Posted on June 15, 2004 - by Enoteca

Luisa from Piacenza

I was born and raised in a small town in the province of Piacenza, the westernmost city of  Emilia Romagna, half an hour south of Milan.

Our town is located in a corner in the Appennino Emiliano, not too far from the Ligurian, Tuscany, Piedmont and Lombardy borders

I grew up in a large, extended family of 14, including a grandmother who was the boss and let everyone know it, a great aunt, mother, father, brothers, sister, an uncle, aunt, and cousins.  On the farm we raised just about everything, all kinds of animals, and vegetables.  We all did chores outside and inside the house. My grandmother and the older women all shared the task of teaching the young ones how to cook using ingredients grown on the farm.

I came to New York in the late sixties to join my sister who was already living here and my passion for cooking continued, learning all different cultures and food.At the Enoteca I cook the peasant food I grew up with and I am always a bit surprised when people of all cultures and food background enjoy it.