A few months ago, Tim Niver brought his mother into the kitchen of his restaurant, Mucci’s Italian, for a sort of staff training. A descendant of Italian immigrants, Niver grew up eating classic Italian-American dishes with his family. He thought his mother could infuse a bit of that “spirit” into the restaurant’s kitchen, which was staffed by mostly non-Italian chefs.

Niver’s mother oversaw the making of a humble chicken liver dish. At one point, Niver messed something up. “She spat out this Italian phrase, that translates to, ‘Who put on your shoes today?’ ” Meaning: What are you doing? Niver wasn’t embarrassed, but proud. His mother had more to teach his staff than a recipe.