Eleanora's Kitchen - Inspirations

INSPIRATIONS - MY MOTHER

I remember, as a child, after school, watching my mother make homemade noodles and laying them out on the bed to dry.

She was my true inspiration. She never compromised. A perfectionist, she selected only the best ingredients and insisted that everything be fresh before making her meals.

She recognized freshness and taught me all the little secrets to picking the right produce: an eggplant should be light in weight so it will be less seedy and less bitter; If the stems on broccoli rabe are curled, the vegetable is old, yet a few wrinkles around the top of a salad tomato tells you it's good and it's tasty.

My mother was an expert and spent her life as the most dedicated homemaker I ever knew.

Since she cooked all her life, she never used measuring tools or recipes. She taught us how to make everything and instilled in us that cooking was an important part of growing. It was a skill we were expected to know.

Of course not all her children adapted her cooking skills, only those of us who were really interested in flavors and food. As for me, how important was food? Very. Interest was high. That’s why I have adapted many of my mother's habits and take that extra step to make sure that I have the right ingredients and more importantly, fresh ingredients, before starting a meal. Besides, never settling for second best results in a healthier and more nutritious diet.

Many of mother's recipes are from her parents and relatives in Italy that have been passed down through the generations. Glued to the kitchen, I watched her make them often enough so that I would never forget. Over a long period of time, I not only practiced making these authentic recipes myself, but perfected them for my own personal taste.

I was also inspired by neighbors and old friends who had many years of experience cooking. I was fascinated and intrigued by their styles of cooking and the many ways in which they flavored their dishes.

If you are curious
about how I got to
be on Martha
Stewart Living, I would be more than happy to share that with you.

About Italy

Heritage
Influence
Inspiration