At home with Argentine food writer Juana Pepa as she prepares for an abundant Easter
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‘Food is about sharing. It’s an excuse to get together and indulge. I really do live for food,' confesses Juana Pepa over a bowl of homemade gazpacho. A food writer by trade, Juana was born in the Argentine capital city of Buenos Aires to a family of keen cooks. 'There wasn't one moment, or one thing, that spurred my love of cooking. I cooked in my family always. My father, my mum, my grandmother, my siblings, they all cook.' Indeed, this is an unsurprising fact to learn for anyone who has seen her in the kitchen. There's a flair and self assurance only possible for someone to whom cooking is second nature. Today, Juana has two cookbooks under her belt, with the arrival of another anticipated for autumn.
After a decade long stint in Madrid, Juana, her husband Juan, and their two children moved to the UK. Her criteria for their new home was succinct and simple. All she wanted was ‘a kitchen with lovely natural light and a gas cooker!' A typical Kensington townhouse, Juana's home is one of those spectacularly looming buildings, intimidating in its pristine whiteness on the outside, yet welcoming on the inside. ‘I saw the house on Zoopla and it was the only place I even considered. I went to see it in person - just to confirm the photos - and then signed the papers. I was so happy when I found it,' Juana says, beaming.
The house is a rental, as the family are often back and forth between Madrid and Argentina, though thankfully ‘the landlord is really relaxed about [the family] putting [their] mark on it.' Certainly the kitchen is where Juana has made the greatest impact, painting the cabinets and changing the lighting to her exacting specifications. While most people would be frustrated by the limitations of a rental, Juana has leaned into it. ‘It’s nice having these boundaries. You just have to make it work.'
Juana credits much of her interiors style to designers like Rose Uniacke, who have mastered the pared-back yet layered style. ‘When I moved into this house I was looking for inspiration and my mum showed me the May 2021 copy of The World of Interiors. Inside there was this house by Lucille Lewin which was just perfect to me,' Juana says, before adding, ‘I’m the opposite of English in my decoration, but I wanted to make sure we ended up with a space that worked with our personalities and the building's architecture.' Certainly there are no bold patterns or brilliant hues to be found–and the palette is relatively neutral. Here, it is texture, not colour, bringing in visual interest. ‘Green is the only colour I really like!' she admits.
Where her house in Madrid was a modern, suburban house, in London Juana is living in more classical proportions. ‘I really wanted to be in a typical townhouse right in the centre of things. I'm such an indoors person and I can stay in my house for days and days without going out, so it's good for me to have so much on my doorstep.' But where does she walk to? ‘I go on foot to get all the fresh and organic produce you could want. Prezzemolo e Vitale, Daylesford Organic, the Notting Hill Fish Shop…and there's a gorgeous cheese shop on Pavillion Road I just love.'
Juana practices what she preaches when it comes to bringing people together over food. When the country went into lockdown, she began sending dishes to her friends, opening up what she jokingly calls ‘La Rotisserie de Juana.’ ‘Every week I’d make a menu, and they could all choose what they wanted from it. On Friday I'd send baskets with their chosen meals. I was cooking like mad.' It was after this experience that her husband suggested she publish the first of her two books. ‘He’s a real visionary when it comes to things like this,' Juana praises. In a few short months, she had created pages and pages of recipes, compiling dishes from the three countries she has spent her life in. Once the book was ready for publication, she decided to donate 100% of the profits to a charity helping those who lost their jobs during Covid.
Her style is a relaxed one, where pleasure is found in the cooking and dining experience just as much as the eating. ‘I don’t go crazy when cooking at home, it’s about everyone sharing from the same plate. Everyone's hands crossing over one another, serving themselves.' For her, the most important lesson to learn is that you don't need to be a good chef to be a great host. It's something she's now trying to instil in her two young children. ‘I really put a lot of effort into my children having those memories of cooking altogether, like making gnocchi or baking. That's why celebrations like Easter are so important to me.'
The day we meet is a typical English spring day, with brilliant sunshine cutting through a thick rain storm. As we finish our meal together, Juana muses to herself, ‘the British really exaggerate how bad the weather is here. I see the sun every day!’. Surely this is the greatest summation of her outlook possible; her endlessly positive approach to life.
1/34The butcher's block is from Etsy.com, customised by Juana, who removed the doors and added wheels.
2/34The kitchen is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Green National Trust’.
Tom Griffiths3/34Seen in the background, the wooden chopping boards are from Mestizo Store in Madrid.
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Tom Griffiths5/34Juana preparing gazpacho.
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Tom Griffiths8/34For Easter lunch, Juana has cooked a Mediterranean recipe of hake, tomatoes, spinach, capers and lemon zest.
Tom Griffiths9/34The cutlery is from El Corte Ingles in Spain.
Tom Griffiths10/34The napkins are from Juana's favourite shop in Argentina called ‘PAUL’.
Tom Griffiths11/34The water glasses are from Zara Home, the green wine glasses are from Villeroy & Boch.
Tom Griffiths12/34Many of Juana's serving platters are from antiques fairs around London. This particular one is from The Cloth Shop London.
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Tom Griffiths14/34The hand painted plates Juana has chosen for the table are from Pia Rubio. The blue serving plate is from Burleigh Pottery.
Tom Griffiths15/34The flower vases are from Flower Shop Kensington. The vintage blue bowl is from Basset Antiques.
16/34The charming terracotta vase is from cart-house.com.
17/34At the top of the stairs, a cosy office nook is the perfect spot to work. The carpet is from Howe London, the desk is from Lorfords Antiques, paired with a Black 70° chair from Ansorena Spain.
Tom Griffiths18/34A detail shot of the desk top shows a Mario Testino book, alongside ‘Fina Estampa’ matches that capture the world of Peruvian Paso horses.
19/34Upstairs in a sunny corner of the sitting room, Juana has created a charming seating area.
20/34The chairs are from B&T Antiques set with a round table from Vinterior. The rug is from Soho Home, and the mirror screen is from Nimmo & Spooner.
Tom Griffiths21/34The large portrait is from Patricio Reig.
22/34The chairs are from La Europea Madrid, illuminated by a lamp from Sophie Conran.
23/34The bookshelves are from Lorfords Antiques.
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26/34Seen here, a ‘Bombo Leguero’–an Argetinian folkloric instrument made in the north of the country. Juana is a keen player.
27/34In Juana's bedroom, a little iron table from Zara Home acts as a smart bedside table. The headboard is from Rue Vintage 64 and is covered in a white linen.
28/34In the corner of Juana's bedroom, a bright red lamp from Etsy provides a pop of colour. The white vase is from Zara Home, and the antique suzani is from a shop on Portobello Road.
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30/34Seen writing out the shopping list for her Easter lunch, the table is Lorfords Antiques, the chair is from Mestizo Store in Madrid.
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33/34Juana has papered the walls in her daughter's bedroom with a pretty print from Jane Clayton. The desk is another Lorfords Antiques find.
34/34The iron bed is from Lorfords Antiques, with a side table from cart-house.com. The little lamp is from La Europea in Madrid.
