Chef Stef - Il Baretto, Gili Air

Inspired By Beauty And Simplicity; Guided By Tradition

Stephania (Stef) is from Rome, Italy. A sudden decision to change direction, driven by a passion for cooking and hosting, led her, via a number of learning experiences, to start up Il Baretto, on Gili Air. She spoke with mygilis about the fundamentals that have stayed with her throughout her career.

Was there a particular moment when you decided you would focus on cooking?

I was working with Italian TV archives, taking care of old documents from an Italian TV company. It was an interesting job but I didn’t want to stay in front of a computer all day long. One day I decided to do something else. I’d always loved the idea of working in food and hospitality, so I took the plunge. I also took some professional cooking lessons. Then I asked a friend of mine, who was a chef, if I could work for free for three months to get some experience. Then I started applying for jobs.

Could you tell us about some of the places you worked?

I started working in a restaurant in Rome, where I learned how to make home-style pasta. I was also lucky enough to work in 5-star restaurants and several catering companies.

Those jobs in Italy help me to grow in confidence. When I moved to London, I worked for a year in pastry. My shift started at midnight and finished at 10am. During the night I’d be making croissants. Stefan, my boss and my mentor, was a master pastry chef and I would spend my afternoons working with him to learn the secrets and techniques of making pastry. That was where I also learned about organising and running a restaurant and managing a small team. Stefan taught me everything.

Later, I went back to Rome and worked at Niche Café with my former chef. Everything was home-made and hand made. I stayed for five years and that’s what inspired me to build what I have here at Il Baretto, Gili Air.

On my 40th birthday I decided to give myself the gift of a long trip to Asia. I organised a month-long visit to Bali, Indonesia, because it was an exotic destination and I wanted to switch my reality from Italy. Then I discovered the Gilis and fell in love with all of them. The people, the freedom…. I felt at home and craved to go back; I wanted to find inspiration again. Three years later, I decided it was time to move. I quit my job at Niche, put everything in storage and took a flight to Indonesia. First, I went to Bali, then spent a month on Gili T and finally, Gili Air.

There I met Luca, the owner of Mama Pizza, which he was building at the time. We chatted and developed a good friendship. I returned to Italy but the Gilis were still in my dreams. In 2023, after the Covid pandemic, Luca called me and asked me to manage Mama Pizza. It took five minutes to decide.

After a year there, I knew I couldn’t go back to Italy. I’d learned so much: how to manage staff, suppliers and shipping. I knew I wanted to live on Gili Air and enjoy the lifestyle but not in a busy restaurant. With a friend from Italy, I drew up a business plan, so I could get help from family and friends.

I love hosting people and I wanted to create something that could grow within the community – a place with good energy, like an Italian bar. There is a lot of passion, sacrifice and commitment needed in this type of job but I didn’t feel alone; I had a lot of help from the people on Gili Air. I opened Il Baretto in April 2025.

How would you describe or define your style of cooking?

Everything comes fresh from the oven, made with love – and with Italian products. It’s a traditional way of cooking. Like Proust’s story about the petite madeleine and how the taste brought back memories of his past, the food ritual is bonded with emotion and memories; it’s about looking for grandma’s recipes and traditional favourites.

Where do you find inspiration for your dishes?

Where there is beauty there is inspiration. I am a pastry chef and my story comes from my background in Rome – the city, its traditions and even from its beautiful architecture. Inspiration might come from master chefs or from grandmothers – where there is passion and care and dedication and respect for the product. If I see older people cooking, in any country, I speak with them and I find that very inspirational.

Do you have a particular ‘philosophy of cooking’?

There are basically three important principles: simplicity – don’t overdo it; freshness – it’s important not to serve something from yesterday; and quality – always use the best products.

What’s the best piece of cooking-related advice you’ve ever received?

Three things. First, treat the product with respect and care and be proud of what you produce. Second, as one of my mentors taught me, you must make sacrifices and have passion. If you don’t understand that, you should change jobs. Third, always treat your staff properly. It is very important they stay happy and curious about their work.

Which dishes do you most like to cook?

I like to make pasta. It’s about having my hands in the dough and then knowing the right moment to turn it off – when the pasta is cooked al dente. And it’s about making the sauce just right… it’s the best feeling in the world!

What are your favourite ingredients?

For me, everything is related to Mediterranean cuisine. I like olive oil, the aromatic blend of basil and rosemary, the citrus smell and taste of lemon. And tomatoes, of course – the two hundred varieties of tomatoes you can find in Italy. And parmigiano, I love it! This is the richness of my country.

