Vanessa Gianfrancesco

Chef and instructor Vanessa Gianfrancesco has been cooking with her grandparents in Italy since she was two years old. Born and raised in Montreal by her Northern Italian father and Southern Italian mother, Vanessa believes Italian cooking is all about sharing, family and togetherness. A passion for food led her to leave law school and pursue a culinary career. She’s a graduate of Montreal’s Culinary Institute, teaches a pasta-making class – and recently launched a website Cooking with V, dedicated to her mother and grandmothers, who taught her all there is to know about food. Her Sunday night go-to dinner is pizza, baked in her family’s backyard wood-burning oven.