In the Parma Apennines, chestnuts were never a seasonal novelty. They were survival, sustenance, and pride, so central that for generations they were called the bread of the mountains. In this landscape, families dried chestnuts slowly in stone drying houses known across the northern Apennines as metati , keeping a low fire steady for weeks before taking the dried fruit to be milled into a sweet, fragrant flour. Jump to Recipe . Jump to Featured Wine . For me, this dish is

Gnocchi belongs to my "roots" even though it is not one of the dishes I remember my grandmother making from scratch. She did buy them and make them for us sometimes, and that matters. In a real family kitchen, roots are not necessarily only what someone hand rolled every Sunday. It is also what they chose to feed people when time was short, when the pantry was what it was, and when the goal was comfort, not a performance. Gnocchi is exactly that kind of food. Soft, stead

I never asked my grandmother why she made manicotti. I only knew it was hers. She used crêpes instead of pasta tubes, rolled them around a simple cheese filling, nestled them into marinara, then laid a slice of muenster on top because it melted beautifully and stayed mild. They baked for about 30 minutes, just long enough for everything to turn bubbly and cohesive. Jump to recipe . Jump to f eatured wine . For a while now, I have wondered if the crêpes were old world or p

My grandmother was from a small village near Bardi, with my grandfather from Bedonia, and this was one of her true "roots" dishes. She called it uccelletti. The word literally means little birds, a reminder of an older rural language where names stuck even as the food changed. In home cooking, uccelletti can become shorthand for a rustic meat dish that has nothing to do with birds at all, just small pieces of meat cooked gently until tender. Jump to Recipe . Jump to Featu

Some dishes become part of your story even if they never appeared on your own family table. Tortelli di zucca is one of those for me. Jump to Recipe . Jump to Wine Pairing . It is deeply rooted in the cooking of Parma and the surrounding countryside of the Alta Val Taro, the same mountainous area my family comes from. In this part of Emilia Romagna, pumpkin filled pasta is not a novelty or a seasonal trend. It is simply part of the landscape, part of the rhythm of how peo

This recipe was inspired by my son James. One day he said he wanted to make a chicken parmesan ravioli. Not chicken parm on the side. Not chopped up and tossed. He wanted it inside the pasta. From there it turned into doppio, which means double in Italian. Chicken on one side and cheese on the other. That idea stayed with me and set off a long process of testing, adjusting, and refining. There were versions that were too complicated to make, versions that missed the mar

I have been making pizza at home since before my oldest child was born, and she is now in her mid thirties. Over time, it has gone from something that felt ambitious to something that feels instinctive. With a little practice, homemade pizza becomes not only easy, but deeply satisfying. It is one of those things that reminds you how much pleasure there is in slowing down and making food with your hands. Jump to Pizza Recipe . Jump to Wine Pairing . This particular pizza c

My grandmother’s risotto was always simple and she made it the same way every time.  It began with cacciatore sausage and she never made it without it. The sausage added a deep rustic flavor to the tomato and the chicken and it was the aroma that told you dinner was on the way.  If it was simmering on the stove, you could smell it long before you reached the kitchen. Jump to Recipe . Jump to Wine Pairing . A little tip: Cacciatore sausage is firm and dense and you will nee

This recipe was inspired by a long lunch in Bolgheri shared with some truly amazing people. It is not difficult to make, and the hardest part is simply waiting for it to be done as the aromas fill your house and make you wish dinner would come faster . Jump to Recipe . Jump to Wine Pairing . Some meals linger in memory long after the plates have been cleared. This one takes me back to the Alfeo family’s estate in Castagneto Carducci, nestled between the hills and the sea n

Growing up, cavatelli was not something I saw on my grandparents’ table. My family roots stretch deep into the mountains of northern Italy, the land of butter, Parmigiano, and filled pastas like tortelli and anolini in brodo. I think my first experience with cavatelli might have been at an aunt’s house or perhaps at a small neighborhood restaurant. It is also possible that it happened on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. If you've never been you should go! It seems beautifully

A Ravenna Revelation.... After spending several days in Sicily and Calabria with friends, I decided to take a little time for myself before heading home. I went to Ravenna, a place I had never been but always wanted to see. The mosaics were the draw, of course, but so was the idea of slowing down for just a few days in a smaller city filled with quiet beauty and centuries of art. Jump to Recipe Jump to Wine Pairing By the time evening came, I had walked nearly fifteen mile

This has all the flavors of broccoli rabe and sausage in each amazing bite.

