If you love Italian and home cooking, stories with a good flavor, fresh pasta, Bologna, and Emilia-Romagna, you’re in the right place.
Ciao, I am Monica Campagnoli: food writer, gastronomic historian, cooking instructor, licensed food tour leader, and author of this blog and the newsletter Kitchen Notes from Bologna.
About me
Born and raised on the border between Romagna and Emilia, I have been living in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, home to fresh pasta and good food, for two decades.
I have a PhD in History and Computer Science. After more than 10 years as an editor for the Italian publisher Il Mulino and more than 20 years as a researcher and Professor in Contemporary History at the University of Bologna, I changed my life to turn my passion into a job. Home kitchens are archives rich in flavors and extraordinary stories. I have been a member of the Emilia-Romagna Association of Journalists for 20 years.
Before the big leap in 2018, something new was already beginning to grow around me!
In 2014, I registered the blog domain. For a long time, I shared this space with others. A few years later, in 2018, I was ready to talk about my cooking, my recipes, and my story in the first person. The blog became a space that was mine alone.
In 2019, I won a national cooking competition right here in my hometown of Bologna with a dish that was a declaration of love for my region, confirming that this journey was a tailor-made suit for me. To strengthen my culinary skills, I attended the Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Florence, where I obtained a Diplôme de Cuisine.
From that moment, I began collaborating with numerous brands and local and national institutions, including Casa Artusi. I appeared as a guest on national radio and TV.
For two years, I also had a meaningful experience working in a local fresh pasta lab, which I consider one of the most enriching chapters of my life.
In 2025, I was cited as one of the leading voices on the Internet in a study by the Catholic University of Milan, which defined my storytelling and cooking project as “the soul of the city of Bologna and Emilia-Romagna” (P. Musso, Guida pratica al Brand Reloading, F. Angeli, 2025. Chapter edited by Prof. D. Compassi):
Monica, as a culinary researcher, conveys the deep connection these recipes have to the culture of Emilia-Romagna, using social media not only to share the flavors of her homeland but also its knowledge, educating the public about the complexity and authenticity of these dishes. Her cooking classes offer a total immersion in the traditions of Emilia-Romagna, where food becomes an identity-defining experience to be discovered and respected.
My cuisine is traditional but without nostalgia, a modern vintage. I share what I have accumulated over time: family recipes, techniques learned by observation, lots of practice, and flavors.
In 2026, I completed a professional course to become a licensed food tour leader.
Today, I organize cooking classes at my downtown house and, for some months in the year, at the country home. I also create gastronomic experiences for small groups in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Here, you can read some reviews.
For collaborations or information, write to: tortellinico@gmail.com
Find what’s right for you IN THE BLOG ARCHIVE, among almost 400 recipes, or in my guides to DISCOVERING EMILIA-ROMAGNA.