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Gretel’s Specials Kitchen

Pizza: simplicity is key

Isn’t it mad to think that a simple combination of ingredients on a stretchy bed of dough could be so popular? An average of three billion pizzas are sold in the United States each year! Try our easy as pie recipe below and step back in time to 18th century Naples where pizzas properly came […]

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Kitchen Quick, Cheap & Easy

Puttanesca: Four ingredients, one pot

People like to say that this pasta derived its name from Neapolitan ladies of the night, as it was a quick and easy dish to make while working. There is however no historical evidence to support this saucy tale, and the name “puttanesca” (puttan means prostitute in Italian, but is also a general all-purpose vulgarism), […]

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Personal Stories Roots

A diary of dishes: remembering my Grandma through her illustrated cookbooks

Cookbooks can be like windows into people’s lives. Caterina Biondi explores her own memories of her Grandmother Nevina through a handmade recipe book passed down to her through her Italian family. On my desk is a bright orange moleskine. There is no title, no engravings on the cover; nothing to indicate how valuable it is. […]