About Chef Mia Chambers

Chef Mia' s lifelong travels throughout the world, from the United States to the Far East, and to Europe, have influenced and inspired her formidable talent as a chef and cooking instructor. Naturally artistic, Mia was graduated with a dance and theatre arts bachelor's degree and began her professional career as a choreographer. After moving to the Italian countryside, her passion for food was rekindled and her life and career path was changed forever.

Mia is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, and has worked at Cesar. Currently, Mia divides her time between teaching at Draeger' s Culinary Center in the San Francisco Bay Area and leading private cooking classes in Italy. Mia speaks fluent Italian and her special interest centers on farmhouse cooking from the Marche. She is an experienced teacher with an informal style. Mia believes the knowledge to become an excellent cook is in everyone.

Mia lives in the San Francisco Bay Area most of the year but makes Coldigioco her second home. She has lived part-time in the Marche since 1992. Mia created Cucina con Mia to share the culinary discoveries she made living in the region, and to teach her students authentic Italian cuisine.

Mia' s sister, Leila Chambers, is Mia's right-hand for class coordination. Leila is an expert in the hospitality industry. She is the Operations Manager for Yoshi' s Japanese Restaurant and World Class Jazz House, a well-known Bay Area institution, and has worked there since 1993.

Leila earned her B.S. in business administration and finance and as the program administrator for Cucina con Mia, she is responsible for student financial services and site coordination. She is also a seasoned traveler having lived in the Far East for six years, and she returns to Italy annually to coordinate classes.

About the Cucina con Mia Staff

While in Italy, students will meet Enzo Fringuelli, Chef-Owner of a local Osteria (Inn) who prepares for his guests on any given night gnocchi, ravioli, and tagliatelle from scratch; serves a roasted rabbit he' s slow-cooked all day; and tops it off with a warm cake for dessert. Cucina con Mia is extremely fortunate to receive instruction from Enzo as he takes time from his busy restaurant for onsite demonstrations at Coldigioco.

Itala Bonci Villani, the namesake of Piazza Itala in Coldigioco, is the former owner of the Cucina con Mia cooking facilities as this renovated kitchen was her home for 30 years.

Itala is a native to Coldigioco and became fast-friends with Mia through their joint passion for cooking when she first moved to the region. Itala has been making her own pasta, canning her own tomato sauce, raising farm animals, and cultivating her own vegetable garden (the best in the area!) all her life. She can roll out fresh pasta by hand, give instruction to students, all the while telling stories about regional foods.

Alessandro Montanari is a geologist by profession and brings his attention to detail to the kitchen. Sandro is a native of Ancona, graduate of UC Berkeley and the founder of the cooperative of scientists, chefs and artists that make up the Board of Regents of Coldigioco.

Sandro' s other interests include a passion for foods and wine. He makes his own wine, cures his own olives, and as a proud native to the area, gladly shares his extensive knowledge of the region. Sandro and his wife, painter, Paula Metallo, have been welcoming students around the world to Coldigioco since 1993.

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