"What you do is memorable, when you put your heart in it," grandmother Elda used to tell me.
As a young boy, I spent long afternoons amid the warmth of her stoves, waiting in anticipation for the week when she prepared the family's tomato sauce supply for the whole year.
Her home was full of tomato baskets, empty bottles that needed to be sterilised in boiling water, and the pots where the precious sauce was cooked for long hours. My help was much in demand and I was excused for having tomato all over my clothes.
I grew up in the kitchen: the afternoons after school at my grandma's; the evenings helping my mum, who despite a long day at work never failed to prepare a fresh dinner for the family; the Sundays with my dad, who after church prepared fresh pasta and his roast.
These days I continue my love affair with food as a private chef, cooking clients a four-course Italian dinner. There are plenty of good Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, both trendy and classic, but I believe people come to me because I bring happiness to the table.
Through my dishes, I guide my clients' imaginations on a journey that revolves around Italy and its culture and traditions. It is an experience, and as such is eventful, surprising and joyful. This is, I believe, what ultimate dining is about.