There’s something wonderful about cooking for the holidays, a ritual we go through every year. Like clockwork, the flavors unfailingly return to our table along with tablecloths, traditional dishes, the special-occasion glassware, and colors that warm the heart. In this particularly difficult year, these moments help us discover who we are, how much resilience we have, and our capacity to love. And cooking is amore. This issue of La Cucina Italiana is an act of love for the people we love and for a country, America, that has welcomed and hosted millions of our compatriots. You’ll find several pasta recipes, a sensational way to decorate pandoro (or panettone), innovative cocktails, new takes on polenta, and many (simple) chef’s tricks. Let’s sit at the table, eat good food, and enjoy a Christmas and holiday season that will remain forever in our memories.
by Maddalena Fossati Dondero - Editor-in-Chief of La Cucina Italiana International