About 
Culinary Genes LLC

  About us

Our Purpose
Simply put, it's about spreading love through food. Our passion? To share the richness of our Italian culture, the legacy of our cuisine, and to take you on culinary adventures that will inspire and enrich your lives. We're making it our mission to "Bring Happiness Back to the Table" – and yes, we're doing it the gluten-free way! 

Meet Chef Pasqualina

Pasqualina Raspaolo is a Chef, Nutritionist and the founder and owner of Culinary Genes, LLC. Pasqualina pursued her passion in nutrition, the culinary arts, and genetics and has amassed over 20 years of related training and studies. Her education culminated in a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, a Culinary Degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, and an internship at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City, where she worked alongside and learned from some of today’s top chefs. She also completed her Genomic Medicine Practitioner Certification from Genoma International.

She is also a contributing writer for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security, as well as being a contributing recipe developer for various organizations. 

Pasqualina puts the same care and love into her creations as she does with her family and friends. Cooking and baking are, of course, family traditions passed down from one generation to the next and her deep-rooted desire and mission is to keep family traditions and recipes alive. She currently blogs about gluten-free cooking and baking, taking traditional family recipes and converting them into gluten-free alternatives. She is currently working on a book series entitled, Pasqualina’s Table, with each series focusing on different Italian traditional specialties. Her laughter is contagious, and each meal’s preparation is a joyful event for all involved, the result of which never strays from its original intent to heal and revitalize. Laughter is something she can’t live without! Pasqualina is passionate about people, and the three L’s – love, laughter, and living… it’s in her DNA!

Our team

We are a team of creators, designers, and explorers. We approach work and play with passion, appreciation, curiosity and, of course, lots of great food and flavors.

Carmine is the Creative Director for Culinary Genes, LLC and Pasqualina’s older brother. Carmine wears many hats in this role, such as: graphic designer, book designer, brand and product designer, photographer, videographer, translator, tourguide and sometimes, entertainer. Carmine is an Actor in New York and he can be seen on both, little and big screen and on stage when time permits. When not pursuing his dream, he can be found helping his little sister pursue hers.

Carmine Raspaolo

Roseann Cigna is the Administrative Manager for Culinary Genes, LLC. Prior to joining our team, Roseann was an administrator in the Dental field for 25 years. Roseann enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, great food and good laughs! The best part of this job is the excitement and joy that she witnesses from our clients.

Roseann Cigna

Pina is the Manager of Culinary Genes Italia and oversees all of our activities and events in Italy, ensuring that our culinary adventures guest experience is a memorable one. She is a successful business owner and the founder of my favorite store in Cortona. Stay tuned for exciting news!

Pina Mastrocola

Testimonials

Our students love us  

Pasqualina has been able to convert these recipes to the perfect gluten-free rendition. The class videos are done to perfection and each step is explained in a simple way where even an inexperienced cook can learn to become an expert gluten-free chef!

Josephine T

As someone with a gluten intolerance, I was thrilled to find a course that catered specifically to my dietary needs... The instructor's expertise, attention to detail, and passion for cooking make this course a truly special experience.

Simona W

Traditional Family Italian Cooking turned Gluten-free courses upgrade old world cooking into healthy easy tasty gluten-free options for people struggling to know what to eat. I love that Chef Pasqualina takes traditional family recipes and turns them into easy options for people that need to eat gluten-free. Taking the course made me feel deeply connected to her family. I loved the course!

Sue P

If you have never taken a class or course with Pasqualina, you are missing out on something special.  I took a gluten free pasta making class with her in Italy and recently I did her online gluten free cooking class.  The online videos are so helpful as you can actually see her moving through the recipe step by step, as well as having the written recipes to guide you. In addition, her Cooking Tips that come with each of the classes give detailed useful information. The videos make the recipes come alive with her ease of presentation, and her background Italian music is very inspiring.  I highly recommend taking her course!

Carol P

I’ve been gluten-free for a very long time and I love gluten-free baking. I’ve never made pasta in my life so that was a fun course. I usually don’t make pies so that was also fun. And I really never eat beans because I don’t digest them well until your recipe and now it’s going to be a favorite. Thank you and I look forward to more classes!

Robyn G

I really enjoyed the way she presented her recipes, all the knowledge she shared with such a great attitude and positive energy. 

Sarolta B

Pasqualina’s positive approach and responsive style makes you feel like you are part of the family.

Julie M

As an Italian, hearing that I had to be gluten free was devastating news! Italian food has always been my favorite kind of food, and cooking gluten free Italian food was proving to be not as tasty. But then I found this class! It was very fun and informative! I especially loved learning about the different gluten free products we used to make these dishes. 
The level of confidence that this class gave me with being able to make these traditional Italian dishes gluten free was priceless. You can teach technique, but it’s hard to teach confidence. Chef Pasqualina somehow did it so thank you Pasqualina for the confidence you gave me and for this fun and positive learning experience. To anyone who’s thinking of taking this class in the future, I highly recommend it!

Annalisa C

I loved the content and delicious comfort food for the whole family... I love that you can go at your own pace especially if you have a busy schedule or different time zones just makes it super convenient.

Clarissa

I have struggled with converting traditional recipes containing gluten to a gluten free version that actually taste good. If you struggle with that too you are in for a treat as Pasqualina has done all the hard work for you!! She has been able to convert these recipes to the perfect gluten free rendition. The class videos are done to perfection and each step is explained in a simple way where even an inexperienced cook can learn to become an expert gluten free chef! I would highly recommend this class.

Cynthia

Explore our online cooking courses now!

In these video lessons, chef Pasqualina will guide you through her family's traditional and authentic recipes converted into gluten-free alternatives. She'll share unique techniques and engaging family stories, so you can once again enjoy the richness of Italian cuisine without compromising taste and flavor.

Browse Our Online Store

Feel free to browse our online store where you will find cookbooks, Culinary Traveling Genes Adventures, and coming soon, our ‘Italian Boutique’ offering products directly from Italy.
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