Podcast appearances and mentions of anna francese gass

You're in our kitchen! On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by two cookbook authors, television personalities, and beloved chefs, Rachael Ray and Anna Francese Gass. You know and love Rachael Ray from her Emmy-award winning daytime talk show, Rachael Ray, for 17 seasons, from her incredibly popular Food Network series 30 Minute Meals, and also from Rachael Ray's Italian Dream Home. Rachael joins us today with Anna Francese Gass, host of the all-new Hulu cooking show, Instant Italian. Anna is also the author of bestselling cookbooks, Heirloom Kitchen, and Italian Snacking, which we discuss in this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CHEF ANNA FRANCESE GASS, host of new show INSTANT ITALIANAnna shares:-Is it instant Italian recipes-This isn't taking all day like Grandma used to cook-Lisa is the cook on the show - she gets the sauces-Sheet Pan Meals -Canned artichokes are her fav-Her special espresso martini recipe -Fresh pasta or dry pasta-Cannoli or tiramisu  To subscribe to The Pete McMurray Show Podcast just click here

Continuing A+E Networks' partnership with television personality, author, and philanthropist Rachael Ray and Intentional Content's Free Food Studios, new series "Instant Italian" joins chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass in the kitchen as she brings a new spin to beloved Italian dishes. The series premieres with back-to-back episodes beginning Monday, March 10 at 9:30pm ET/PT on FYI, as part of A+E Networks' Home.Made.Nation multi-platform lifestyle programming block. "I'm really excited for my new cooking series. The tips and techniques I developed to simplify my cherished Italian recipes will make it effortless for anyone to bring a delicious and authentic Italian dinner to the table," said Anna Francese Gass. In each half hour episode, "Instant Italian" works to take favorite Italian dishes and make them quick and easy for modern home cooks. Drawing on inspiration from her childhood visiting family in Calabria, Anna is known for her ingenious spins on familiar dishes. Whether she is transforming pasta with a snackable fried version (just minutes in an air fryer), perfecting a deeply flavored chicken cacciatore for an easy sheet-pan supper, or putting a creative twist on desserts like affogato mug cake and cannoli icebox cake, Anna is always finding fun and unique ways to update meals while still keeping the flavors true to their roots. Ahead of the premiere of "Instant Italian" a new episode of "Rachael Ray in Tuscany" will premiere at 9pm ET/PT on FYI. Viewers will join Rachael Ray in the kitchen as she brings delicious Italian specialties from her very own kitchen into her Tuscan villa, utilizing the best local ingredients from the region with her own personal twists. "Instant Italian" is produced by Free Food Studios for A+E Networks. Executive producers for Free Food Studios are Rachael Ray, Brian Flanagan, Anthony Amoia, and Sean Lee. Executive producers for A+E Networks are Teri Kennedy and Jordan Harman. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights. Series will be available on demand and to stream on the FYI App and fyi.tv

