Having spent a lot of time in my grandmother’s kitchen growing up, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share my extraordinary and easy cooking, which represents my heritage and my love for good, healthy food. In this book, I’ve included dishes I serve to my family and friends, many of which represent dishes my grandmother, Nana, made for us. My best childhood memories are of gatherings for birthdays, graduations, weddings, Sunday dinners or simple get-togethers—in which every conversation either began or ended with food. Nana had a very easygoing approach to life: always have enough food to feed the entire family and whoever stops by. Being old-fashioned, she also told me that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. “Feed your man,” she said, “and he’ll always come home to you.” My approach to cooking is very similar to my grandmother’s—keep it simple and add lots of flavor using fresh herbs! The quality of the ingredients plays a very important part in any recipe and enhances the beauty of each dish.
I love easy, authentic Italian food that can be prepared in advance without a lot of mess, and which are equally suitable for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
A typical Italian dinner is served family-style, with wine and laughter.
Weekends often involve more of a multicourse extravaganza that may last a few hours. Because I’m a bit of a selfish mother, it makes me happy to have my family at the table for a few uninterrupted hours, all of us enjoying delicious food together. In this book, I will show you how much fun cooking at home truly is, and how it offers quality time with the people you love around you. In Italy, families spend hours together eating several small meals and drinking local wine. There’s no need to consume a large plate of food in a single sitting; eating Italian-style means making a meal into more of an event, taking your time, with the food enhancing the special moments you spend together.
When I decided to leave corporate America and follow my passion into the kitchen, it was a very natural transition. I’m able to make great food for my family and friends every day. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to share my family traditions as well as all of the new recipes coming from my kitchen. I also deeply appreciate my husband’s willingness to make time for us to travel throughout Italy each year and enjoy the amazing food, views and wine. These trips have inspired me to create great food using all natural ingredients, and to embrace my Italian heritage. It’s a great pleasure to share my travels to Italy, my family traditions and authentic Italian recipes with you, and I hope you enjoy the results.
Chocolate Almond Torte (page 157)
Venetian Potatoes (page 140)
Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon & Arugula (page 52)
THE PALEO ITALIAN LIFESTYLE
This cookbook assumes that you have some familiarity with the Paleo lifestyle and you’re ready to take your skills up a notch to create authentic Italian recipes for your family or friends. If you’re new to Paleo, there are many books and online resources that offer a sound introduction. The basic principles of Paleo living involve avoiding dairy, grains, legumes, vegetable oils, processed sugar and most other processed foods. I use grass-fed meats and organic vegetables and fruits whenever possible, and I always keep coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds on hand. Paleo and gluten-free diets are not identical, but if you’re avoiding gluten, the Paleo lifestyle is a great way to stay healthy.
Back when I was a kid, food was different: my grandfather had a garden and chickens, and most of our food was unprocessed. In today’s world, we need to pay attention to everything that goes into our bodies. Eating wholesome food will enhance your life. When I first learned about Paleo, I loved the community’s shared enthusiasm for the lifestyle and for longevity. If you want to live a long life and share your history with your children and grandchildren, why not start now? You’ll see the difference after making a few small changes, and you’ll want to share it with everyone you know.
I’ve taken the dishes my Nana made for our family and transformed her recipes to fit a Paleo lifestyle. If you’re following this path, you may wonder how to incorporate Italian cooking without it being complicated or losing authenticity. In my opinion, coming from deep-rooted Italian family that ate a lot of lamb, veal, poultry and tons of meatballs, it’s easy and welcoming. My family and friends all understand my love for cooking, since I prepare enough to feed the neighborhood and welcome company, but they also know I’m cooking Paleo-style. The best part of this transition is that everyone wants to be in the kitchen with me, helping me out. They don’t realize it, but I’m teaching them how to cook healthy and keep it easy.
Maybe you’re wondering how an Italian can go without pasta, pizza and bread dipped in a big pot of sauce. Well, to be honest, sometimes I don’t! Some might call this “cheating,” but I call it portion control and making the right choices. Sometimes my Italian nature craves a small bowl of pasta, so I’ll indulge it. I am a Paleo advocate, but I also love food and cooking for my family and friends. I feel that if you decide you want that bowl of pasta or slice of pizza, then enjoy it, but don’t over-indulge or make a habit of it.
In the course of writing this book over the past four years, I have been updating my Paleo blog and living the Paleo lifestyle. I’m living proof that it’s easy to keep your traditions and adhere to the Paleo lifestyle while bringing happiness and love to your guests. I hope that this book creates a place in your heart for my tradition and culture by letting you try out Italian recipes for your friends and family. I also hope to inspire you to create your own traditions for passing on your love and joy through cooking. This book is filled with real food that real people want to eat!
KEEP GOING, AND ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY INTO PALEO ITALIAN CUISINE.
Italian Chopped Salad (page 45) and Antipasto Platter (page 36)
Different types of Italian sausage
Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca (page 122)
Custard Pie with Pine Nuts & Almonds (page 145)
THE SEASONS AND SAVORS OF ITALY
The weather in Italy can vary greatly. The seasons tend to be similar to New England’s: summers can be brutally hot and winters can be freezing. When deciding on the best season to choose for a trip to Italy, there are many factors to take into consideration.
Spring in Italy is very beautiful and peaceful. Although early spring may still be a bit chilly, late spring brings warm weather and beautiful flowers. You can enjoy eating outside, and you might even get some swimming in. Traveling to Italy is cheaper in spring than in summer, and far less crowded. There are a number of festive occasions to enjoy; Holy Week festivals take place around Easter, and there are many festivals of light and flowers to celebrate as well. Bring light clothes for hot weather, as well as some sweaters and jackets in case it gets cold. You should also bring a rain jacket and boots, as spring in Italy can be rainy.
Summer is the most popular time for visiting Italy. Many families take their vacations in the summer and want to travel when the weather is nice. Although summer in Italy can be hot and crowded, it’s a great time