If you know me well, you will know that cooking is not exactly my strong suit. Yes, I can cook and always thought of myself as being capable in the kitchen. Until I married my Italian American husband who is a whirling dervish when it comes to cooking. Staying out of his way has always been my best thing when it comes to meal preparation.

We have a mutual understanding…he stays out of the laundry room and I stay out of the kitchen. And it works for us. 

So, when he registered us for a cooking class on our trip to Sorrento, I was moderately excited. I am the sous chef… happy to clean the spaghetti sauce splashed across the countertops. 

Today, I learned so many life lessons at The Quanto Basta Cooking School. Here are just a few:

1. Southern Italians “do life” slowly,  especially when it comes to food. They patiently await for the garlic to cook in the extra virgin olive oil. They take the time to sear the meat balls until they are perfectly cooked. I don’t think I saw the Chef look at his watch once. He used all of his senses to savor the experience. To guide him in the preparation of the meal. 

2. The art of Southern Italian food is simplicity. The food has very few ingredients. Our meatballs today were made of 90% ground beef, stale bread, garlic, basil chopped finely, one clove of garlic, freshly grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of pepper. That’s it. That’s how every meal tastes here. It’s cooked simply with a few fresh ingredients. They don’t overseason. They don’t mix garlic and onions. They keep it simple.

3. Community brings people together. 10 people surrounding a table. Starting as strangers but sharing a communal experience with people from all over the world. Eating together. Laughing together. Bonded by the food, and the banter we exchanged  among new friends. 

4. Family is everything. I was overwhelmed with nostalgia today watching three generations of an American family cooking together. The Nona, the daughter and their six year old grandchild who captivated all of us. I loved traveling with my mother and my daughter. Our shared experiences gave us magical memories. I could only think about how appreciative I was for those multigenerational moments. 

Patience. Simplicity. Community. Family. What a powerful reminder of what really matters to me. All through a bowl of pasta, some meatballs and great wine. 

Feeling so connected to a moment that incorporates all of my core values is a very special kind of present. 
It is why the focus of my coaching always starts with defining core values. 

When you are in a far-away place living amongst people you don’t know, working hard to understand a language you don’t speak and feeling a bit lost….you can always find your way home.  

Because wherever you are in the world, getting grounded in your internal compass will make you feel like you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

If you’ve lost your way, try going back to the simple basics. What makes you uniquely you is your core values. And if you need a little extra help finding that broken compass, I am here to support you on your journey back home. Want to learn more? Check out: https://www.thethinkgoodcompany.com