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Enoteca Maria

Archive for the ‘Our Grandmas’ Category


Posted on April 24, 2012 - by - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Giovanna Gambino

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Giovanna Gambino wasborn and raised in a small town called Passo di Rigano, minutes away from Palermo, Sicily.

“I have many picnics with my family, I will never forget my many relatives. Even though I was at a very young age I can still remember the feeling of eating under the olive trees, eating our favorite homemade fettucine with fresh tomato sauce and Ricotta Salata, many times topped with fried eggplants. We would eat on a wooden plank called Scannature. The men would cook on an open fire most of the time a small pork and roasting artichokes under it so the drippings would make them that much more delicious.

I came to the US in 1964 with my mom and younger brother to be reunited with my father and my older brother who was getting married a few months later. I celebrated my 10th birthday after only a month after arriving in America. After my brother’s wedding we all lived in the same house and I had no one my age to play withso I started becoming interested in watching my mom and sister in law in the kitchen, and sometimes they would let me help. It wasn’t until after I married at the age of 20 that i discovered my real passion for cooking, taking family recipes and often giving them a twist. Even today I’m proud to say that cooking really relaxes me. My favorite recipe is Anellette al Forno, Rigatoni Imbottiti, Cavatelle inside round purple eggplant just to name a few. Cooking at Enoteca Maria was my first experience in cooking outside my family and it’s been very rewarding, I only wish I’d come to cook here sooner.”


Posted on October 30, 2011 - by - 1 comment

Meet the Women of the Enoteca

Our women come from different regions of Italy bringing with them the traditions of their towns, people, and cooking. They often return to the old country to visit with family.

The current lineup:

Enza Damasco, Caserta
Adelena from Casola, Napoli
Carmelina from Marcianise, Napoli
Nina from Salerno, Campania
Rosaria from Chieti, Abruzzo
Rosa from Schio, Vicenza
Teresa from Agrigento, Sicilia
Giovanna Gambino, Sicilia
Loredana from Carini, Sicilia

Other grandmas who have cooked at Enoteca Maria:

Christina from from San Giuseppe Iato, Sicilia
Gaia from Milano, Lombardia
Valarie from Sciacca, Sicilia


Posted on October 29, 2011 - by - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Enza Damasco from Caserta

Enza Damasco from Caserta
Enza Damasco was born in Caserta, Italy but lived in Torino for thirty years. She came to the United States twenty-five years ago and is a grandmother to seven children. She started working in the restaurant business when she came to the United States in her brother-in-law’s restaurant.  Through this opportunity, she developed her skills and has become a chef who has worked in many well-known establishments. One of her many well-known dishes is “Quaglia con Polenta” and “Risotto ai Quattro Formaggi con Fragole” She specializes in Northern Italian Cuisine. She is anxious to share her specialties with all of you.

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

Teresa from Agrigento, Sicilia

Teresa

From the first day she arrived at Enoteca Maria, Teresa Scalici took great pride in her role as a nonna in the restaurant. She says she feels like her own boss in the kitchen and even goes to the local market on Saturdays to pick out fresh vegetables. Working at the Enoteca is an extension of family and good food.

Born in the southern coastal town of Agrigento in Sicily, famous for its Greek architecture, Teresa started cooking at ten years of age when her nonna taught her to make fresh ravioli. She moved to New York City in 1966 with her husband.

She now enjoys teaching her thirteen-year old granddaughter how to cook the same recipes handed down to her from her nonna. Teresa particularly enjoys baking both sweet and savory deserts but her favorite recipe is her award winning Lasagna. Made with prosciutto, speck, eggplant, peas, ricotta and a mix of cheeses, her lasagna won the judges first place trophy at the Staten Island Community Resources Annual Pasta Bowl in 2008.

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

Nina from Salerno, Campania

Nina Colbo

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 - 1 comment

Adelena from Casola, Napoli

Adelena

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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