The idea for this blog started from a few pages of stories, a list of offbeat cooking at home topics, and a look back at some food photography from when I was 15 years old. I've always loved cooking, but I always viewed it as a form of creativity. I make a complete mess of the kitchen, take hours longer so that I can find some peace, and make my recipes up as I go. I wanted a space to talk about straying from recipes, cooking struggles, kitchen catharsis, and the food I love to cook! From dishes that I made when I was little, to recipes I develop along the way. Pear and Pecorino is a collection of my musings about food, cooking, travel and the cathartic process of making a meal.

my story

I started in the kitchen when I was 3 years old, peeling cloves of garlic for my dad. This is my earliest memory and the beginning of my love of being in the kitchen. I’ve spent a summer cooking through entire cookbooks, planned meals for the weekend, and experimented with new recipes. From rolling out fresh sheets of pasta to canning fresh jam and tomato sauce in the summer, cooking has never left my life.

Growing up, my dad gave me the nickname, Little Chef, partially inspired by Remy’s nickname in Ratatouille, and by my constant need to be in the kitchen and make a mess of it.

I’ve always been a bit chaotic and messy in the kitchen. My grandma often compares me to her own mother, who she tells me was a tornado in the kitchen. My grandma was the one responsible for cleaning up after her. Out of the mess came a feast for the family. Splatters and spills created plates of salami, cheese, Fritto Misto, pasta, chicken, fish, soup, piles of cookies, especially around holidays. Nana was proof that you don’t have to be organized or strictly follow rules to be a great cook!

As for me, I can never quite stick to a recipe. I always want to tweak something and make it my own. So, I stick to my guts, go with any spontaneous ideas I might have, and turn it into something delicious! (Even if I make a mess in the process). Cooking has been a form of escapism for me throughout my entire life. I’ll put on a podcast or playlist and sit in the kitchen for hours, sometimes taking my time to draw out the process. By the end, I’ve created something that is mine.

Cooking is chaotic, messy, cathartic, fun, creative, artful. Everything all at once. From the heart and the hands.

pear and pecorino

I started Pear and Pecorino as a way to share recipes and stories, explore ideas about the joy and comfort of cooking, and talk about the cathartic process of making a meal. My family and I used to have slices of pear and Pecorino as an after-dinner treat. It’s a delicious combination of flavors, and the easiest dish you could make. Sweet and salty, just two amazing ingredients brought together to make something new. This idea is the heart of this blog: bring together great ingredients, make delicious homemade meals and cook the food that brings me joy.

Mangia Mangia!

Isabella

Hello!

my story

pear and pecorino