Recipes
Joe’s Favorite Pignolata: Sicilian Fried Dough Balls with Honey
My family loves my baking. When my father-in-law Joe kept mentioning his favorite childhood dessert, I thought he might be giving me a little hint. I love pignolata, too, so I decided to try making him some. I just love the look on my friends’ and family’s faces when I set their favorite dish down in front of them!
Mom’s Homemade Lasagna with Homemade Sunday Meat Gravy
Making lasagna with my mom was one of my favorite ways to spend time together. She would go all out making loads and loads of her Sunday Gravy, and I uphold that tradition by making a double batch every time I do homemade lasagna. Click through to try my Mom’s incredible recipe for yourself!
Mary's Best Christmas Cookie Recipes: Biscotti, Cuccidati, Linzer, Bourbon Balls, Amaretti, Pizzelle and other Family Favorites
These cookies are perfect for a holiday cookie swap, especially packaged in a lovely Christmas cookie tin, ribbon, and a sprig of decorative berries. They are colorful, festive, and delicious. A lovely Christmas cookie in the shape of a Christmas present embellished with a lovely ribbon. Now that’s a beautiful splash of color on any Christmas cookie tray.
Auntie Norma’s Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
Everyone calls her Auntie Norma—she’s one of my mother-in-law's best friends. We love Auntie Norma, and we love her cooking, too! Today is our lucky day, because I get to share her amazing chicken salad recipe with all of you. Thank you, Auntie Norma!
Aunt Rita’s Pecan Tassies
This special cookie gets a free pass because we all know its true identity is the tiniest of pies.
Mom’s Italian Easter Pie AKA Calzone
The preparation of this Italian Easter pie, also referred to as calzone, is a traditional part of the holiday in my family. I grew up making this recipe with Tuma cheese. Known as “the lost cheese of Sicily,” this unique creamy cheese is made with cow’s milk from an age-old recipe. I also love to use Scamorza cheese in this recipe. Scamorza is another southern Italian cow’s milk cheese. Like mozzarella, the cheese curd is stretched, letting the curd mature in its own whey for several hours to allow acidity to develop. A good substitute for these cheeses is a mix of mozzarella and provolone.