Every region in Italy has its culinary traditions. In Florence, there is Bistecca Fiorentina; in Bologna, Ragù alla Bolognese; in Sicily, arancini.

…and in Rotondella, we have pastizz and falagone.

Food has a way of preserving memory, culture, and love across generations. One of my most cherished memories of Nonna Carmela is captured in this passage from Lifetime:

By the time I reached the thirteenth and final concrete step that led to Nonna’s kitchen, I already smelled the scents of cooking. I peered through the screen door as I had as a child and saw that nothing had changed. Nonna stood in front of the kitchen table and was hunched over her wooden pastry board that she called u scanatur, where I saw a large mound of flour shaped like a volcano. I could guess that she was making i falaoni, traditional Rotondellese spinach, potato, and meat pies, formed into half-moon shapes that resembled little crusty cushions. She must be making them today, I thought, to celebrate my coming home.

When your children come home – or when special guests arrive – what do you cook to celebrate them? What dish holds those deep and special memories for you?

I hope some readers enjoy trying this recipe. Our cousin Chef Marilena, who records a cooking show for Il Corriere Lucano in Basilicata, continues to preserve and share these culinary traditions with the next generation.

Buon appetito!