Daniella Malfitano is a chef, traveler, and lover of all things food. Her love and passion for food came about at a very early age as a result of her Sicilian family heritage and the fact that she was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Daniella studied at DePaul University where she earned a degree in International Studies with a self designed concentration in Food and Culture. Daniella worked with the university to develop and certify her self designed degree focused around food. For two years she worked alongside a group of professors, chefs, and the City of Chicago through the Department of Cultural Affairs in order to better understand the world of food through cooking, culture, nutrition, politics, and education. She conducted a community assessment regarding the availability of healthy food resources throughout Chicago. Her field work research illustrated the availability of organic food resources and provided community health statistics of the different marginalized urban districts of Chicago explaining the results through sociological trends and evidence. During this time Daniella traveled to Argentina to study at the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires. It was there that she solidified her deep appreciation and love for food and was inspired to pursue a professional career as a chef. After completing her undergraduate studies at DePaul and getting her feet wet at many restaurants in Chicago, Daniella moved to New York to continue her educational experience at The International Culinary Center (formerly founded as The French Culinary Institute). The intensive culinary study program of this professional school earned her classical training and technique from some of the most distinguished chefs in the industry including Chef Jacques Pépin and Chef Alain Sailhac. While a student and after graduation she worked at Prune Restaurant and Per Se Restaurant in New York City. Daniella graduated from the French Culinary Institute with a Grand Diploma degree in the Classic Culinary Arts program with highest honors.
When asked what Daniella loves most about her industry she answered without hesitation: “Throughout my experiences I have become fully aware of my deep passion and love for food and cooking which has provided for me a deep understanding of genuine human connection. I can’t think of a career that is more linked to all humans and daily life than a profession dealing with food, the essential element of life which feeds the world with nourishment and pleasure simultaneously, day after day. I am attracted to this industry simply because culinary service is intrinsically linked to several disciplines, that is socially, politically, economically, and anthropologically, just to name a few. The power and necessity of food for humans is endless making this industry vital for the state of the world today and very influential for the direction it will take tomorrow.”
You can hear Daniella every week on the syndicated radio program “On The House” which is broadcasted nationally by over 300 radio stations.
In addition, Daniella is the host of the television program “Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano” on KIXE in Northern California. Area residents can tune in each Saturday as she highlights the local farms, ranches, vineyards, orchards, markets and more throughout the region. She’ll lead you from the source to the main course and show you all of the local delights of the neighborhood through its food. Join Daniella each week as she uncovers the delicious discoveries of her culinary community! Visit Daniella on the Facebook page for “Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano.”
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