This editor's letter appears in the April - June 2021 international print edition of La Cucina Italiana.
I really like spending time with grandmothers and grandfathers because I miss my nonnone (grandfather) Giovanni. I called him nonnone not only for his size but also because he
could fold a bottle cap in half with his thumb and forefinger, a strength that, for me, cemented his status as a superhero. I used to go to his house for lunch every Saturday after school. (Yes, Italians go to school on Saturdays.) He lost my dear grandmother when he was just 62 years old, and he always welcomed me with the dishes I loved most.
He’d call me well before Saturday to ask (in Milanese), “Nina, what am I going to prepare for you? What can I make for you to eat?” I’d often get frustrated. I couldn’t understand how I was supposed to know what I wanted to eat on Saturday as far in advance as Tuesday.
But the phone call was his way of telling me something else — that he was always thinking of me. This encrypted language for communicating unspoken feelings was like a Morse code of love between a grandfather and his only granddaughter.
After school, I’d arrive in his beautiful dining room, where he’d have the table set as if it were Christmas. I’d put down my folder and find my favorite magazines (Mickey Mouse and then some) stacked next to my napkin — he’d buy them from his local newsstand. He’d always have the TV switched on to the news. I learned all of Italy’s current affairs from the screen situated between the piano and the bedroom door, gazing at it while filling up on gnocchi, stews, and cutlets, as though each meal were my last.
“What can I prepare for you?” — I think that’s the sweetest phrase there is, and I hope that you ponder this thoughtful question as you flip through these pages. Whether you’re simply cooking for yourself or looking to show loved ones how much they mean to you, we’ve compiled dozens of recipes to satisfy your appetite as well as inspire you for your next trip to Italy — because it’s never too soon to start planning. We hope to see you here soon.