Nilla Spark is passionate about cooking and creating connections and she knows how to bring these two things together in a way that provides nourishment for the soul as well as the body.
Nilla began running casual cooking classes in the WA regional city of Albany more than a decade ago while working with her husband in their busy travel agency. But, when the pandemic hit and cancelled everyone’s travel plans, it also cancelled the couple’s travel business. Nilla then took the opportunity to pivot and start ‘Nilla’s Italian Kitchen’ so she could focus on running more regular cooking classes. Success quickly followed and her classes are now a culinary highlight.
Born to Italian immigrants Nilla grew up surrounded by food and was raised in an environment where food was made to be shared.
“My mum was an excellent cook and my parents grew their own veggies and reared goats. I’ve got lots of scars on my legs from chasing those darn goats. Cooking was a communal thing. It was never about just being fed. Food brings people together like nothing else,” Nilla says.
As Nilla’s parents were new Australians, without family here, they created a new type of family by sharing their love of food with others in Albany’s Italian community. Large, laughter-filled gatherings ensued with groups of women busy in the kitchen, talking and gossiping as they spent long afternoons preparing food.
When Nilla was in her late teens her parents started a small cafe in Albany and later opened Nonna Maria’s Restaurant which quickly became a local institution. People came from far and wide to dine on authentic Italian dishes and to soak up the restaurant’s vibrant atmosphere where regular customers became like family.
Neither Nilla or her mother were formally trained cooks but was never been an impediment to creating food that people want to eat. Nilla says the most important ingredient you can put into food is love. Intention can be just as tasty as technique.
“People in my classes often say, ‘Oh my God this tastes amazing’ and I have to remind them that it tastes so good because they made it and they made it with the right intention. If you put love into your food, you’re going to put love into your body.”
Nilla’s cooking classes highlight the improvement in taste and enjoyment when you blend all the ingredients yourself rather than ripping open a packet or opening a can. Making a dish from scratch forces you to slow down, concentrate on what’s right in front of you and gives you time to touch, taste and smell each ingredient.
Nilla says that coming to one of her cooking classes is like “entering the twilight zone”. You leave the outside world behind and become enveloped in the world of a warm and welcoming kitchen. Pasta making is undoubtedly a popular favourite (Nilla’s favourite too) and Nilla says she’s always been amazed by what “you can make with some handfuls of flour and a splash of water”.
Nilla has now even further extended her cooking community via a website – where she shares recipes and foodie updates. She’s also written a book full of stories and recipes and that too is available online.
Buon appetito!
To find out more go to nillasitaliankitchen.com.au
