Archive for the ‘Our Grandmas’ Category

Posted on March 28, 2009 - by admin - 3 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 - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

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

Gaia from Milano, Lombardia

Gaia Bagnasacco comes from Milan, known for its abundance of cream, milk, and cheese in the region of Lombardia. She spent much of her time in Tuscany and learned to cook from her mother who hosts a bed and breakfast in Siena where Gaia fused the cuisine of Milan and the Tuscan region into her own brand of traditional Italian cooking with a contemporary flair. Gaia regularly returns to Italy to visit family.

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Posted on March 20, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

Christina from San Giuseppe Iato, Sicilia

Christina Carrozza was born in San Giuseppe Iato, just south of Palermo which lies on the northern coast of Sicily. Like many villages and towns in the region, its inhabitants rely on the production of corn, olives and grapes for their livelihood. Each September the village holds a Festival of Grapes and Wine where these commodities and other agricultural produce is displayed. (wikipedia)

While she was still a young girl, Christina’s family moved to Bergamo, north of Milan in the province of Lombardia where she learned how to cook from her grandmother, mother, and aunt.

One of her favorite recipes is Farfalle all Pescatore—bowtie pasta with mussels, calamari, and shrimp–a dish she not only enjoys preparing but also eating with her family. Christina is very grateful and proud of her Italian heritage. She currently resides in Brooklyn with her family.

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