For me, food has never been only about cooking. It has always been a way of understanding where I come from, discovering other cultures and, eventually, understanding myself.
I grew up in southern Italy, surrounded by food and by a family where cooking was part of everyday life. My grandfathers were a chef and a pastry chef, so the kitchen was part of my childhood, my memories and the way my family came together.
As I grew older, that connection with food became a desire to explore. I wanted to challenge myself by stepping into unfamiliar kitchens and cultures. I did not know then that traveling would change not only the way I cooked, but also the way I understood Italian cuisine.
Learning beyond Italy
I moved to London and found myself in a completely different environment. The pace, discipline and multicultural nature of the city exposed me to people, techniques and ideas from all over the world. I began to understand that being a chef was not simply about knowing how to cook a dish. It was about learning how to observe, listen and adapt.
After several years in London, I felt the need to go further. Japan became one of the most important chapters of my journey. Working there changed the way I looked at food. I discovered a different relationship with ingredients, seasonality, precision and simplicity. More importantly, I learned that technique means very little if you do not first respect the product.
After Japan, I felt the need to come home.
I wanted to return to Italy and reconnect with my roots, to understand my land more deeply and continue learning from the ingredients, traditions and flavors I had grown up with. But I also knew that I would leave again. I wanted to take what I had learned in Italy and carry it with me into the world.
Coming home after living abroad gave me a different perspective. I realized that Italian cuisine is known almost everywhere, but knowing the name of a dish is very different from understanding where it comes from, why it is made that way and what it means to the people who grew up with it.
That became an important part of my journey: not simply cooking Italian food abroad, but trying to understand it well enough to communicate something genuine about it. I wanted people to experience Italian cuisine as something connected to territory, family, memories, seasons and the people behind the food.
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A familiar Mediterranean
France, particularly the Côte d’Azur, became another important chapter. Growing up in Naples, I spent summers and weekends with my family along the Amalfi Coast. Naples is a city where food is everywhere. Its markets are full of fruit, vegetables and fish, and its relationship with the sea and the table has been passed down through generations.
On the Côte d’Azur, I found that same energy in unexpected places. Fishermen would bring fresh fish directly to where I was working, while the markets reminded me of Naples. The relationship with the sea and food felt incredibly familiar.
Working on the French Riviera, including at a restaurant recognized as the best in the world, allowed me to experience these ingredients from another perspective. I began to understand that the Mediterranean is not defined only by borders. It is also a way of living, sharing, respecting the seasons and allowing the quality of the ingredients to speak.
Bringing Italy to New York
Today, returning to New York feels like returning to a dream.
I often think about the generations of Italians who came to America before me, leaving their homes with hope, courage and the desire to build something new. In my own way, I feel connected to that story. I am a young Italian immigrant arriving in America not only to build a life, but to share my food, my culture and the experiences I have collected around the world.
Today I am working in New York City at Le Pavillon, chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant in Manhattan, where I have the opportunity to continue learning, growing and bringing everything I have experienced into a new environment.
New York feels like the right place for this next chapter. I bring my Italy with me, but I also bring everything I have learned from the world. Japan taught me respect and precision. France brought me closer to the Mediterranean I knew as a child. My travels taught me that Italian cuisine can evolve without losing its soul.
And perhaps that is what I want to communicate through my cooking: Italy in the world, but always with a smile.
Because being Italian is not only about recipes. It is about generosity, passion, family, conversation, laughter and sometimes a little sarcasm. It is about putting love into what you do and making people feel welcome around your table.
I don’t know exactly where this journey will take me next. But I know that wherever I go, I will continue to carry a piece of Italy with me and share it, one dish at a time.
Follow chef Gennaro Liguori @chefgennaroliguori.
