Meet Angela Palermo
Pastry chef, cook, recipe writer, food blogger and teacher — dedicated to sharing the art of good food, inspired by her Italian heritage.
Growing up in an Italian family has provided Angela with a deep appreciation for seasonal, fresh and simple food. Today she shares that love through hands-on cooking classes at her South Sydney studio, regional Italian workshops, and collaborations.
A Cooking Studio in South Sydney
Located in Sylvania — just 25km south of Sydney city — The Village Cooks studio is where Angela brings her knowledge, skills and passion to every class. It's also a space she shares with talented family and friends, both chefs and cooks, who, like her, love the art of good food.
Visit The Village Cooks
From Calabria to Sydney
My parents hailed from the south of Italy, Calabria, and both were raised living off the land. They grew their own vegetables, collected drinking water from nearby springs, preserved their homegrown fruits and vegetables, made their own olive oil, wine, and bottled tomato sugo and salami. They had chickens that produced daily eggs, goats that provided fresh milk, pigs for salami, as well as ducks and rabbits — farm to plate style. They also baked their own bread and pizza in large wood ovens.
A little of this they brought with them when they migrated to Australia in the 1960s. Like many other Italians, Dad had a large vegetable patch in our backyard. He grew grape vines, kept chickens, planted fruit trees and an endless array of vegetables. Traditions continued with the yearly making of La Salsa — bottled tomato sauce — and Dad even continued to make his own wine. All combined, along with my two siblings and parents, we grew up eating traditional Italian fare: simple, fresh, seasonal food. I wish to share it all with you!
My love affair with rustic Italian sweets drove me to pursue a career in la cucina pasticceria — the pastry kitchen. It drove me to undertake and complete my Retail Baking & Pastry Certificate with distinction at Ultimo TAFE, Sydney.
I gained employment as a baker at Manna From Heaven in Marrickville, where I worked for three years. I also gained experience in the pastry industry working at well-known Sydney patisseries — Marineve Pasticceria in Five Dock, Café Sopra in Waterloo, and Yellow in Potts Point.
I wish to share this knowledge and experience, along with my continued love of reading, learning and experimenting from my large collection of cookbooks, food magazines and recipes. I now wish to share this with all through my cooking classes, collaborations and recipes.
What Angela Teaches
Small, Hands-On, Generous
Classes are designed to be small — between 6 and 8 people — allowing for a more personalised experience. All classes are interactive and hands-on, and we eat the food we make together at the end. The kitchen is fitted out with two Miele wall ovens and a freestanding Ilve electric oven with a gas stovetop.
- ✦ Morning tea on arrival — baked treats, coffee, tea
- ✦ All ingredients required for the class
- ✦ Use of all kitchen equipment
- ✦ Refreshments throughout the class
- ✦ One-on-one tuition with Angela
- ✦ Take-home typed recipes & notes
Culinary Consulting
As an accomplished pastry chef, cook and recipe writer, Angela offers food consultation services — menu and recipe development, kitchen product reviews, and creative collaborations.
Enquire About Consulting →Cook, Learn & Eat Together
Whether you'd like to join a class, book a private lesson, talk about a collaboration, or simply say hello — Angela would love to hear from you.
Contact Angela