Continuing A+E Networks' partnership with television personality, author, and philanthropist Rachael Ray and Intentional Content's Free Food Studios, new series "Instant Italian" joins chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass in the kitchen as she brings a new spin to beloved Italian dishes. The series premieres with back-to-back episodes beginning Monday, March 10 at 9:30pm ET/PT on FYI, as part of A+E Networks' Home.Made.Nation multi-platform lifestyle programming block. "I'm really excited for my new cooking series. The tips and techniques I developed to simplify my cherished Italian recipes will make it effortless for anyone to bring a delicious and authentic Italian dinner to the table," said Anna Francese Gass. In each half hour episode, "Instant Italian" works to take favorite Italian dishes and make them quick and easy for modern home cooks. Drawing on inspiration from her childhood visiting family in Calabria, Anna is known for her ingenious spins on familiar dishes. Whether she is transforming pasta with a snackable fried version (just minutes in an air fryer), perfecting a deeply flavored chicken cacciatore for an easy sheet-pan supper, or putting a creative twist on desserts like affogato mug cake and cannoli icebox cake, Anna is always finding fun and unique ways to update meals while still keeping the flavors true to their roots. Ahead of the premiere of "Instant Italian" a new episode of "Rachael Ray in Tuscany" will premiere at 9pm ET/PT on FYI. Viewers will join Rachael Ray in the kitchen as she brings delicious Italian specialties from her very own kitchen into her Tuscan villa, utilizing the best local ingredients from the region with her own personal twists. "Instant Italian" is produced by Free Food Studios for A+E Networks. Executive producers for Free Food Studios are Rachael Ray, Brian Flanagan, Anthony Amoia, and Sean Lee. Executive producers for A+E Networks are Teri Kennedy and Jordan Harman. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights. Series will be available on demand and to stream on the FYI App and fyi.tvBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Continuing A+E Networks' partnership with television personality, author, and philanthropist Rachael Ray and Intentional Content's Free Food Studios, new series "Instant Italian" joins chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass in the kitchen as she brings a new spin to beloved Italian dishes. The series premieres with back-to-back episodes beginning Monday, March 10 at 9:30pm ET/PT on FYI, as part of A+E Networks' Home.Made.Nation multi-platform lifestyle programming block. "I'm really excited for my new cooking series. The tips and techniques I developed to simplify my cherished Italian recipes will make it effortless for anyone to bring a delicious and authentic Italian dinner to the table," said Anna Francese Gass. In each half hour episode, "Instant Italian" works to take favorite Italian dishes and make them quick and easy for modern home cooks. Drawing on inspiration from her childhood visiting family in Calabria, Anna is known for her ingenious spins on familiar dishes. Whether she is transforming pasta with a snackable fried version (just minutes in an air fryer), perfecting a deeply flavored chicken cacciatore for an easy sheet-pan supper, or putting a creative twist on desserts like affogato mug cake and cannoli icebox cake, Anna is always finding fun and unique ways to update meals while still keeping the flavors true to their roots. Ahead of the premiere of "Instant Italian" a new episode of "Rachael Ray in Tuscany" will premiere at 9pm ET/PT on FYI. Viewers will join Rachael Ray in the kitchen as she brings delicious Italian specialties from her very own kitchen into her Tuscan villa, utilizing the best local ingredients from the region with her own personal twists. "Instant Italian" is produced by Free Food Studios for A+E Networks. Executive producers for Free Food Studios are Rachael Ray, Brian Flanagan, Anthony Amoia, and Sean Lee. Executive producers for A+E Networks are Teri Kennedy and Jordan Harman. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights. Series will be available on demand and to stream on the FYI App and fyi.tvBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

