past 7 years, but plant-based food can often be seen as unattractive, flavourless and boring. For me, cooking is an expression of myself and my gratitude for people who sit around the table. Eating can be an incredible communal experience that allows us to connect with each other and slow down in this fast-paced world. By cooking simple but fresh and flavourful meals I want to give people the opportunity to connect with themselves, others and their environment. 

I try to cook as seasonally and as locally as possible, but at the same time I enjoy the exploration of foreign cuisines. When I cook, I look for different flavour profiles, textures and colours, but I also believe that a dish eaten from a beautiful bowl or a plate automatically tastes better.  Applying for CASA LAWA residency is one of the biggest steps on my culinary path, because it gives me freedom to create beautiful meals in an amazingly abundant environment with creative, like-minded people. 

I feel very proud to be able to source and cook with beautiful fresh, seasonal ingredients and create a space for people to feel joy and connection through something so fundamental to all of us.

I am 28 years old and grew up in Sydney, Australia. About the age of 12 I made the decision that I wanted to be a pastry chef, and since then my life has been immersed in the joys of cooking! I began working in bakeries and soon found the wonders of natural fermentation and cooking with fire, which led to cheffing in a few different kitchens where I really learnt the importance of cooking with the seasons and nurturing the produce available to you to create delicious food.

My passion for food and cooking has been pointing me in the direction to spend some time in Italy.When I saw what Casa Lawa was creating in Sicily for chefs, artists and guests I knew I wanted to be part of it. To be in a place where people from all over the world can share their culture and culinary roots will be a very special experience.

Simply put, I work with food because I love food. I have loved both eating and cooking for as longas I can remember. Like the chicken and the egg I could not tell you which love came first, but some of my earliest memories are of wanting to be a chef. The kitchen is the centre of my parent’s house, and where I remember spending the most time as a kid. I definitely owe a lot of my love for both eating and cooking to them. They taught me to cherish the of communality stemming from cooking and eating together.

Getting to focus this year on cultivating an art practice around food has been a real pleasure, and what draws me to Casa Lawa. Two summers ago I was in Sicily visiting different agricultural co-operatives, and left feeling incredibly inspired by people’s relationship with the land. This is absolutely missing in Berlin, and something I am looking forward to diving into during my residency.

My adventure with food started three years ago while doing an internship at one of Warsaw's confectioneries, Odette. There I learned the basics of confectionery and after, I became a full-fledged confectioner. I lived abroad for a while but I missed polish greens and I came back to Bakery Daj where I get to do the best job of my life; baking. 

At CASA LAWA I’d love to make laminated cakes, brioches and croissants with my own twist on precious Sicilian ingredients. I love savory pastries just as much as sweet ones, so I can’t wait to see what will be in-season to make pies with. I would like to take Sicilian abundance into the kitchen and share with guests at CASA LAWA.

I love the connection between nourishing food, seasonal ingredients and simplicity. I enjoy large platters shared with friends, dessert trolleys and creating a playfulness in the way food can be cooked, plated, and enjoyed.

The residency at CASA LAWA is the perfect opportunity to come together at the peak of spring and to catch a glimpse of Sicilian summer. I’m looking forward to experimenting with a small-scale project in the making, and the creative freedom that comes from discovering what the garden and land can offer.

2022 ⏤ One week of baking, kneading, growing, and laughing. The warm feeling floods over you when you peek inside the oven to see your mulberry focaccia turning perfectly golden.