Independent on Sunday: A taste of Blackberry pie
A taste of BlackBerry pie
Anna Venturi, well known in foodie circles for her book 'Secrets from an Italian Kitchen' and appearances on BBC's 'Saturday Kitchen', is taking on the challenging task of teaching financial hotshots how to cook. Venturi (pictured), who runs a London cookery centre with her daughter, Letizia Tufari, has hosted groups from RBS, PWC, London Business School and Deloitte. The days stirring saffron risotto in Le Creuset pots and kneading dough for homemade ravioli are a welcome break from days in the boardroom and just the thing to get the creative juices flowing. Tufari said: "People from the City always turn up looking so stressed and tired but very smart and they won't let go of their BlackBerries, but one by one they take off their jackets and ties and roll up their sleeves and put their BlackBerries in the flour. It's like watching the unmasking of the businessman. We once had a woman who was so tightly wound that she grated a whole lemon, including all the juice, when she was just supposed to grate the zest. But people do relax and the men are often better than the women because they see cooking as more of a pleasure, while women see it as a task."
This National press article was created on 13th April 2008