Both my parents immigrated from Italy; mama from Calabria, papa from Firenze. They met and married in S.F., where a few years later, I was born. My 1st language was Italian, because we spoke only Italian at home in Northbeach. I married an Italian boy from Sonoma, CA wine country, whose grandparents all came from Italy; Udine and Lucca. We have 2 children; now grown and married. We have 3 grandchildren who want only mortadella sandwiches for lunch, and pasta for dinner! No substitutes! Mio marito and I enjoy cooking the Italian food we grew up with, however, getting recipes from another Italian nonna, who only an Italian knows how to cook and prepare Italian food, would be a plus, since today, there are fewer and fewer Italians who know how to make 'mama' or 'papa's' best 'old world' Italian food recipes. Rossella e famiglia, grazie e buona fortuna!
