Nazim and Betti

Welcome to the Casa Chiesi adventure! A site that focuses on all things related to an Italian Lifestyle from the point of view a couple living in Italy since 1992. Food, Travel, History, Fashion and any other things that come to mind are highlighted here via the Casa Chiesi ingredients section.

So who is involved in this Casa Chiesi effort? Great question! Obviously, there is always a path towards a mean and in our case, it all goes back in time…
Having met in Miami Beach back in 1991, Betti and Nazim stumbled upon each other thanks to the coincidence of Betti traveling to the wedding of her dear friend Tosca Radigonda in San Francisco. You can say that life has its surprises and yes the fact that Betti decided to stay in Miami while Tosca was there contributed to them meeting at a common party! And such from which sprang a wonderful love story.
As the couple moved to Milan, Italy, the contact with Tosca was strong and a common project developed in time: Eating Heart (www.eatingheart.com), a beautiful stories/recipe book with wonderful photos and graphics.
And from there comes the next chapter in the adventure: Casa Chiesi! A place to discover Italy from our point of view along with the wonderful photographic contribution of Tosca Radigonda and Zoe Beltran (our daughter who is starting out and has a keen eye…yes, we are a bit biased!)

Casa Chiesi are:

Elisabetta Chiesi
I was born and raised in Milan, Italy, and have been a make-up artist in the fashion industry for nearly three decades. I love my job which has offered me the opportunity to travel all around the world and which also gave me the chance to fulfill two of my main desires in life: changing the horizon and to be surrounded by beautiful things. I don’t need to be a luxuriously dressed model nor live in a Gothic cathedral … I just need to know that I have this close to me.
I have had the good fortune of living in a country that is rooted in beauty and would like to share the lesser-known aspects and the most curious ones of such an experience through Casa Chiesi.
Nazim Beltran
My story is full of uprooting. As a global nomad I met so many worlds and ways of living, languages ​and suffering but Italy kindly welcomed me with its charms and its contradictions. Anyone who has lived in this country retains an intense vivid memory intermixed with a small dose of regret when they tell their story. For me, this small piece of land is a continuous discovery and has managed to capture even a stateless person like me.

Tosca Radigonda
A close and dear friend of the Chiesi family (and the reason we got to meet) Tosca has lived in Italy during the hay days of fashion. A renowned photographer with an impressive portfolio of clients we are honored to have her assistance with her beautiful photography
Check out her website here :www.toscaradigonda.com

Zoe Beltran
Fresh out of High School and with a keen photographic eye, our daughter has joined the team.
Curious, delicate and with a passion for this country, which is constantly, in contrast, we are proud to have her as part of our team.

My dear friends on Google+
Obviously in our effort we consider our friends on Google+ to be part of the Casa Chiesi project. A shout out to those friends who have been very supportive towards this new adventure and please go check out their profiles:
Mia Voss
Chef Dennis Littley
Wayne Nix
Jeff Sieh
Martin Shervington
Larry Fournillier
George Cohn
Marilyn Ritter
Ronnie Brincer

Betti and Tosca

6 Comments

  1. Al
    April 6, 2021

    Nazim,

    I just saw your broadcast of a stroll through Beyoğlu near Galata Tower. It brought back memories of when I lived in Istanbul, many decades ago.

    I mentioned to watch out for pickpockets, because you were within walking distance of a notorious pickpocket area. IIRC, Cumhuriyet Caddesi between Tepebaşı and Taksim Square runs along a ridge line and there is a steep drop off on one side. The pickpocket preys on tourists on the busy street, will steal something, and then run down the steep hill of a side street, which likely is paved in cobblestones. The cobblestones are polished smooth from use over many years. When there is a light rain, even a four-wheel-drive police vehicle cannot maneuver on it. Plus, there is a rabbit warren of alleyways and passages and gated courtyards that the pickpocket knows how to bolt through and escape.

    Your account info mentions your newsletter, so sign me up. By the way, I almost didn’t find any place for the newsletter sign-up, because it doesn’t show in your menu, but I saw by searching around if you have a button at the bottom of a comment field for it. Perhaps there is a way you could make it more prominent for how to find the newsletter sign-up option?

    Cheers,

    Al

    My web presence is evolving, but a central point for my links is:
    https://linktr.ee/daringdo/

  2. casachiesi
    April 6, 2021

    Hi Al!
    Thanks for your valuable feedback. I have not been back to Istanbul since 1992 and not quite familiar with the area. I also wanted to thank you for the valuable feedback regarding the Newsletter access. Where you able to sign up? Along with that I hope to meeting you up on HAPPS since I noticed that you are in beautiful Cornwall!!

  3. Brandon Clay
    April 21, 2021

    Signing up for newsletter

  4. Deana
    May 15, 2021

    Yay! I found how to sign up for the newsletter!!! Ciao Nazim!!! Thanks for taking us on virtual tours of “your Italy”!

  5. casachiesi
    May 17, 2021

    Thank you so much for signing up and joining us! I am also checking out your stuff! Is there a Newsletter where I can sign up?

  6. casachiesi
    May 17, 2021

    Thank you Brandon!!

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