DIANA TESTA
Born and raised in a small town in Northern Italy between the Como Lake and Milan, Diana lived there most of her life. Her parents and region helped her appreciate food and culture and, therefore, her roots. Food has always been an important part of her life, and as in every Italian, food is in all her conversations. She talks about dinner while making lunch and about lunch while making dinner!
After moving in her 30s to Switzerland and then to England, the Netherlands, and the States in 2017, she traveled back and forth during summer and Christmas, allowing her to maintain her childhood friendships and long-life relationships.
Certified as an English and Italian as a Foreign Language teacher, she has a true passion for teaching. Living in five different countries and speaking five foreign languages has allowed her to embrace different cultures, incorporating them in her cooking classes.
Today, she teaches cooking all around Jacksonville: in-home cooking, breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, retail shops, and private venues. She collaborates with several chefs, supermarkets, restaurants, local farms, and stores. She also teaches Italian and English as a foreign language and offers culinary trips to Italy. She is the author of the cookbook “Diana’s Italian Recipes. Like Nonna Used to Make!”, a collection of all her family recipes where she gives an insight into the Italian culture while showcasing her love and passion for cooking.
Her burning desire is to open a front-store cooking studio one day, where she can showcase her Italian products while continuing to educate and share her passion for Italy and her unique culture.