Costantini Elisa - Italian moms: spreading their art to every table

Italian Moms: Spreading Their Art to Every Table has been a labor of love filled with passion and tears. After the death of my husband, I realized that he would be missed by so many people by the display of love that was shared with him in the last few weeks of his life. Their visits with him showed me just how much the special talent he had shared meant to our family, friends, and his clients. Francesco was an artist in his own right, a skilled carpenter who created art that people have the pleasure of enjoying in their lives day after day. His work will be the stage for families to create memories and I want to do the same as families gather together around the table. I will not live forever, and I am sure there are great-grandchildren I will not meet, but with these recipes, they will be able to make me a part of their celebrations and memories.

I have enjoyed working with my son, Frank, and daughter Nadia in bringing this book to life. It has not been easy, but it brought us together in a time when a worthwhile distraction was of the upmost importance. It was in sense a therapy that I needed desperately. It has given me a new purpose. In addition to my family, there are several individuals to whom I owe my personal gratitude.

I would like to thank Bryan Bechtel, my narrative writer. This young man sat with me on many occasions, listening to my stories through many tears, and has brought them to life throughout the vignettes of this book. I first met Bryan when he came to a garage sale I was having, selling the collection of tools Francesco had accumulated over forty years. He purchased my husbands most prized table saw, something he used constantly to create the impossible for so many. We learned of Bryans profession, and after a short conversation he offered to help us with this project. Was it a coincidence? I dont think so. I believe a higher power brought Bryan into our lives to give us the assistance we needed to complete this project.

I would also like to thank the power of the internet that brought Mary Bianchetti, a woman I have yet to meet in person. She reached out to us offering her marketing expertise and has walked us through this process every step of the way. I ask myself, why? Why are these strangers, people who have never met me, being so kind? Then I realized that there are still good people in our world, those who see supporting each other as a part of life, and for this I am very grateful. To my editors, Claire Boughan-Locke, Milena Trosini, and Nancy Sullivan. You are so kind for offering your time to check and recheck that I did not leave out a single detail.

Finally, to my friends Gabriella Versano and Gina Tulli, who not only shared recipes, but also have given me their shoulders to cry on and for encouraging me to keep going day by day. I am forever grateful.

HAZELNUT BALLS

SEE

INTRODUCTION

Being the one responsible for putting food on my familys table gives me a sense of pride, and it is how I express my love for those who gather at my table. Because it is a matter of love and affection when I prepare meals, I tend to add ingredients on whim and whimsy rather than according to instruction. That is to say, I do not typically follow formulas, but rather instinct and experience. I do not record my recipes (actually, I have never in my life written one down until now), nor do I ever really look at other recipes for inspiration. I suspect many home cooks operate the same way: add a little bit of this or that and adjust according to taste.

So, why am I now gathering a collection of recipes that have been in my family for generations? In part, it is because of the name of the coauthor on this book, my son, Frank. I have happily spent a lifetime preparing food and caring for my family, and so when he approached me with the idea of recording my recipes, I saw it as an opportunity to spend time with my son while enjoying a lifelong passion. It would be a blessing if anything that I have learned over the years could be useful to someone else.

There is perhaps a notion of legacy in these pages, as well. The recipes I present here have gathered in my memory for decades; each one has at one time or another been prepared for my family or loved ones. I am humbled to remember those moments of satisfaction my children or my husband (or whomever I was cooking for) felt when they ate my food. And so, I associate memories with the meals I have prepared, and this collection is a way to honor those memories.

The other aspect of legacy is that now that I have this collection, I have something tangible to pass forward to my children and to others who may be interested in reading about the art of Italian cooking. I was not fortunate enough to have such a guide when I learned to cook, and so if these recipes are at all a help to the at-home cook, I am more than happy to share a few of my secrets.

Where do all these recipes come from? From a lifetime spent in the kitchen, taking simple ingredients and transforming them into something greater. In a way, each of the recipes is a story. To me, each meal is an amalgamation of what may seem like ordinary ingredientstomatoes, basil, meats, and cheesesbut when they are put together in just the right way, and when done so with love and affection, they blend to create something much greater.