Nana Archives

Struffoli (Angelina’s Honey Balls)

22 December 2017

Struffoli, small balls of dough fried and then covered in honey, is the quintessential Christmas sweet of Naples and its […]

17 February 2017

Yes, Italians make meatloaf. They call it polpettone, or a ‘big meatball’, which is, in fact, what it is if you think

7 August 2014

Zucchini is everywhere in our markets in the summer, but zucchini blossoms are another story. They are awfully hard to find.

28 July 2013

This is a recipe near and dear to my heart. It was one of Angelina’s signature dishes. When I was

27 February 2013

Chicory (cicoria in Italian) is one of my very favorite greens. It brings back memories of Angelina for whom cicoria

10 January 2013

Pasta e fagioli, or pasta and beans, which goes by the amusing nickname ‘pasta fazool‘ in Italian-American slang, is one

20 May 2012

It seems like the artichoke was designed for stuffing. That huge cavity in the middle surrounded by all those layered

15 April 2012

Braciole—beef slices rolled up with a savory garlic, parsley and cheese filling—is one of those dishes common to both Italian-American

22 January 2012

As I’ve written many times, Jeanne Caròla Francesconi (b. 1903, d. 1995) is my muse for Neapolitan cookery—apart from my grandmother