Nonna's House

“This was much more than just a cookbook. It is a filled with wonderful recipes and memories that will make you wish you grew up in a big Italian family… So grab your family, gather around the table, and get ready to enjoy some of the most mouth-watering food ever!” – Rita Reviews“There isn’t another place quite like Enoteca Maria on either island—Manhattan or Staten. I certainly can’t think of another restaurant whose specials are prepared by women hired to work only one night at week, making their own favorite dishes.” * The Wall Street Journal *One of “The Most Anticipated Cookbooks of Spring 2015” * EATER.COM *“There are hundreds (thousands?!) of Italian cookbooks in print… But life stories of Italian grandmothers are a rarer read, and that is what we get in most of the memoirs sections about the grandmothers who cook at Enoteca Maria (named for the restaurateur’s grandmother), life stories of real personalities, real people.” * Italophile Book Reviews *“There is no better gimmick than legitimacy, and Staten Island restaurateur Scaravella has found a way to multiply authentic Italian cuisine by a factor of 10. Behind the scenes of his eight-year-old eatery, Enoteca Maria, there are no award-winning celebrity chefs, but a rotation of 10 real-life Italian grandmothers (nonnas) serving up their ages-old family recipes. This rustic collection showcases over 100 of those dishes and also provides each chef’s life story, told in her own words.” * Publishers Weekly *“It goes without saying, that having an Italian grandma in the kitchen is an essential resource. This book will be the one we turn to when we want authentic, home-style Italian cooking…a nostalgia-tinged book…[with] moving personal stories.” * Tastebook.com *“Real Italian grandmothers—nonnas—sharing their most delicious recipes and favorite stories about food and family.” * PARADE Magazine *

Jody Scaravella, or “Joe,” is the creator of Enoteca Maria, which opened in 2007 on Staten Island, with its signature cooking by Italian grandmothers. The “nonnas” have captivated the media, not only in New York but nationally and abroad, and have appeared on the Today show, Rachael Ray, Fox & Friends, and CNN’s Eatocracy, among other media.