Nonnie, my North Star!

Everyone has someone who leaves a profound impact on their life, though without reflection, we may never realize exactly who that person is. In my life, there are a few people who resonate this way, but Nonnie remains the most powerful, ever-present influence on who I am today.

Because Nonnie’s love was boundless—a gift she shared effortlessly with her massive family and everyone beyond it—I felt compelled to start these stories with her. She is the root of our sprawling family tree.

There are many in this multi-generational brood who carry an incredible passion for cooking or feel the pull of unbreakable family bonds, yet they may not even realize where those feelings began because they never had the chance to meet this incredible woman. She could not read, and she could not write, but she spoke the universal languages of warmth, joy, and laughter. Most of all, she communicated through the incredible meals she set before anyone who walked through her door.

Growing up in a first-generation Italian home with our Sicilian grandmother, Nonnie was a kind of magic I wish my children could have experienced firsthand. These stories and notes are my way of passing that gift forward—small, flavorful pieces of her world kept alive in ink.