About

About Natalina

Ciao!

I’m a wife, mother of four and the founder of Natalina’s, which I’ve operated since 2011.

My parents were born in a small town in southern Italy and brought their traditions with them to Canada. As a family, we always had a large vegetable garden, and everything was homemade. From an early age, I found myself in the kitchen with my mom, aunts and nonna (Natalizia, who I am named after). My appreciation for my Italian heritage and love of Italian food and culture grew when my husband and I and our two children moved to Milan to live and work in 1997. Our family of four returned to Canada two and a half years later as a family of five!

The seed that was planted in Milan, would sprout into my business a few years later. In retrospect, starting a business with (now four) children at home was quite a leap. I invested the money to create a teaching kitchen in my home basement and Natalina’s was born. The response was outstanding, and soon enough I had waiting lists for clients eager to learn how to cook like an Italian mamma. I wrote a cookbook of my own recipes which is now on its third publication. I then asked myself, what can I do to further pass on my knowledge and passion for Italian food, cooking and culture? The answer was to take my clients to Italy of course!! After several trips to find the most authentic and ‘off the beaten path’ locations and experiences in southern Italy, in 2015 my first ‘Flavours of Italy’ food and wine tour was launched in the scenic region of Puglia. My tours consist of small groups of like-minded people and are based on the principle of ‘slow’ travel. We provide an itinerary that allows our customers to be able to fully immerse themselves in a specific region and not feel like they are being rushed from place to place. Guided walks are the perfect pace to immerse yourself in the rhythms of culturally rich and historic small towns. Accommodations combines quality, location and authentic charm.

There is so much of Italy to explore beyond Rome, Florence, and Venice. Small-town southern Italy is a unique experience entirely! I personally attend all my tours and use the same expert local tour guides year after year.

I would love to meet you and share my ‘bella Italia’!

Natalina

Find Natalina on YouTube

Since 2013, Natalina has shared short, impromptu videos and professionally produced videos on her YouTube Channel. The content covers recipes as well as ingredients plus tips and tricks to cooking like an “Italian Mamma”. She has recently become a YouTube partner and will continue to regularly share content on this platform. Make sure to subscribe to her channel, Natalina’s Flavours of Italy ! so you don’t miss a thing!