Who Is
Giuliano Hazan?
Early protégé? American? Italian? Chef? Teacher? Author? Husband? Father? Family man? Talented? Warm? Passionate? Unique? Yes.
Although, there is perhaps one word that sums him up best: Genuine.
Among a multitude of renowned chefs, Giuliano possesses this very special gift in abundance. Without pretense or fanfare, he shares his lifelong love of food — food that is simple and honest, yet incredibly flavorful. He imparts his skills with great skill, making it look effortless while teaching you to do the same. He delivers it all with warmth, sincerity, and humor.
He empowers you to achieve a level of taste and satisfaction in your cooking you may never have thought possible, making it easy for you to make impressive meals that are consistently and reliably delicious, every time you turn to his recipes.
Giuliano is a delightful dichotomy of old world and new, so inextricably linked, so smoothly blended, you will have difficulty telling them apart. But, why bother?
A Life Shaped by Italian Food
While some teenagers go to great lengths to be different from their parents, Giuliano Hazan — only son of Marcella Hazan — embraced the idea of following in his mother's footsteps. At the early age of 17, Giuliano began working as assistant at his mother's renowned School of Classic Italian Cooking. He dedicated himself to mastering the simple, genuine flavors of Italian cuisine. Now, more than four decades later, Giuliano is an author, teacher, entrepreneur, and one of the foremost authorities on Italian cooking.
"Italian food does not hem and haw; it asserts itself proudly. If it were a painting, it would not be made of varying shades of beige but of the vibrant colors one sees on the houses in so many Italian towns."
— Giuliano Hazan, How to Cook Italian
Giuliano was born in the United States, then spent much of his childhood in Italy, where he got his first taste of teaching as a teenager, working at his mother's School of Classic Italian Cooking in Bologna. After completing a B.A. degree at Swarthmore College, he enrolled in the Trinity Rep Conservatory, a professional theater program in Providence, Rhode Island. During this time — when he was not on stage or at the theater — Giuliano was performing at Peter Kump's New York Cooking School (now the Institute of Culinary Education), where he taught classes on Italian cooking in the early 1990s.
By the time Giuliano finished his theater training, he had an unquestionable passion for teaching. He pursued theater work for a time (while operating a gourmet Italian food shop and catering business in Providence), but eventually returned to Bologna, where he served as both teacher and director of his mother's cooking school.
IACP Cooking Teacher of the Year
This award honors "an individual who demonstrates and effectively communicates an exceptional knowledge of culinary studies and techniques in a vocational, avocational or traveling teacher capacity."
For more than four decades, Giuliano has taught hands-on and demonstration-style courses to sold-out crowds at cooking schools in Europe and the United States. From 1995 to 1999, he led multi-day courses at the legendary Hotel Cipriani in Venice — including a particularly memorable class taught alongside his mother Marcella and acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa. His recent US cooking school appearances include Sur La Table, Ramekins, and Central Market.
In 2000, Giuliano and his wife Lael inaugurated their own cooking school — Cooking with Giuliano Hazan. Each spring and fall, together with partner Marilisa Allegrini of the famed Allegrini Winery in Valpolicella, they offer culinary and travel enthusiasts a true taste of Italy at villa locations in the Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Their week-long courses promise "total immersion in Italian food, wine, and life" and draw professional and amateur cooks from all over the world.
"Each morning, I awoke with such eager anticipation for the trip that awaited us that day and the culinary adventure planned for that evening. To be able to cook alongside such a highly regarded professional in the culinary world was humbling without being intimidating… Marilisa was delightful. I felt the unison of introducing the wine with the food was seamlessly orchestrated. I simply loved it all!"
— Barbara Zawoysky, Clifton Park, New York
Life Beyond the Kitchen
Despite his busy schedule, Giuliano is a dedicated husband and father of two daughters, Gabriella and Michela. The Hazan family lives in Sarasota, Florida and travels together as much as possible. When Giuliano and Lael head to Italy each year for the cooking schools, the girls travel with them, studying and enjoying all things Italian.
Giuliano has also launched business ventures to share the finest Italian food products with American home cooks — identifying and importing specialty Italian ingredients including premium extra virgin olive oil and traditionally crafted red wine vinegar from the Valpolicella area near Verona.
Cook with Giuliano
Join Giuliano in Sarasota for an intimate hands-on class, or travel with him to Italy for a week of total immersion in Italian food, wine, and life.