Author Archive

Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Nina from Salerno, Campania

Anna Picariolo “Nina” was raised in Salerno, a southern town near the famed Amalfi Coast in the region of Campania. She loves cooking at the Enoteca because it feels like cooking at home and enjoys making people happy with her recipes. Back in the “old country” her grandmother cooked over a wood-burning stove. Nina especially enjoyed her oven-baked pasta.

She also learned a lot about cooking during her twenties from a cousin who owned a restaurant. But working in Italy was a difficult life, working many hours for little pay. She moved to New York City in March of 2003. Nina values her freedom here, the opportunity to learn more and adapt to a new culture. At home, she likes to cook with her eldest daughter.

At Enoteca Maria, Nina’s style lends itself to savory dishes such as her favorite Pesce alla Pasta (Fish with Pasta).

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Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - 1 comment

Adelena from Casola, Napoli

Adelena Masana was born and raised in Naples, in the Campania region of Italy which is known for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy. She learned to cook from both of her grandmothers and her mother. She remembers the rustic Neapolitan cuisine of her childhood fondly. The first dish she learned to prepare was Pasta Fagioli and then a sweet classical dessert called Pastiera. 

She came to America in 1990 and took up residence in Brooklyn. Her favorite recipe is Tagliatelle alla Mantavana, but she loves everything about preparing a full-course traditional dinner with pasta, salads, meat and dessert.  Of her six children, it is one of her sons who carries on the tradition of cooking back home in Naples.

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Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - 2 comments so far

Rosaria from Chieti, Abruzzo

Rosaria Montaldo, a proud grandmother of two, has been cooking at Enoteca Maria since June of 2008. She was born in the region of Abruzzo in a small town in the province of Chieti. The region is known for its agriculture and producing wine, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, olives, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Traditional products are saffron and liquorice.

Rosaria remembers her grandmother’s cooking well, since she grew up living in the same house. Lamb is a popular dish in the Abruzzo region and Rosaria enjoys preparing Costolette d’Agnello all Griglia—grilled lamb chops. Her favorite pasta dish is Maccheroni alla Chitarra—macaroni pasta made on a guitar-like instrument—another staple of Abruzzese cooking.

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Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - 4 comments so far

Rosa from Schio, Vicenza

Rosa Lievore Turano was born in Schio, a provence of Vicenza located in the northern region of Veneto. She and her family moved to the United States on July 3, 1956, where they joined her father in Weehawken, NJ. Among her earliest food memories are her nonna preparing gnocchi and tortellini from scratch.

Rosa comes from a long tradition of food and recipes being shared and passed along from generation to generation. Though she remembers her nonna’s cooking, Rosa says that she actually learned to cook from her mother. As a child, Rosa would help her mom prepare pasta con Sugo di Pomodori e Tonno on Friday evenings. She also learned to make Fegato all Veneziana (calf’s liver) and her older sister showed her how to cook Osso Bucco.

Today, Rosa is grandmother to seven grandchildren. She shares her love of cooking with her two oldest, Briana and Nicholas. Rosa loves being able to share her family’s recipes with the hungry customers at Enoteca Maria.

Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - 5 comments so far

Carmelina from Marcianise, Napoli

Carmelina Pica was born in the small town of Marcianise in Naples, Italy—the city famous for pizza and historic landmarks like Castel Nuovo. She came to America as a young woman with her husband and took up residence on Staten Island where she worked several years at a Salumeria. She cooks the traditional, classical cuisine of Naples. She’s our snow bird spending six months in New York and six months in Florida. Carmelina says that cooking at the Enoteca feels like family to her.

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Posted on March 27, 2009 - by admin - 2 comments so far

Valarie from Sciacca, Sicilia

Valarie Delsante is a second generation Italian-American who was born on Staten Island into a large family where the Italian traditions were strong and an integral part of her childhood. Though her grandparents arrived in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, they retained the customs, folklore and culinary specialties of the regions they came from.

Valarie learned to cook from her maternal nonna, ‘Lena’ and her mother, Maria, both exceptional cooks who embraced the cuisine of Sicily with all of its unique and exotic flavors. She fondly remembers spending summers with her nonna, riding the subway to markets all around the city in search of the finest Italian ingredients, then bringing them home to prepare dinner.

Valarie, a mother of two, has had many interesting professions over the years and says if given a choice she would rather be cooking. Her favorite recipes include Manicotti and Calamari Ripieni as well as her nonna’s Sicilian Cheesecake.

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