Nonna's Kitchen and Beyond

Ever laugh yourself silly with your sisters over the making of instant microwavable blanc mange? Ever see your mom cry with tears of laughter as she stood helplessly at the kitchen sink while the large cherry flavor jell-o heart slid down the drain, the unmolding process gone awry? Ever troll country roads as a family in search of elderberry bushes – blossoms for pancakes and berries for wine? Ever have an after-swimming farmstand-fresh simple summer meal consisting of tomato sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob and Osterized chocolate milkshakes? Ever mail shoe boxes, full of homemade cookies, to your brother in college? Ever wake up on a Saturday morning to find your dad making silver dollar griddlecakes for the family? All of this and so, so much more happened in the heart of my childhood home - Nonna’s kitchen.

Ever wait anxiously for the marbled squares to come out of the oven, the tantalizing sweet smell letting you know they were nearly done? If so, or especially if not, turn to the Marbled Squares recipe on page 57 and mix up a batch of your own right now. While they bake, make yourself comfortable and browse the rest of this family cookbook, Nonna’s Kitchen and Beyond. With family-tested, family-favorite recipes and photos aplenty, you’ll taste the love on every page.