Italy from scratch

Derek Chirico was born and raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. He grew up surrounded by a tight-knit Italian family that enjoyed weekly Sunday pasta dinners together. In a city full of American Italians, where high quality Italian restaurants and bakeries are around every corner, this food became an ingrained element in Derek’s life.

At the age of 21, Derek got the chance to go on his first trip to Italy. This trip ignited a passion for the Italian way of life. A couple years later, Derek and his wife, Laura, moved to Franklin, Tennessee together. He noticed that although there were a couple of decent pizza places and restaurants around, he couldn’t find the high-quality Italian food he had grown to love. After several more trips to Italy, one which involved a three-hour cooking class, Derek began to practice making the dishes that he had enjoyed in Italy at home. As he started sharing these meals with family and friends, he received incredibly positive feedback where they were excited about the quality and flavors of his food. He realized that many people have not had the opportunity to try authentic, hand-made Italian cuisine – and he wanted to show them that it’s possible for everyone to make it at home!
Italy from scratch is offering authentic Italian cooking classes right from home. I want to bring the real taste of Italian food right here to middle TN. In class we will create a four course meal while drinking wine, discussing the Italian culture and enjoying each other’s company.