ABOUT INSTANT ITALIAN BEGINNING MONDAY, MARCH 10 AT 9:30PM ET/PT ON A+E NETWORKS' FYI  Continuing A+E Networks' partnership with television personality, author, and philanthropist Rachael Ray and Intentional Content's Free Food Studios, new series "Instant Italian" joins chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass in the kitchen as she brings a new spin to beloved Italian dishes. The series premieres with back-to-back episodes beginning Monday, March 10 at 9:30pm ET/PT on FYI, as part of A+E Networks'  Home.Made.Nation multi-platform lifestyle programming block.   "I'm really excited for my new cooking series. The tips and techniques I developed to simplify my cherished Italian recipes will make it effortless for anyone to bring a delicious and authentic Italian dinner to the table," said Anna Francese Gass.   In each half hour episode, "Instant Italian" works to take favorite Italian dishes and make them quick and easy for modern home cooks. Drawing on inspiration from her childhood visiting family in Calabria, Anna is known for her ingenious spins on familiar dishes. Whether she is transforming pasta with a snackable fried version (just minutes in an air fryer), perfecting a deeply flavored chicken cacciatore for an easy sheet-pan supper, or putting a creative twist on desserts like affogato mug cake and cannoli icebox cake, Anna is always finding fun and unique ways to update meals while still keeping the flavors true to their roots.   Ahead of the premiere of "Instant Italian" a new episode of "Rachael Ray in Tuscany" will premiere at 9pm ET/PT on FYI. Viewers will join Rachael Ray in the kitchen as she brings delicious Italian specialties from her very own kitchen into her Tuscan villa, utilizing the best local ingredients from the region with her own personal twists.   "Instant Italian" is produced by Free Food Studios for A+E Networks. Executive producers for Free Food Studios are Rachael Ray, Brian Flanagan, Anthony Amoia, and Sean Lee. Executive producers for A+E Networks are Teri Kennedy and Jordan Harman. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights. Series will be available on demand and to stream on the FYI App and fyi.tv  ANNA FRANCESE GASS BIO  Born in Italy and raised in the U.S., the cuisine of Italy is part of Anna Francese Gass's soul. She graduated from the French Culinary Institute and began her career in the test kitchen of Martha Stewart Living and Food52. Her cookbooks, Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from The Tables of Immigrant Women, was a collection of cherished family recipes from around the world published in 2019 and Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Snacks for Every Time Of Day were featured on Good Morning America, Today and Rachael Ray. Anna is known for her ingenious takes on traditional Italian dishes, and millions around the world have viewed her Instagram videos at @annafgass. She appears regularly on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Rachael Ray and Access Hollywood, and her recipes are top-rated on New York Times Cooking, Bon Appetit Magazine and the Washington Post.      Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

Chef, cookbook author and culinary influencer Anna Francese Gass is first up on the show today! Her new cooking series, "Instant Italian," premiers on FYI on Monday, March 10th at 9:30pm (EST) and will air for six weeks. Each 30-minute episode features several of her easy-to-make Italian dishes with a fresh, modern twist. Gass gives insight into the program, her upbringing, and how her Italian heritage has shaped her love for cooking. Steve Shwetz, host of "Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee" (heard weekdays at 5am on WFIL), also checks in today :). Shwetz shares his testimony, role with Thru The Bible (including how he came to be the host of the program), and the "Bible Bus" journey which facilitates a person working through the entire Bible in five years. You can connect with the ministry at www.ttb.org. Sports clips: Alec Bohm, third baseman, Philadelphia Phillies (MLB.com)Rasmus Ristolainen, defenseman, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL.com)Sam Ersson, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL.com)Music: On Top of Spaghetti / TOM GLAZERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[REBROADCAST FROM March 21, 2024] Charcuterie boards and aperitif hour are all the rage these days, but we could all stand to get more creative than putting some crackers and cheese on a board. Anna Francese Gass, author of the new cookbook Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day, joins us to discuss the best way to snack like an Italian and take calls from listeners. *This segment was guest-hosted by David Furst*

Italians take snacking seriously. In the first part of today's show, we're talking about “spuntini”—Italian snacks—with chef and recipe developer Anna Francese Gass, author of the new cookbook, “Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day.” Learn why the book is like a trip to Italy in book form, Anna's Italian vacation tips, and why Italian street food is not eaten on the street. Next, we're flashing back to Jubilee 2023 with an inspiring talk from Maya-Camille Broussard of the Chicago bakery Justice of the Pies and the Netflix series “Bake Squad.” Thank you to Johnnie Walker and to Walmart for supporting our Women's History Month spotlight. Click here to learn more about Cherry Bombe's annual Jubilee conference, taking place Saturday, April 20th, in Manhattan. Hosted by Kerry DiamondProduced by Catherine Baker and Elizabeth VogtEdited by Jenna SadhuEditorial Assistant Londyn CrenshawRecorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller CenterRadio Cherry Bombe is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here. More on Anna: Instagram, Italian Snacking book, websiteMore on Maya-Camille: Instagram, Justice of the PiesMore on Kerry: Instagram

