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WEEK 261 MENU: March 25-30, 2025

Happy Florentine New Year, Dante “Buon Capodanno / Happy New Year” could be heard again in the streets of Florence today! The traditional Florentine New Year always has been celebrated on March 25, the feast day of the Annunciation. To add to these festivities, a few years ago, the Italian government announced the establishment of a National Dante Day or “DanteDi” to be observed annually on March 25. Dante Alighieri is considered the father of modern literature and perhaps the greatest poet of all time. He was born in Florence (Tuscany) in 1265 and died in Ravenna (Emilia Romagna) in 1321, making this year the 704th anniversary of his death.  This week’s menu takes inspiration from both regions that were home...

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WEEK 260 MENU: March 18-23, 2025

Comfort Foods Unite This week's menu was inspired by comforting foods - those that only Nonna cooks to make us feel better.  When dealing with uncertainties, food connects us with our past and reminds us that we are not alone.

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WEEK 259 MENU: March 11-16, 2025

It Matters Not if you are Irish or Italian Ireland is gearing up to embrace the return of St. Patrick’s Day 2024. The entire country will take to the streets to celebrate with parades, live music, dancing and a massive four-day festival. Likewise, the Italians are looking forward to reuniting once again to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day on the 19th, their national Father’s Day. Our menu this week is a playful rendition of Irish and Italian recipes.

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WEEK 258 MENU: March 4-9, 2025

Viva le Donne!  Matriarchs of Italian Culinary Tradition It is a responsibility to carry the torch. Once you have been welcomed into the fold, nurtured, and taught, you feel you must carry on the tradition – you WANT to carry on the tradition. For generations, Italian women have preserved and passed on the recipes, rules, and secrets of their mothers and grandmothers in an ongoing rite of passage. They are the keepers of culinary folklore and memories deeply rooted in family history. Every year, on International Women’s Day, my thoughts return to my mentors in our trattoria’s kitchen. This week, I revisit recipes handed down from my “Mamme Italiane”. 

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Week 257 Menu: February 25-February 2, 2025

Sicily in Bloom Beautiful almond trees adorn the Sicilian countryside and are the first to blossom in late February filling the air with an overwhelming scent and promise of Spring. The Valley of the Temples, just outside the southern town of Agrigento is the site of the annual Almond Blossom Festival celebrating Spring’s arrival and the miracle of life. This week we taste our way through the rustic but ever beautiful (and flavorful!) Sicily all the while paying homage to the fruit of everlasting love and eternal hope - the almond.

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