Making croxetti is a delightfully simple and engaging process. If you don’t have a hand-crank pasta machine, a rolling pin works perfectly. Kids will love joining in too—cutting out circles from the dough and stamping them with unique patterns becomes a fun, hands-on activity that brings the whole family together in the kitchen. Read below about the history of Croxetti or Jump to Croxetti of Varese Ligure Recipe Jump to Wine Pairing When it comes to food and culinary tradit

When the weather turns chilly, nothing beats a steaming bowl of my grandmother Elena’s minestrone soup. This recipe is a direct link to my childhood, where a pot of her savory soup simmered on the stove, filling the house with comforting aromas and bringing everyone together. Jump to Elena's Minestrone Soup Recipe Jump to Wine Pairing for this Recipe Download a PDF of this Recipe Unlike some of the more elaborate filled pasta dishes I’ve shared; this soup is refreshingly sim

Some recipes are born from tradition, passed down through generations, with every fold and pinch carrying the weight of history. Others, like this one, are born from curiosity—a little inspiration here, a technique there, and a dash of I wonder what would happen if… That’s exactly how these half-moon ravioli came to be. Jump to Mezzaluna Bites Recipe Jump to Wine Pairing Suggestion Download a PDF of this Recipe It started with a craving. I wanted something small—just a bit

As the sun sets over Naples, families gather around tables for a hearty Sunday supper, featuring a dish that’s steeped in history yet often misunderstood by its name. Pasta alla Genovese, despite what its name suggests, is not from Genoa but a beloved Neapolitan tradition dating back to the 1500s. Originally a peasant dish, it was made predominantly with onions, which were cheap and plentiful, while meat was used sparingly. The dish’s rich history is intertwined with tales

This post is truly 100 years in the making, and it’s incredibly special to this crazy woman (me) who has taken on her father’s passion for family history research. I’ve always been interested in genealogy, but about 10 years ago, I got serious—like “I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and might never come out” serious. Jump to my recipe for Lasagna di Bedonia Jump to Wine Pairing for this Dish Download a PDF of this Recipe Today’s story begins just over 100 years ago with six Car

There’s something magical about pasta. It’s more than just food; it’s a gateway to memories, a tribute to heritage, and a celebration of the simplest joys in life. Among the many forms pasta can take, discovering Agnolotti del Plin on my first trip to Piedmont felt nothing short of magical. I was awestruck by the beauty of the region—the rolling hills, the endless vineyards, and the sense of history that seemed to permeate every corner. Piedmont quickly became one of my fa

Nestled in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, my Italian roots meander through the mountains of Alto Val Taro  in the province of Parma. Here, Tortelli d'Erbetta is not just a dish; it's a celebration of local flavors and traditions served in every restaurant. Traditionally crafted with a mix of ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano, these delectable parcels incorporate bitter greens—typically Swiss chard—and a pinch of nutmeg. Each tortelli is then lovingly bathed in melted butter an

Ah, the artichoke: a thorny yet beguiling beauty, dividing dinner tables into camps of adoration and disdain. My own love affair with artichokes stretches back to childhood, where many a friend was converted at our kitchen table. Ready for a recipe that could sway even the staunchest skeptic? Let's dive in! Jump to Stuffed Artichoke Recipe Jump to The Wine Pairings for this Recipe Download a PDF of this Recipe A quick backstory, because every recipe has its tale: my grandm