I’m a Puglia-born chef with 20 years of experience across Italy and Europe. I research the roots of classic Italian cuisine and rework it with a modern touch, always seeking new ideas and inspiration.
I trained in Milan at Solferino and completed an internship at Ratanà. My kitchen is driven by seasonality, technique and respect for ingredients.
I reinterpret Apulian and Italian classics with clean flavors, precision, and seasonal produce.
From Milan to Europe, I bring solid technique and calm execution to every private dinner.
I choose organic, seasonal ingredients and let them shine with balanced textures and sauces.
A selection of seasonal Apulian and Italian menus crafted around seafood, meats, and fresh produce.
Apulian flavors | fresh seafood | sweet finishes
octopus salad with parsley mashed potatoes
Salty puffs stuffed with marjoram-flavored stracciatella mousse, sea bass carpaccio marinated in pepper served with a light black olive sauce
fresh oysters with vegetable gremolada marinated with citronette
cardoncelli mushrooms sautéed on Apulian tarallo soil and herbs
sea bream carpaccio with raspberry vinaigrette and fennel salad
scapece zucchini roll
beef tartare with truffle mousse
typical platter of local cold cuts with caramelized onions and fried pasta
baby octopus braised in tomato and red wine served with corn polenta croutons
"Frisa" typical Apulian bruschetta with onion, tomato, basil and vinaigrette
Thyme-flavored broad bean purée with grilled octopus and turnip greens with chilli pepper
stuffed mussels with parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs and parmesan braised in tomato sauce
Martinafranca capocollo with burrata and typical Apulian focaccia
savory tarts with stracciatella cheese, chopped red shrimp and lemon zest
orecchiette with burrata cream, chopped red prawns and lemon
Homemade tortelli stuffed with potatoes, chives served with cream of semi-seasoned caciocavallo, scented with truffles
Linguine with fresh tomato, Argentine shrimp served with wild rocket pesto
Mezzemaniche with chickpea cream and crispy speck, scented with rosemary
Spaghetti all' assassina (typical Barese spicy dish) served with smoked burrata cream and basil chips , Black Olive Dust
Sunflowers (filled pasta) stuffed with burrata and lemon served with yellow date sauce
potato crusted sea bass served with lemon and rosemary sauce
seafood stew (according to availability of the period) with tomato, olives, capers and oregano
grilled lamb marinated with herbs and accompanied by seasonal vegetables and baked potatoes
beef steak with caciocavallo cream, rocket, cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
Fillet of sea bream served with olive sauce, thyme and lemon seasonal side dishes included
crispy porchetta stuffed with aromatic herbs scented with white wine
Marinated pork ribs with red beer and herbsCosts of
Tiramisù
millefeuille with custard with seasonal fruit
panna cotta with white chocolate and red fruits with seasonal fruit salad
tasting of hard cheeses with jam and fruit
chocolate fondant with soft heart served with fruit and vanilla ice cream
tiramisu with chocolate and hazelnuts
tart with custard and fresh fruit
Apulian flavors | fresh seafood | sweet finishes
Selection of local cured meats (Martinafranca capocollo, raw ham, Naples salami)
Selection of hard and soft cheeses (Taleggio, gorgonzola, Asiago ect) accompanied by jam and fresh fruit
pancakes served with maple syrup and chocolate with seasonal fruit salad
focaccia: white with rosemary and classic with tomato
stuffed omelets or scrambled eggs
sweet and savory sandwiches (stuffed in different ways)
Seasonal mixed salad with grilled chicken
beef and vegetable skewer
cappuccino, coffee and orange juice
chocolate cake, homemade biscuits, tarts filled with jam
seasonal fruit
Apulian flavors | fresh seafood | sweet finishes
sea bream carpaccio with raspberry vinaigrette and fennel salad
Tacos with stracciatella, sautéed chicory and sea urchin pulp
Sesame amberjack tartare served with curry mousse and green apple powder
Spaghetti with clams and sea asparagus garnished with lemon zest
Tortelli stuffed with caciocavallo cheese and black pepper served with prawn bisque and beaten red prawns
Turbot fillet in an almond crust, served with wild chicory and yellow tomato cream
white chocolate and lemon panna cotta with sweet red fruit sauce
Apulian flavors
"Frisa" typical Apulian bruschetta with onion, tomato, basil and vinaigrette
aubergine parmigiana (mozzarella, tomato, basil)
Platter of local cured meats served with fried pasta, spicy pepper sauce and caramelized onion
peppered with mussels with croutons
Typical Bari recipe: Riso, patate e cozze ( rice au gratin with mussels and potatoes )
