What’s your go-to breakfast when you have time to truly enjoy it?
Honestly, I have three different breakfasts that are my personal guilty pleasures, each fitting a different kind of day.
On ordinary mornings, I go to the café just downstairs, nothing fancy, but it feels like home.
When I want to really treat myself, I head to Giorgio Pasticceria, a wonderfully old-school pastry shop where they make incredible duchesses with butter and smoked salmon. And the best part? They know exactly how I take my coffee: a large cup with an ice cube in it.
Then there are those days when I just can’t bring myself to get out of bed. I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but every once in a while, I order something completely trash from Starbucks. I only get up to collect the delivery, then crawl back into bed with some ridiculous coconut milk–coffee concoction.
Is there a childhood dish or flavor that shaped the way you cook today?
I can’t say there’s one specific dish, but I was lucky to grow up in a home where quality ingredients and simplicity were everything.
If I had to choose, I’d say pomarola tomato sauce slowly cooked with lots of carrots in the soffritto to make it wonderfully sweet. That flavor definitely stayed with me.
Before becoming a chef, did you ever imagine a different path for yourself?
It’s funny, I remember being a kid in elementary school when teachers would always ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Most kids said ballerina, football player, astronaut… Me? I wanted to be a butcher. The butcher shop seemed like a magical place to me.
Of all the French pastries, which one do you most love making—and why?
French pastry is sacred; I could never reach those heights!
The sweets I make are more like everyday cakes, creams, and cookies, each with a special twist but never too pretentious. They’re mostly my own recipes, made by feel rather than strict measurements.
Baking for me is a very intimate ritual. I love being alone in the restaurant kitchen, surrounded by silence, it’s deeply therapeutic.
My most satisfying creation so far? White chocolate cream and miso cookies.
Is there a food or ingredient you’re secretly obsessed with keeping in your kitchen at all times?
My kitchen is filled with hidden jars of spices. I can’t resist them!
Cumin seeds are my weakness. I’d put them in everything if I weren’t stopped by my team from overdoing it.
Is there a food trend or dish you just don’t love—no matter how popular it is?
Fake tripe.
It’s made from a mix of breadcrumbs, eggs, and parmesan simmered in tomato sauce — pretending to be real tripe. It was even featured by Stanley Tucci on Tucci in Italy, so now everyone wants it.
But honestly, it just doesn’t appeal to me at all. Maybe that’s why I’ve never even tried it!
If you could unlock one chef’s secret recipe, whose would it be—and what dish?
Mauro Uliassi’s brodetto di pesce in barattolo (fish stew in a jar). That dish left a mark on me.
My parents took me to his restaurant in Senigallia when I was 14, and I can still remember the taste and aroma vividly.
What’s the most unforgettable meal you’ve ever had—whether cooking it or being served?
Again, it’s Uliassi.
Whenever I want to give myself a truly special gift or receive one, my mind goes straight there. I went back for my 29th birthday, and it was one of the most extraordinary dinners I’ve ever had.
It’s the only Michelin-starred restaurant that somehow remains humble and perfectly balanced.
Who has mentored or influenced you most in your culinary journey?
I haven’t had many experiences working in other people’s kitchens.
Being a “figlia d’arte” (—>born into the trade) as they say here, means you inherit a legacy and a restaurant to continue, but also that you must work in the family restaurant, no matter what.
So, without a doubt, my biggest influence has been my mother: a woman with an incredibly refined palate and almost magical hands.
Have you noticed differences in the atmosphere or leadership styles in kitchens led by women vs. men? How has that shaped your experience?
As I mentioned, I haven’t worked in many different kitchens, but yes, there’s definitely a difference.
Without judging anyone, I’d say the biggest contrast lies in the spirit behind the cooking: men often cook for glory, for themselves, to prove something.
Women cook with love and a sense of sharing, and that, to me, is the secret ingredient that makes the food truly better.
Where do you turn for creative inspiration when you’re in a cooking rut?
Books. I love cookbooks.
I often sit down and flip through them, waiting for something to spark an idea.
Above all, Artusi, that old Italian cookbook, never fails to surprise me with how timeless it feels, even after all these years.
If you could give one piece of advice to the next generation of female chefs, what would it be?
Being a woman in this industry is a strength anyone who says otherwise should simply be ignored.
We’re living in a time when the rules of the kitchen and of this profession need to be rewritten. To do that properly, we need unity and solidarity.
So stick together, support one another, and keep moving forward
Instagram: @dalla_lola @matildepettini
Website: https://dallalola.it