Isabella began cooking at a young age. Her mother worked and it was her responsibility to make sure meals were in progress at home. The foundation of her recipe repertoire came from Calabria, but like her Mother, Maria, she was an adventurous cook. She frequently adopted recipes that she picked up from cooking shows, restaurants where she had enjoyed a meal, and cookbooks which she voraciously collected. Her sons remember her watching – more accurately studied, she would actually take notes – Julia Childs, the Galloping Gourmet and Jaques Pepin. Her grandchildren grew up watching her study the new generation of chefs – Lidia Bastianich, Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten and their ilk.
That’s what you will see in this compendium of recipes a foundation of Calabrian recipes that have been augmented with the likes of Turkey Tetrazzini (a meal that was sure to show up after Thanksgiving dinner).
The other thing you will notice is that there are not a lot of recipes that are meant to feed four. Isabella was used to cooking for groups. One of her mantra’s was “one more is no problem”. And even when she was cooking for four she made sure that there would be enough so that everyone could take home leftovers. So keep that in mind as you try out her recipes.
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