This was the health emergency that turned us all into home chefs.
Besides the occasional (occasional?) bouts of panic/depression/anger/anxiety/annoyance/disappointment, many of us, it seems, are coping with the forced quarantine by cooking. A lot. In Italy, it looks like we are mostly trying to become home bakers and pasta makers (pizza, bread, cakes, handmade or baked pasta, you name it), and supermarkets are constantly running out of flour and yeast.
It’s easier than ever nowadays to try your hand at cooking, even if you’re a complete newbie, or never had much interest in it because the Internet is full not just of food magazines, but also of food writers, chefs and bloggers who, through their social media channels, inspire us with their recipes.
We’ve selected ten of our favorite Instragram profiles that focus on Italian cuisine, we hope you enjoy them and help you keep entertained, while giving you the motivation to try something new in the kitchen!
Massimo Bottura @massimobottura
The famous Italian chef Massimo Bottura hails from Modena in the foodie region of Emilia-Romagna and is the owner of the three Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana. Right now, he’s keeping us company on Instagram with his Kitchen Quarantine series, airing at 8 pm CET every day, giving us a glimpse into his kitchen and what he creates with what he has at home. He’s an enthusiast too, so you’re sure to be entertained by his zest for cooking, and for life.
Domenica Marchetti @domenicacooks
Domenica is the author of seven books on Italian cooking. Based in the U.S., she grew up in an Italian family (her mother is a native of Chieti, Abruzzo). She’s a food journalist and also leads culinary tours and workshops, both in Italy and the U.S. We’re very happy to have her as one of our food and recipe writers (see her articles here). Besides the beautiful photos and recipe tips she was already sharing, Domenica has recently started posting video tutorials as well, in her authentic, down-to-earth way, which we love. Enjoy!
Pasta Grannies @pastagrannies
Pasta Grannies celebrates Italian nonne from all over Italy who make traditional, handmade pasta. Every week, they visit a nonna in her home to learn how to cook everything, from agnolotti to ziti pasta. Pasta Grannies was created by Vicki Bennison, who divides her time between London and Le Marche. Since the lockdown, she’s asked followers to send her photos of their grandparents doing fine so she can share them on Instagram: “The media gives everyone the feeling that our elders are all prematurely dead, and I would like to correct that impression just a bit,” Vicky writes. There are photos of 99-year-old grandmas cooking pasta, which is very heartwarming. If you love making pasta by hand (and Italian grandmas), this account is for you!
Paola Bacchia @italyonmymind
Paola Bacchia is an Italo-Australian living in Melbourne, where she offers hands-on cooking classes and bespoke lunches in her home. She also leads culinary tours in Trieste and southern Puglia. As Paola herself puts it, she shares “stories about the food I cook and its memories” because “memories of food are often linked to places, people, events and feelings.” Head on over to her Instagram for recipe inspiration and video tutorials.
La Cucina Italiana @lacucinaitalianausa
La Cucina Italiana is possibly Italy’s most iconic gastronomic magazine. It now has a dedicated U.S. Instagram page and website, besides the regular Italian profile, with lots of ideas for traditional Italian recipes; think carbonara, gnocchi, homemade bread, lasagna, pesto and much, much more.
Toni Brancatisano @toni.brancatisano
Toni Brancatisano grew up in Australia. Her passion for food since she was little brought her to Italy where she has lived for more than 20 years, first in Tuscany, and now is based in Rome. She leads private food tours and has hosted several TV series on the Italian food channel Gambero Rosso, besides appearances on TV and radio shows in Italy and Australia. Find a lot of Italian food inspiration on her profile, including for a lot of sweet treats (she wrote a book on cake decorating after all).
The Beehive Rome @thebeehiverome
Linda Martinez and husband Steve Brenner own and operate a popular hostel in Rome and, since the lockdown, Steve is sharing simple recipes they make for themselves or treats they prepared for their guests, and not just Italian (hello, bagels!). Their profile doesn’t try to be perfectly framed photos or super professional videos and that’s why we like it; also, for the cooking-impaired like me, it doesn’t feel as intimidating as the super expert, super-staged profiles.
Elizabeth Minchilli @eminchilli
Food writer and expert Elizabeth Minchilli is the author of nine books, three of which about Italian food. Originally from the U.S., she’s based in Rome, and has a second home in Umbria, where she’s spending the quarantine. On her Instagram profile, she shares beautiful photos of food, as well as Roman and Umbrian landscapes, so it’s a great profile to virtually travel and eat your way through Italy (to recall the title of one of Minchilli’s book).
Emiko Davies @emikodavies
Emiko Davies is an Australian-Japanese food writer, photographer and the author of three Italian cookbooks, who has lived in Italy for a decade. On her Instagram profile, she shares photos of her recipes intertwined with family life (she lives in Florence with her sommelier husband and two children). So it’s not just about the food, but there’s a lot of behind the scenes and sharing of family life, which makes it warm and personal.
Giulia Scarpaleggia - @julskitchen
Born and raised in Tuscany, Giulia Scarpaleggia is a food writer and photographer teaching Tuscan cooking classes in her family home in the countryside between Siena and Florence. Her Instagram profile is a collection of food photos sure to make you drool, with links to recipes from her blog, which was selected by Saveur as Best Food Culture Blog in 2019.
What are your favorite Italian food Instagram accounts? Share with us in the comments and on social media!
