Jane & Vince are both 3rd generation Italians who grow up in Grandma’ and Mom’s kitchen in Yonkers and the Bronx. Both started cooking as children because they loved to eat and be with family. Sunday was almost always spent making handmade pasta like raviolis, manicotti, fettuccini and gnocchi with a large marinara sauce or meat sauce containing meatballs, sausage, beef or veal or pork bracolis, pork ends and ribs. Of course there were delicious fresh cakes, pies and Italian cookies which were all handmade.
Jane & Vince married in August 1967 and started a family and continued the family traditions of cooking traditional Italian fare all from scratch and with all family recipes. We have three sons in their thirties and 5 grandchildren and they all cook from scratch. Christmas 1967 Jane and Vince hosted the traditional Christmas feast for the entire family and continued to have almost every holiday at there home for over 35 years. Our family was one of the few that the men cooked and the women visited. Even though the women were great cooks they had the holidays off.
In 1980’s Jane & Vince started a catering business called “Didyaeat” and a Gourmet Cooking Club as a way to develop interest in cooking and to teach others, including husbands. The name “Didyaeat” comes from the Bronx where Vince lived in an Irish/Jewish neighborhood called Kingsbridge/Riverdale. Whenever it was meal time Vince would ask his friends “Hey Didyaeat?” If they said no they were invited home. Most would come to eat even if they had supper. The Gourmet Cooking Club was started because as friends ate at our home they would always say, “I could never cook like this” and we would say, “It’s easy we will teach you as long as you come as a couple”.
So if you would like to become part of the family, learn to cook Italian and American food be it a feast or quick and healthy 30 minutes peasant meals come take a class.
Recipes
Eggplant Parmigiana
Eggplant Parmigiana has always been an Italian Classic and a meatless Friday meal for decades. It takes some time to make but the more you make it the...
Manicotti
I met Jane in September of 1965. I enjoyed going to Jane’s house to help/watch Jane’s Mom, Antoinette, make homemade Manicotti, Raviolis and different...
Marinara Sauce
There are a thousand ways to make Marinara Sauce. My Mom used Del Monte Tomato Sauce and Paste. I had Aunts that made it with just paste. People use T...
No Knead Italian Bread
This is a “FOOLPROOF” Italian Bread (NO KNEAD) recipe that will wow you, your family and friends. You can find it on the King Arthur website 3 pages l...
Easter Grain Pie
The first Easter I spent with Jane’s family, April 11th, 1966, her Mom made Easter Grain Pie for dessert. It was love at first bite! We have made it e...
Easter Bread
This Easter Bread recipe is from Jane’s Grandma Anna Palma (1891 – 1981). She was a great loving cook, baker, teacher and Jane learned well. This is o...