Charcuterie boards and aperitif hour are all the rage these days, but we could all stand to get more creative than putting some crackers and cheese on a board. Anna Francese Gass, author of the new cookbook Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day, joins us to discuss the best way to snack like an Italian and take calls from listeners. *This episode is guest-hosted by David Furst

Mi ‘Ndujo, la catena di street food calabrese, esprime grande soddisfazione per lo speciale dedicato dal New York Times alle polpette del territorio calabro. Se molto spesso gli abitanti dimenticano di onorare e celebrare la tradizione culinaria calabra, questa volta ci hanno pensato oltre oceano ad esaltare una specialità locale.Calabrian Meatballs. Polpette calabresi: è questo, il titolo dello speciale a cura di Anna Francese Gass, chef e autrice di origini italiane per la sezione Cooking. La ricetta è quella di sua nonna, calabrese doc, contenuta anche nel suo libro Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women (Ricette del patrimonio e storie di famiglia dalle tavole delle donne immigrate).

Anna Francese Gass is the author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women. Anna's mother, an immigrant from Italy, is a phenomenal scratch cook. And although Anna trained at the French Culinary Institute and immersed herself in the world of food and recipe testing, she was embarrassed to admit that she didn't know how to make her mother's meatballs. Heirloom Kitchen documents Anna's effort to capture and master her mother's unwritten recipes, as well as the treasured recipes of women from all over the world who resettled in America. It was a delicious and uplifting experience. Also this hour, a conversation with the women of Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven. We'll talk to Co-founder Sumiya Khan, Culinary Coordinator Carol Byer-Alcorace, and Sanctuary Kitchen Chef Rawaa Ghazi. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at seasoned@ctpublic.org. Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show. Guests: Anna Francese Gass - Author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women Sumiya Khan – Co-founder and Program Manager of Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Rawaa Ghazi – Chef at Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Carol Byer-Alcorace – Culinary Coordinator at Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Features Recipes: Gina's Brodo di Mama e Polpette (Meatballs with Tomato Sauce) Safoi's Chicken Tagine Maria's Sancocho (Meat Stew) Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Francese Gass is the author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women. Anna's mother, an immigrant from Italy, is a phenomenal scratch cook. And although Anna trained at the French Culinary Institute and immersed herself in the world of food and recipe testing, she was embarrassed to admit that she didn't know how to make her mother's meatballs. Heirloom Kitchen documents Anna's effort to capture and master her mother's unwritten recipes, as well as the treasured recipes of women from all over the world who resettled in America. It was a delicious and uplifting experience. Also this hour, a conversation with the women of Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven. We'll talk to Co-founder Sumiya Khan, Culinary Coordinator Carol Byer-Alcorace, and Sanctuary Kitchen Chef Rawaa Ghazi. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at seasoned@ctpublic.org. Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show. Guests: Anna Francese Gass - Author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women Sumiya Khan – Co-founder of Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Rawaa Ghazi – Chef at Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Carol Byer-Alcorace – Culinary coordinator at Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven, Conn. Features Recipes: Gina's Brodo di Mama e Polpette (Meatballs with Tomato Sauce) Safoi's Chicken Tagine Maria's Sancocho (Meat Stew) Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re excited to welcome **ANNA FRANCESE GASS **to Salt + Spine, the podcast on stories on cookbooks.Anna is the author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women.Anna was born in Italy and grew up in the United States. After going to culinary school and working for major food companies, she realized she didn’t know how to make her mother's meatballs—a recipe that wasn’t written down, but held in her mothers’ memory. And that launched a multi-year project, chronicling the stories and recipes of immigrant women.In today’s episode, we’re talking with Anna about the process of joining 45 women in their kitchens to learn their recipes and family stories, about what led her to food and food media in the first place, and why she believes America is less of a melting pot and more of a stained glass.Also in today’s show:We’re stopping by OMNIVORE BOOKS in San Francisco to chat with CELIA SACK.Bonus Salt + Spine Features:Recipe: Gina's AranciniRecipe: Tina's Chinese New Year DumplingsBuy the Book: Amazon and Barnes & Noble See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anna Francese Gass is French Culinary Institute-trained chef who has worked in the kitchens of Whole Foods, Martha Stewart, Food52, cookbook authors & television chefs. But her favorite kitchen? Those of immigrant grandmothers. In fact, she traveled the country visiting such kitchens and created a cookbook on the topic. With a passion not only for great food but the love behind it, Anna's best meals combine delicious food and heartfelt stories that pay homage to the incredible women who stir the spoons.