Broad beans and wild chicory with bread croutons with extra virgin olive oil
Vegetable soup basil scented
Bean soup with pork rinds
Spaghetti with mussels and cherry tomatoes
Mezzi rigatoni in two consistencies with chickpea cream, chilli pepper and rosemary
Orecchiette with tomato, caciocavallo and basil
Stewed rabbit hunter style
beef roll with tomato
Mackerel terrine with potatoes and black olives
Baked stuffed aubergines au gratin (vegetarian dish)
pasticciotto Leccese
Zeppola di San Giuseppe with cream and black cherry
I will always remember this dinner. We never have done this before, and I am usually cooking most dinners for my family. Trying this for the first time we are ecstatic. Demaride was communicative, and helpful from the beginning. She asked about my families allergies, and was helpful in planning the menu. She is an amazing… she comes into our rental vacation home, sight unseen. In a kitchen she has never worked, and unsure of what is available to make a dinner. In a small kitchen she whips up 3 appetizers, a starter and a main dish… followed by desert. She sets the table, cooks with a passion, plates all the meals, clears the table, cleans the dishes, and left the kitchen spotless. If with all of this, she made a special desert for my daughter who had allergies with our choice of deserts. She is wonderful, caring, and diligent. I enthusiastically recommend her for your special night.
Demaride was fantastic, we would absolutely hire her again and highly recommend! She was punctual, polite and her food was as described on her menu and absolutely delicious!! Thank you again for such a great experience!
The chef was absolutely incredible! She was able to communicate exactly what she needed in order to give us the experience we had. She exceeded expectations and people thought her meal had been the best so far on the trip. There was not one bad meal. The chef was very sweet and kind and made sure everything was cleaned before she left. If I were back in Puglia I would have been cook my every meal!
Our chef, Demaride, was absolutely fantastic. The whole experience from start to finish made for a wonderful evening. The food was delicious (there was a lot of it!!) and Demaride even had time to let our children help prepare some of the dishes, which they loved. I would highly recommend Take a Chef and more importantly I would highly recommend Chef Demaride if you are in the Puglia region.
Demaride was fantastic from start to finish. From the moment we contacted her, she was responsive, professional and made sure everything was fully prepared. On the day, she arrived on time, was friendly and very organised. But most importantly, the meal was just out of this world. Some of the best - if not the best - Italian food we’ve ever had, not just on this holiday, but internationally. Absolutely outstanding. Highly recommend - Demaride is a top class chef and we could not be more grateful for the wonderful evening she created.
Demaride was a delight to have in our kitchen. She was responsive, able to answer questions prior to the evening, and met the group's expectations for a gourmet local meal. Her food was delicious and we were immensely pleased to have her in our home. Thank you Demaride!
Demaride provided us with our most memorable dining experience in Puglia and one of the best we’ve had, anywhere, in years! She was a good communicator leading up to our dinner and the food exceeded all expectations. Some highlights were the tomato velvety with burrata appetiser and my personal favourite, her version of Spaghetti all’assassina (with smoked burrata cream, basil crisps and olive crumb) which I had so been looking forward to trying. I’d highly recommend Demaride for Puglian dinners and would book her again in a heartbeat the next time we visit the area.
Demaride was really amazing, we were 13 people and she cooked every item perfectly, everything was so delicious and we were very full by the end already. The meals were one of the best ones we ever had and the experience was really unique and special for a birthday celebration. Thank you for everything!!
Demaride went above and beyond what we chose for the menu and made the evening very special for a big Birthday celebration. The food was excellent and we would definitely recommend to anyone else.
The dining experience with Demaride was absolutely fantastic….the four of us never had a meal like the one we had! Everything was incredibly delicious and looked amazing! Because of language, we didn’t have a lot of detailed conversation with Demaride but she was friendly, extremely professional, and so accommodating. In sum, highly recommended! Five stars ⭐️!!!,!