For most of your life, you served as the matriarch to our Italian American famiglia. You naturally put your family before yourself without asking for anything in return. You carved a special place in your heart for each and every one of your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. You spent countless hours in the cucina to satisfy weekly cravings. If we looked like we haven’t missed a meal, well, you were partially to blame. After all, there was no such thing as being full after just one serving.

Thank goodness you took the time to teach us how to recreate the dishes your Nonna passed down to you…not only because we want to pass them down ourselves, but because your recipe measurements wouldn’t find there way in a traditional cookbook with your “handfuls” of this and “pinches” of that.