Meet Chef Katia Delogu

At Eataly, we are proud to work with world-class chefs who transform simple, high-quality ingredients into the delicious dishes in our restaurants and counters. We want you to get to know the people behind the food, so we visited Chef Katia in her bustling pastry kitchen to discuss her lifelong love of baking.

When did you know you wanted to be a pastry chef?
I guess since I was a baby! It's something that you feel in your heart. Even though I wasn't necessarily baking with my family, I was always dreaming about baking. I still remember one of the first dolci I made — a little crostata (fruit tart). I knew that's what I wanted to do.

Did you train at an institute?
I had studied to cook savory foods in secondary school in my hometown of Torino, but as soon as I graduated, I transitioned to pastry.

Tell us about your past professional experience.
For 20 years, I worked at pastry shops around Torino. Through my professional experience, I eventually met Luca Montersino (the head pastry chef of Eataly in Italy). We became friendly colleagues. When Eataly decided to open a store in New York, he recommended me. I trained with him in his Golosi di Salute kitchen, then moved here for the opening in 2010. I've been the head pastry chef (of Eataly USA) ever since.

What have you been baking lately?
We're very seasonal at this counter. Since the holidays are here, I've been baking a lot of especially festive cakes that can be brought on any occasion: tiramisù, fruit tarts, hazelnut cakes, and so on.

What is your specialty Italian dessert?
I love all desserts! I can't choose. I'm most proud of a dessert I had created for the first Identità Golose: it was an almond mascarpone with chocolate and cherry balsamic vinegar.

But most of all, I just love cookies. Cookies, cookies, cookies. Baking them is how I relax. It's automatic. I'm the Cookie Monster! 

Do you have any quirks that your team teases you about?
Every day it's something new! We have a fun environment in the pastry kitchen. We're joking and playing all day long.

If you weren't a chef, what profession would you have?
I have always loved to study, loved to learn. I think I could have been a teacher in another life.

Tell us a behind-the-counter secret about the pastry kitchen!
Sometimes, we bake chocolate chip cookies or some other little treat for our back-of-house staff (in the neighboring kitchens from Eataly's restaurants). It cheers them — and us — up!