
A few months ago I received the great honor to be invited to join a Facebook group of Italian women living all over the world, which was born from the desire to keep Italian cuisine alive when far from home. There I met wonderful women from Japan to Australia, who come from all parts of Italy. I truly enjoy seeing their creations and looking into their lives abroad. They have incredible stories to tell, like Greta, who now lives in Texas, and whose husband’s great great grandmother was the head baker for Princess Sissi of Austria. We ask each other questions, share moments of pride, and we laugh, a lot. There is camaraderie and kindness, and a lot of support. The love for our food and our traditions brings us together, even if we are scattered all over the globe.
Many of these women have created a name for themselves in the culinary world. Rosa Mariotti, for example, is a food blogger at blog.giallozafferano.it/growingupitalian and works as a Culinary Instructor at the University of Hawai Maui College and kitchen Manager at Bethel School District. She also is on Instagram @Molto.ono She mentioned recently her connection to the chef Nick Malgieri and how much she respects him. That caught my attention so, you know me, I went to our local library and loaned as many cookbooks from him as I found. Be prepared to see many of his recipes here in the future!
This Zucchini pie from Genova – as Nick Malgieri originally introduced it – has plenty of zucchini, arborio rice, onion, garlic, basil, eggs and parmesan cheese, and it’s enclosed in a melt-in-your-mouth olive oil crust. The gluten-free crust tends to crumble when you work it, but it’s worth the extra work. This pie is absolutely delicious, and brings a little bit of Italy into your kitchen.
Enjoy!
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