Italy's biggest cultural festival in Katoomba

Bringing this event to my humble home in Katoomba has been a journey into the heritage of my parents, who, despite living most of their lives outside of their native Italy, has been entrenched into our family life.

What started out as a traditional lunch at Fifth Ave Katoomba Retreat based on Ferragosto – Italy's biggest cultural festival on August 15 – has grown over the years to be a boutique event focusing on slow food, good company, folk song and nostalgic music – with the beautiful Australian bush of the Blue Mountains as a backdrop.

When I was ten, I was fortunate to be taken along with my mum when she spent five months of her life back in Calabria with her parents she had not seen since I was born. This time must have had a profound effect on me which has been simmering below the surface for years, and I have been finding ways to express this through my activities at Fifth Ave, sometimes unintentionally. It's a little ironic really.

You see, I was the main reason my family didn't turn right back around when their plane landed in Australia. Having lived in Germany for almost a decade, it was a shock to the system when they found themselves in rural Victoria that offered very little for them at the time.

With two children under five, they were prevented from leaving Australia as my mother was expecting me. They had little choice but to make the best of it until the day came when they could return to Europe. Fast forward eight years, my Dad was equally shocked on his return to Italy to see how much had changed. He no longer felt like he belonged there. The same was experienced when my mum went home a couple of years later, with me and my younger sister in tow. As heart breaking as it was to say goodbye to her parents after almost half a year, she knew her home was in Sydney Australia.

For us girls, growing up in a Calabrese household in "little Italy" Leichhardt during the '70s, our world was a strange blend of very strict Italian rules and the more laidback Aussie way of life we saw all around us. For instance, we knew it was pointless telling our parents about school camp. This was never going to happen. Boyfriends? Out of the question. Helping out with the running of the house? A given.

Yet we grew up mostly happy because we were constantly surrounded by family. The whole extended family. Back then, everyone seemed to have three kids or more so there was never a shortage of someone to play with. The mothers always provided a feast even if there was no feast to celebrate. And the dads always drove which meant there would be at least 15 people at a gathering at any one time.

Picnics were always the best. I remember the planning was as simple as one of the parents stating a time and place, usually Palm Beach or Lane Cover River, where we would arrive early and stay late. Platters of food would come come, bowls of salads, loads of panini, fruit, biscotti and if it was Easter, four Panetone would be cut and shared. This was the time when long neck beer bottles were the rage but someone usually brought along some of their homemade wine. If two of them did, it was an unspoken competition, decided on by how much was consumed.

We swam in the beach or mucked about in the river, played on the sand or helped get mussels, got sunburnt to a crisp, ate, fell asleep, had snacks for the drive home and peeled our burnt skin in the shower before flopping into bed.

When we weren't at these gatherings, we would be at a religious festival on the other side of Sydney, usually Brookvale or Manly where the procession of people would be following a giant sized statue of the saint who's day we were celebrating. There were stalls to buy ginger bread at, someone playing the piano accordian and I seem to recall a pony I wanted to ride, only to be terrified once I was on it. If we stayed long enough, the fireworks would start. These events gave my parents the opportunity to visit "paesani" – someone who lived in their "paese" or village. Everyone was connected in one way or the other. You certainly never felt isolated. And you were always welcomed into their home.

So hospitality was our way of life. It didn't have to be complicated. Slices of salami, chunks of Parmigiano cheese, olives and bread, plus homemade wine was more than enough to satisfy. Especially because it was usually all homemade. The flavour was unforgettable.

When you grow up with family and food as the centre of your world, you have different priorities in life. Yes, my father dreamed of his girls becoming doctors and lawyers. And at one stage, my vision was to be a journalist, having Jana Wendt as a role model to be inspired by. But I am so thankful my road took a very different turn as each of our events at Fifth Ave, whether they be our cooking classes or our special lunches, are really just extensions of my family traditions. People love taking part and the most often said comment is how much they feel part of the family. This makes my heart shine. Do hearts shine? You know what I mean.

At the age of ten, I got to witness what to me was a fairy wonderland of twinkling lights over head, children running around outside at night, music that filled my spirit even at that age, perhaps because it was in another language. All together an indescribable feeling that comes back with certain songs, or a scent in the air. This is what I experienced at Ferragosto and the many other festas in Italy all those years ago. This is what I have tried to bring to life in my version of this celebration.

Ferragosto in Katoomba is celebrated in August and September annually. August is the traditional month but Katoomba is prettier in September! We look forward to welcoming you at our Table of Ten. Details.

Video music credit: Stefano Priol Official, Bella D'Estati - who could not have captured the essence of my parents' heritage more perfectly ...