My biggest hobby besides cooking and eating? Well .. because for me can’t exist cooking without eating and vice-versa.  Even if I eat in a restaurant, I like to know the story of the dish that I eat. Who is behind it!

Going back to the question…my biggest hobby besides cooking and eating? Traveling! It is also the biggest inspiration behind my new experimental dishes.

What is the idea behind Foomè?

Let me shortly explain the idea behind Foomè. 

I want to inspire impatient cookers like me. I believe that is possible to cook without following recipes, but just following your feeling, heart and five senses (maybe hearing a bit less). Let’s say that patience is not my strength. I am easily irritable.  Even though, since I was a child, I follow the rules of my parents and the rules of society (more or less). I probably never learned to follow the cooking recipes. This mainly because I do not have the patience to read the entire recipes until the end. I get bored or, while reading, I get already my idea. Then I stop reading, and I start to cook in my way.  And my dishes are successful among friends and family. Some other times (often) I just get inspired by food and smells around me. I try to combine my Italian background with different culinary cultures (which I am still discovering).

From the idea to the reality

Living under the Dutch clouds can be quite challenging some days, but my biggest day-by-day challenge?! Deciding what to cook. And this makes me very excited. I usually have a fridge filled with vegetables and fruits which I have found at the weekly market, the organic market or I have bought them at Lidl. I stuffed my storage room with other products I bring every time I visit my home-town in Puglia, such as nuts, jam, pasta, coffee, tomato sauce, tuna fish, legumes, flour and olive oil (see ‘PRESERVES‘). When my job finishes I go home, I enter the kitchen, and I wonder:

‘What can I cook today?’

 

 

I like to share my cooking adventures. I could never manage to follow recipes, and I always gave my own twist. Now I have decided just to cook in my way, to follow what inspires me. Through the blog, I want to encourage others to experiment and be creative. This idea is what Foomè is all about.

Who is behind Foomè?

You probably want to know more about what I cook than who I am.  Therefore, I will keep this page short and brief. Let me tell you just a few words about my life story, hoping not to bore you too much.

I was born about 30 years ago in a town in the south-east of Italy, called Mola di Bari.  I have studied, grown up, cooked and eaten here, till I was 18. Then I moved to the north-west Italian city Genova, in Liguria. Here, I have spent seven years. I have studied and graduated as a marine engineer and naval architect. During my master study, I have got to know the Netherlands for the first time. I moved to Rotterdam for about nine months to complete my master thesis in TUDelft.

I did not fall in love with the typical Dutch food (even if I like stamppot), but in the Netherlands is so easy to find international food and restaurants. Since 2011 I have started to experiment international dished in my kitchen as well. Not always successful, but I can say that I am on a right track now.

Moving to Rotterdam

In 2013 I finally moved definitely to the Netherlands. I work and live in Rotterdam, a city that I love.

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in The Netherlands with over 600,000 people. It is also home to the largest port in Europe.

This city is known for its vibrant cultural life, its maritime heritage, and its architecture. Much of the town was destroyed during WW2, and since then Rotterdam has been radically modernized. Its varied design now includes skyscrapers as well as many unique building styles.

 My life in Rotterdam

I live, together with my girlfriend Mariëlle, in a lovely modern apartment in the city center.  Ops, I have forgotten to tell you my name. I am Moena, not very common Italian name and complicated for Dutch people to pronounce it correctly.

The dark-curly hair girl (right in the photo) is me, and my girlfriend is the dutchie blonde lady.

I live very close to the Binnenrotte market square, where twice a week the market (full of fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish) takes place. This market is a great inspiration and an excellent opportunity to refill my fridge.

 ‘sun’ vs. ‘no sun.’

But at this point I have to confess you something; otherwise, people I know might think I am not writing the truth entirely. I must admit that I hate dutch weather (it’s not a secret). However, I improved over the years. I can tell you I do not hate it anymore, but I accept it. I grew up, and I always lived in sunny town on the sea-side. It was not easy to move from Italy to north Europe without noticing the difference. I can assure you.

I do not post grey Rotterdam pictures, but I leave it to your fantasy!

 

…At the beginning of the page, I have said I would have kept it short.  So now I stop it 🙂 I hope you still have fun with the discovery of the blog. Find here some of my dishes and get the inspiration.