The Village Cooks

Dedicated to sharing the art of good food.

About the cooking studio.

Growing up in an Italian family has certainly provided Angela with an appreciation for seasonal, fresh and simple food. A trained pastry chef, cook, recipe writer, food blogger & teacher; Angela set up her teaching studio to share the love of good food inspired by her Italian hertiage. She also teaches Italian Pasta Classes at Cornersmith Cooking School, Marrickville.

Located Sylvania in the Sutherland Shire; just 25kms south of Sydney, Angela brings all her knowledge, skills, and passion to her classes and workshops, and in addition, shares this space with her many talented family and friends; both chefs & cooks, who too, share their love for the art of good food!

Cooking classes

Classes and workshops vary from baking, to pastry making, handmade pasta, preserving, seasonal Italian home-style cooking, and much more!

Classes are designed to be small (between 4-8 people) allowing for a more personalised experience. All classes are interactive and hands-on, where we eat the food we make.  

The kitchen is kitted out with the latest equipment to assist in the smooth running of classes; with two Miele wall ovens, and one large freestanding Ilve electric oven with a gas stovetop.

Costs per class vary depending on the class. View upcoming classes

Inclusive of cost is:

• Morning tea on arrival (baked treats, coffee, tea, drinks)
• All ingredients required for class
• Use of all equipment
• Refreshments throughout
• One-on-one tuition
• Take away typed-up notes & recipes

Regional Italian Workshops

Angela’s Italian Regional Workshops have proven to be hugely popular since commencing in 2018. In these workshops Angela, along with her Italian family & friends (both cooks & chefs) take you on a culinary adventure delivering authentic recipes from their regions of Italy.

Mercato e Pranzo (Market & Lunch) Workshops

Mercato e Pranzo (Market & Lunch) workshops see class participants meet at a Growers Market, purchase fresh seasonal ingredients then return to The Village Cooks to prepare lunch and share in a glorious feast together.

*Please note: The Village Cooks cooking class/workshop ‘Terms & Conditions’ are available for viewing by clicking on the link provided:

Read our full Terms & Conditions. 

Culinary consultation

Angela Palermo is an accomplished pastry chef, cook & recipe writer. She brings her wealth of knowledge to the table offering food consultation services including developing menu’s and recipes along with providing product reviews.

More about our consulting services.

Angela’s story

My parents haled 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 & vegetables, made their own olive oil, wine, and bottled tomato sugo & 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 migrated to Australia in the 1960’s. Like many other Italians, Dad had a large vegetable patch in our back yard. He grew grape vines, chickens, 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 eating traditional Italian fare; simple, fresh, seasonal food.  I now wish to share this with all in The Village Cooks!

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 & complete my Retail Baking & Pastry Certificate with distinction at Ultimo Tafe, Sydney.

I gained employment as a baker at Manna From Heaven, Marrickville and worked there for three years. Additionally, I gained experience in the pastry industry working at various well-known Sydney Patisseries such as Marineve Pasticceria in Five Dock, Café Sopra, Waterloo, and Yellow, Potts Point.

I wish to share this knowledge and experience, along with my continued love of reading, learning & experimenting from my large collection of cookbooks, food magazines, & recipes. I wish to share this with all the village cooks.

Photography by Angela Palermo

Contributing Photography by Laura Reid Photography