About The Cooking Professor

Riki Kaspi the Owner of The Cooking Professor Cooking School born in Israel into a multicultural environment that revolved around food. Her Mother was from Turkey and came from a family of dedicated and intuitive home cooks. “There were no recipe books,” says Riki. “Recipes had always been handed down orally.”

When she and Heni immigrated to Australia, she realised her dream by taking over Riki Blake’s North Perth Café where she won critical acclaim for her cosy, intimate and buzzy little place specialising in North African and Middle eastern cuisine. Riki and Heni sold the cafe early in 2009 and embarked on travel again to Europe and the Middle East and on their return Riki started teaching at The Cooking Professor.

Riki is now a Chef at, and the owner of The Cooking Professor and has her own line of gourmet Moroccan inspired products “Riki Kaspi Spice Journey”.

My name is Mark de Souza. My Dad was a great cook and was very quick in the kitchen. He could whip up a meal in an hour. His passion for making freshly fried fish with his secret spices was always appreciated by all our extended family.

My favourite dish that makes me proud is my homemade Lasagne Bolognese. As you can see, I am a strong Italian chef, having worked 5 years with Italians, but I have also worked with French chefs in the Meridian Hotel.
I love when the guest enjoys the food and gives feedback about their fine dining meal.

The coolest thing in my career has been cooking in Bahrain for his Majesty King of Bahrain and his guest the Prime Minister of Singapore.

Having been passionate about all things cuisine for as long as I can remember, the opportunity to pursue culinary training in

French cuisine, when our family was relocated to Paris for my husband’s work, was a dream come true. I completed my diploma at the esteemed Ferrandi -Paris, and later honed my cooking skills under the guidance of a Michelin star chef.

Fortunately, my culinary adventures didn’t stop in France. I have also lived in Japan and Korea, which provided an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in diverse culinary cultures. I have learnt firsthand from locals how to prepare traditional dishes and source authentic ingredients and these experiences have shaped me into a seasoned professional.

I love sharing the skills and knowledge I’ve learnt on my culinary journey and have developed and taught a French patisserie program for teenagers and provided cooking classes for expatriates. Now settled back in Perth, I enjoy my role as a food demonstrator showcasing the amazing produce from the Southern Forests region.

I’m excited to be working alongside the team at The Cooking Professor, to offer hands-on learning and foster a supportive environment for students to explore their culinary interests.

I have worked my whole life in a kitchen somewhere…

I started my chef’s life age 19 in Wellington NZ, under the guidance of Al Brown 1 of New Zealand’s most famous chefs. Al pulled me from the dish pit and put me in my first chef jacket (I have gone through many over the decades).

Like all young chefs, full of gusto and with a thirst for fame, glory and money I headed west on my way to work the fine kitchen’s of Europe. Chaple St Melbourne was my first stop where I talked my way into a position that I was under skilled for. Life lesson “Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk!”
I got the sack. Licking my wounds and lesson in mind and heart I continued west. When I got to Perth I decided to start working at the bottom position and work way up. Life lesson “skills pay the bills”

I landed a job as baker assistant at Rottnest Bakery (No jackets, just T-shirts) with intention of learning all things Bread and pastry (sweet and savory).
I fell in love with island life and this beautiful city of Perth! Europe was off the agenda.
Back into my chef jacket and I hit the Northbridge restaurant scene on the front line at Café Valentineno’s and bounced from kitchen to kitchen until I landed my first wood fired pizza gig. I fell in love again! Pizza!

I was approached by a fella in the late 90’s interested investing money into my first business (he said something about my “skills paying bills”) bar pizza on Glyde a small wood fired pizza joint (I was 22). Our motto at bar pizza was “We do everything by hand, knife & rolling pin. We cook with wood and flames. There are no Machines here. We are the machines!” That changed when we got our first spiral dough mixer a year later.

Feeling that I had achieved much if the world of pizza (2006 winner Perth “best of the best” pizza comp) I sold the shop 2006 and its mobile operation (1 of the first food trucks on the road in the early 2000’s) Back into my chef jacket…but I had been doing my own thing for 7 years and felt I had to learn the new styles/techniques. So I decided to start back at the bottom and work my way up which I did! I can say I have had the honor to open and head up few good joints around WA.

I went back into business for myself again 2015 with the creation of STREET EATS WA pty. I built the Curb your hunger food truck on a 1954 Chevy truck and Perth streets serving up yummy treats!

Now I have this great opportunity to teach the Skills which have paid my bills! I can defiantly say I can talk the talk because I have walked the walk for many years and I hope for many more!

I look forward to cooking with you soon

Chef Dan

My name is Daniele Lo Castro, an enthusiastic, passionate and “old school” Italian chef. The first approach with the culinary art was with the best teacher that life could offer me, my Grandma.

It’s been over 12 years since I made the first steps in the hospitality environment, beginning in Sicily, my homeland, going through different locations of Italy, UK, Ireland to finally arrive in Australia.

In several years, thanks to the diversity of my experience, I had the chance to try different cooking styles, from the typical Italian “Trattoria” to the fine dining restaurant.
I improve myself all the time, learning always new things and pass down the values of the true Italian Traditional Cuisine.

The Cooking Professor Cooking School was originally started by Peter Kenyon in 2007. Sadly, Peter passed away in February 2012.

We, as the current team at The Cooking Professor aim to make sure his legacy and high standards of cooking classes will remain. He was and always will be the face of The Cooking Professor.