from Luna Convento, Italy

Enrico Franzese is the chef at the Luna Convento Hotel in Amalfi and teaches the classes at the cooking school. This talented chef began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice at the Cappuccini Hotel in Amalfi. The son of a sailor who had a passion for cooking, Enrico shared this passion and decided to make it a career. Along the road to the Luna Convento, Enrico has been chef at Hotel Hassler in Rome, Hotel Majestic and the Excelsior Hotel in Naples, Prince Savoia Ciga and Jolly Hotels in Milan, Regina Sabella Hotel in Ischia, Imperial Hotel in Portofino and Harry's Bar and Cipriani in Venice before returning to settle down and raise his family in his hometown of Amalfi. This dynamic chef has enjoyed his profession for 34 years. Enrico is married to Maddalena and has two children, Antonella and Pasquale.

Many awards have been bestowed on Enrico over the years. He was invited to Sweden to share his knowledge of Neapolitan cooking as well as attending the Royal Festival in London to do the same. While in London, he was the consultant for the restaurant called Antipasti-Pasta. In all of Campania, Enrico was chosen as one of 20 chefs to appear on Italian RAI TV where he prepared his favorite fish stew. This program was made into a cookbook called "I Cuochi Di Domenica". Enrico was honored with the Escoffier Award, given to chefs who merit the award.  He was also a featured chef in Fodor's Escape to the Amalfi Coast.

Teaching cooking classes for Cuisine International at the Hotel Luna Convento in Amalfi has been one of the highlights of his career. Here, Enrico shares his knowledge, enthusiasm and love of history and the Neapolitan cuisine in the manner of Don Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino in his culinary classic Traditional Neapolitan Cuisine written in 1830.

Rosemary Anastasio, pictured center, a delightful and witty British woman, is the interpreter for the Cooking School. As a child she loved cooking and was at the top of her cooking class in high school. Her mother cooked simple food, but Rosemary enjoyed experimenting. After graduating from high school Rosemary became nanny to the three sons of one of the Queen of England's Ladies-in-waiting, staying with them until they were grown. As the boys grew, Rosemary began to spend much of her time in the kitchen cooking for the family and helping with the entertaining of royalty. While in their service, Rosemary spent a holiday in Amalfi in 1968 and fell in love with the beauty of the Amalfi Coast.

After leaving England, she returned to Italy to become a nanny in Naples and Salerno and work for a tourist agency and British Airways as a guide and translator. During this time, Rosemary met, fell in love and married Pepino Anastasio, a native of Amalfi. She continued to work occasionally as a guide but mostly took care of her home and tended her new friends in Amalfi.

In 1991, Rosemary helped found the Luna Convento Cooking School, becoming the school director, guide and translator. Rosemary is a talented cook as well as witty and generous translator, caring for the students like a den mother and is the perfect counter-part for Chef Enrico Franzese.