Hello and welcome to my blog!
My name is Laura (Giunta Tobin), I am an Italian living on the French Riviera, a fusion of the great Mediterranean cuisines.
Cooking is an artistic expression, and like any form of art, you improve with practice. So I have been practicing since the age of 5!
To better her skills, my mother took four Cordon Bleu Courses in Rome: Corsi di Cucina Amatoriale Cordon Bleu , and as a child growing up, I learned from her.
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I left Italy when I was 28 but I still have my home in Rome and my family in Calabria which I visit frequently.
Before I settled in the South of France (only 30 miles, 50 km to the Italian frontier) in 2010, I lived in many different countries six at last count!
Because I love food and I am very interested in trying new cuisine, when I travel the world, I always spend time learning and understanding local food and cultural traditions.
It brings me back to my childhood and creates
Building your own memories
Above all, this Blog is for you...to help you build your own memories.
Your Guardian Chef is here to help you, like a Guardian Angel!
Whether you are an experienced cook or just starting, this blog is for your if:
🍷 You have a busy and challenging life but you....
- like cooking and are passionate about gastronomy and fresh food
- wish you could make your everyday meals more enjoyable and healthy
- strive entertaining friends and family in a tasteful manner
- curious about the tradition and history of various food cultures
What you’ll find on my blog
Clarity: detailed recipes are easy to follow with step-by-step instructions, photos, videos, and printable recipe cards. My newsletters will guide you through various cooking projects or challenges, and video playlists of recipes will make it easy for you to browse through, 75% of all the recipes have a video.
Reliable: all recipes are tested and researched. They include measurement conversions, size adjustment, details on equipment, and pan sizes. Ingredients are detailed with unbiased brand recommendations when it applies. Uncommon ingredients have cross-cultural translation and/or adaptation to help you find a substitute in your country.
Holistic: not only recipes but also practical organizational approaches to smooth your dinner preparation every day, as well as formal entertainment. Time-saving techniques and kitchen gadgets to speed up your cooking using fresh ingredients, all from scratch.
What you won’t find on my blog
- Compromise in quality and freshness of the ingredients as a shortcut to make a meal faster
- Cheese, cream, and garlic added everywhere, with excess
- Artificial or pre-packaged ingredients
- Italian spices and Italian dressings that are not Italian
- Italian recipes that are not Italian
- Superfood and vegan meat
- Ketchup! It is just me, I don't like it
NB: If you find an image of a recipe with ketchup, that is tomato sauce, as ketchup has never crossed my kitchen door.
How to find recipes
You can find all the categories on the INDEX page.
Your Guardian Chef voice
Starting in 2022, all the recipe videos are narrated by my dear friend Deborah Moore.
Deborah is an English actress who narrates in her warm voice all the steps you will need to follow to complete the recipes and reveal essential tips to make the recipes even better.
As a bonus, Deborah is fluent in Italian and will leave you with no doubt about the correct pronunciation of all the Italian names of recipes and ingredients.
Never mispronounce Bruschetta again!
A little more about me
Unexpectedly, my husband Robert passed away in August 2018. Memories are what I have left to cherish, and amazingly, most of our happiest memories are linked to food.
Interesting Facts About Me
- My Italian last name is Giunta but because everyone outside Italy misspells it or mispronounces it I use my Irish husband's last name Tobin which is easy to remember, pronounce and write in all languages.
- I worked as a petroleum engineer on an oil rig in the North Sea
- I worked in the City of London as an investment banker associate
- I am a licensed sailing captain
- I lived in the United States for four years, Greenwich Connecticut, and Miami Florida
- I speak four languages fluently: Italian, English, French, and Spanish
- I have two chickens and one dog
- The only food I don't like is ketchup
Keynote Speaker
Eat Blog Talk Podcast Interview
I had an amazing time being interviewed on the renowned podcast, Eat Blog Talk, with the wonderful host, Megan Porta. Not only did we have insightful discussions, but we also shared some great laughs along the way!
During our conversation, we dived deep into the process of transforming a hobby into a full-fledged business. We explored captivating topics such as how to describe what we do and, most importantly, how we monetize our passions.
Dishing with Delishes Podcast Interview 
It was such an honor to be a guest of Elaine Benoit in her famous podcast series Dishing with Delishes. We cried, and we laughed, we talked about success, failures, favorite food, and secrets behind my videos scene. "Put down your spatula and listen up...."
Cooperation With Food History Channel TV
Your Guardian Chef has started a new cooperation with the Food History Channel TV.
The Food History Channel TV is an English language television, but it hosts interviews, documentaries, films and reportage in all languages with English subtitles.
HFC TV offers a deep-dive into the science, history and cultural impact of food throughout time. It takes audiences on a mouth-watering, 2-million-year evolutionary journey beginning with our primordial ancestors, and closely examines the changing roles that diet has played over time.
Education:
London Business School - MBA Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' - Master Civil and Environmental Engineers
Publications:
2016 - April - "Salvare il mare, il sogno di un bambino: Francesco Tobin"; L'Editoriale; Monaco
The story is about my son Francesco, how he developed his artistic talent and at 9 years old used his skills to make a difference for the seahorse and his environment in Larvotto Beach, Monaco.
2016 - January – ‘Lunch with LT’ in English and Italian; Italy Food Monte Carlo; Monaco
Michelin Star Chefs are coming for lunch...but I am the one who is cooking!
2015 - December - Volunteer Contributor to ‘In the Kitchen with Stars’ by Angela Van Wright, second edition published in support of the UNAKIDS Foundation; Monaco
Featured by Press:
2016 - October: ‘How to make France's 'most-loved' dish: Magret de Canard’, TheLocal.fr
2016 - August: 'How to make France's famed Île Flottante dessert'; TheLocal.fr
2016 - August : 'How to make the tastiest ratatouille'; TheLocal.fr
2016 - May: 'How to make a traditional French cassoulet'; TheLocal.fr
2015 -November - ‘Challenging the Michelin Star Chefs to come for lunch’; L'Editoriale; Monaco
Laura invites four " Chef étoilé Michelin " for lunch at her home, to prove to her readers that even a home cook can entertain and satisfy the most demanding of guests.
Awards and recognitions:
