When I started this wonderful Cooking with Nonna project, I never imagined that it would one day lead me into following the footsteps of both my great nonna Regina and my nonna Romana. You see, over 50 years ago (in 1945), my great nonna Regina was a young woman back in Mola di Bari in Puglia. She had seven children, including my nonna Romana, and her husband was ill. To raise her family, she opened a tiny Bottega (Delicatessen) in town, where she started selling some products. Her husband, nonno Leonardo, died soon after, and she was faced with the task of turning the tiny Bottega into an enterprise that would enable her family to not only survive but prosper as well... and prosper it did. Her Bottega quickly became one of the largest and most trafficked in town. Nonna Romana later took over the Bottega and now, in my own humble way, I'm carrying on the tradition by keeping the Bottega alive virtually. Just as my great nonna Regina's shop had a modest beginning, my virtual Bottega will initially be small and stocked with only a few select products. Then, as time goes on and opportunities arise... who knows what might show up on my digital shelves! Both my nonna Regina and nonna Romana have always taught me to work hard and stay positive, and that is exactly what I plan to do!
Please visit my Bottega and look around. Then come back from time to time... you never know what you will find!
Ciao,
Rossella