Taste 4 Travel

Trained at the prestigious Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chef Jacqueline Peccina-Kelly, is a professional chef dedicated to providing her clients with the ultimate culinary travel experience.

Chef Jacquie’s charismatic enthusiasm for food and fun is coupled with a deep culinary knowledge. Her captivating style entertains the entire group during her tours. Chef Jacquie’s intimate relationships with shop owners, restaurateurs, and culinary colleagues enhance the experience of her guests. A tangible magic comes through the heavenly tastes revealed during the journey. Chef Jacquie and her vendors welcome guests so that they feel part of the family. Being bilingual, Chef Jacquie can communicate with vendors whose only language is Italian and translates their sentiments for her guests.

Her love affair with food and culture began in early childhood, exposed to a blend of Northern and Southern Italian cultures and cuisine. The expertise that originated in childhood was enhanced during her professional training. Spending many years of her childhood in Bologna, she grew up with the best and original regional fare such as, Tortellini, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Parma Prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano, Lasagna Verde, Bolognese Ragu, Tagliatelli. Returning to the states as a young child, Jacquie felt like she was still in Italy when she first visited Philadelphia’s Italian Market. She discovered the American-Italian fusion added new depth to her taste experience.

Everyone in her family cooked traditional Italian dishes; Chef Jacquie’s decision to become a professional chef exposed her to dishes from all over the world. Cooking school trained her in classical French technique. Her first culinary travel experience happened during her apprenticeship, when she visited France and saw cheese artisans at work, how professional bakers made over 200 varieties of bread, Dijon mustard, and Crème de Cassis, to name a few.

It was then that she understood the dedication inherent in the production of exquisite food and drink. She realized that traveling to the places where certain food and drink originated adds an unparalleled depth of experience. To meet the people, to see their work, and to appreciate the time, effort, and love that goes into the creation of elegant and refined cuisine is an experience not to be missed.

The culmination of Chef’s Jacquie’s training and experience naturally led her to create Taste For Travel, where she takes her clients on extraordinary journeys to experience and learn about the foods they love. When you share Chef Jacquie’s excitement for food and travel, you’ll never look at food the same way.