Which are your ‘must have’ kitchen gadgets?

For cooking, the pincers, because they’re like an extension of your fingers. For pastry, the spatula; you need it for everything and you’re never without it.

What is your biggest challenge?

To make Il Baretto work. I am a perfectionist, always wanting to do better and getting all the details right. And also making it work in a country that is not my original home, where I have to cook with the ingredients I can get.

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

I want Il Baretto to grow. I want to develop more recipes and more ideas. I also want to be bolder and do more – be the entrepreneur who came from the back kitchen. I have some other projects in the pipeline. But I want to take it step by step.

What do you like most about living on Gili Air?

I love the nature, the silence, the people and the general vibe. The energy is very open and easy going. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, so no traffic jams. Riding my bicycle every day is a beautiful thing to do.

What makes the Gilis such an exciting destination for food lovers?

There are lots of different, good quality restaurants opening and they all do a very good job. The traditional Indonesian food is becoming more ‘gourmet’; we have local chefs who have returned from abroad and are cooking ‘fusion’ dishes. There’s space for experimentation. The food scene is growing.

Apart from cooking and creating dishes, what other things do you really enjoy?

I love that the time seems to move more slowly. I enjoy the island, the sea and the natural surroundings. I try to go to the sea for a few hours every day. I also like to do yoga and play padel. I enjoy the sense of community and spending time with friends.

What foods do you really love to eat?

I love to eat everything. I am curious about food and I enjoy the pleasures of living and eating. I like simplicity; not too many things on one plate. But I don’t like to eat ‘strange’ animals.

If you hadn’t become a chef, what do you think you would be doing right now?

It would be something that involved serving people and building a community.

If there were no limits or barriers, who would you choose to cook for you?

My first chef, Benjamen Hirst. He taught me so much about cooking. His job still inspires me. He still speaks with people who make everything by hand, to learn from them.

Who would you like to cook for

Someone I love and a big group of people – the community. I would make a huge lasagna for everyone to share. We would sit around a large table and enjoy it together.

Who is your favourite celebrity chef?

No individual one and not the ‘influencers’. My favourites are the chefs who are still in the kitchen, working hard and loving their job.

What would you say are the most important qualities that make a successful chef?

Passion, sacrifice, care, clear focus and good technique.

Do you have any tips for budding chefs?

Just one. Think hard about it. Think twice about it, because it’s no picnic.

From Her Kitchen to Yours

Chef Stef’s approach to cooking is rooted in simplicity, tradition and respect for good ingredients. For her, food is about more than technique; it is about memories, emotion and the pleasure of sharing something made with care.

To give you a taste of the philosophy behind Il Baretto, Chef Stef shares two recipes that reflect her Italian roots and her love of traditional cooking: a creamy Zabaione Tiramisù and her take on Focaccia Barese. Simple, comforting and made with care, they bring a little of the Il Baretto kitchen to your own table.

FOCACCIA BARESE

Ingredients

• 120 gr flour Caputo ‘00’
• 100 gr flour semola rimacinata Caputo
• 50 gr boiled potatoes
• 170 ml water
• 6 gr yeast
• 7 gr salt
• 3 gr castor sugar
• 10 gr extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Knead all the ingredients, except for the oil, at medium speed for 8 minutes.
2. Add the oil and continue kneading for a further 7 minutes.
3. Cover and leave the dough to rise for 2 hours.
4. Transfer the dough to a round, non-stick baking pan generously coating with olive oil.
5. Top with crushed cherry tomatoes, olives, and oregano.
6. Finish with flaky sea salt and a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 250°C for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

ZABAIONE TIRAMISÙ

Ingredients

• 113 gr egg yolks
• 125 gr milk
• 63 gr sugar
• 7 gr cornstarch
• 6 gr rice flour
• 2 gr fresh vanilla beans
• 124 gr whipping cream

Method

1. Mix the sugar, rice flour and cornstarch.
2. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar, cornstarch and rice flour.
3. Heat the milk with the fresh vanilla beans.
4. Add the hot milk to the egg mixture (egg yolks + sugar + cornstarch + rice flour).Cook over a bain- marie or in the microwave, continuously whisking until the cream thickens and reaches 82°C.
5. Place the zabaione in an ice bath to cool.
6. Whip the whipping cream and gradually fold it into the zabaione in three additions.