The gnocchi philosophy club

For hundreds of years, the kitchen has doubled as a kind of mini philosophy club. In this steam-and-scent-filled room, to the background percussion of clanking, scraping and bubbling, women have gathered, cooked, shared their stories with one another, and every so often managed to solve the world’s problems.

Naomi (from

Meals in the Mail

) visited my home this week to film me cooking for Villagio. But, as is so often the case when friends come together in the kitchen, the simple and familiar rhythm of making a well-known recipe opened up space for deeper conversation.

I’ve been noticing recently just how rapidly and almost universally the world has been speeding up. It can feel as though we’re inside a snowball rolling down the mountain, gathering pace and debris in equal measure.

So while I kneaded, rolled and chopped fluffy pillows of ricotta gnocchi, Naomi started asking questions, and we relaxed into a conversation around being busy, feeling overwhelmed, recognising the signs, and learning how to slow down when your personal “normal” is top-speed.

One of my key goals in starting Villagio was to build a wonderful, supportive community of like-minded women, so I’d love for you to be part of this conversation.

What are your thoughts on being busy? And about the speed of life in general? Is busy-ness the new morality? Should it be?

Let me know your ideas, insights, personal stories and questions in the comments below, so that we can all metaphorically gather in my kitchen and continue this kitchen-philosophy conversation. Together, we might even solve a problem or two.

Silvia x

ps. Ricotta gnocchi recipe coming your way soon!