Join cohosts Ethan Frisch and Vallery Lomas for a conversation with Anna Francese Gass, author of the recently released cookbook Heirloom Kitchen. After a stint in corporate sales, she traded the boardroom for the test kitchen, and has since worked for Whole Foods, Mad Hungry, and Martha Stewart Living Ominmedia. Currently, she is a regular contributing editor at Food52 and contributing writer for msn.com. In her new book, Heirloom Kitchen, Anna shares the stories and recipes of 45 strong, exceptional women who immigrated to the United States, and whose family recipes helped shaped the landscape of American food. Organized by region, readers will enjoy Magda's meltingly delicious Pork Adobo from the Philippines; soak in the warmth of Shari's Fesenjoon, an Iranian walnut and pomegranate stew; learn to deftly seal pleat-perfect Northern Chinese dumplings with Tina; and yes, sink their teeth into Anna's mother's perfectly seasoned Calabrian Meatballs from Southern Italy. Along with these recipes are stories: recollections of a journey to America, of hardship and happiness, and of many nights by the stove using food as a comfort and a respite in a new land, a culinary tether to their cultural identities.She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate Why Food? is powered by Simplecast.

How do you save family recipes when your grandmother never writes them down? Anna Francese Gass tackles this culinary conundrum in her new cookbook, Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women. Anna spent time cooking with matriarchs who immigrated to America and learned the secrets behind their greatest hits. The cookbook is based on Anna’s blog, which she launched after years of testing recipes for the likes of Martha Stewart and Food52. We talk everything from her mother’s meatballs (the best we’ve ever had) to getting stranded on a desert island with Oprah. Also, find out who Nikki Pensabene of byPensa in New York City thinks is the Bombe! Thanks to Handsome Brook Farm Pasture Raised Organic Eggs for sponsoring this season of Radio Cherry Bombe!

Heirloom KitchenBy Anna Francese Gass Intro: Welcome to the Cookery by the Book Podcast with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York city, sitting at her dining room table talking to cookbook authors.Anna: Hi, this is Anna Francese Gass and my cookbook is Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women.Suzy Chase: I don't think we as Americans acknowledge enough how the cooking traditions of immigrant women have left a legacy on the American palate. Talk a bit about how you've cooked with grandmother around the country to compile this cookbook.Anna: Yeah, I mean, I think it was kind of a aha moment for me as well. I grew up in an Italian home. My mother came over from Italy. I actually was with her. I was one years old, and my mother always cooked the food of her homeland and that's what I grew up eating. I was obviously very aware of American food. I loved "American Food" but in our house it's all those staples from the Italian kitchen because that's what my mother grew up eating. That's what she knew how to cook. What happened when I did the project and when I started it, I realized, but I guess I always ... We all kind of know this unconsciously, we just don't talk or think about it, but immigrants from all over the world that come here do that exact same thing. No one is coming over from China and starting to cook meatloaf and steak. They continue to make their homeland foods, and because these women did that, starting all the way back from when immigrations really began in this country, that's how we created this amazing diverse food landscape that we call American food.Anna: I mean, if you think about meatballs, okay yes, their origin is Italian and that's where the women learned how to make them, but when you go out and you have spaghetti and meatballs, I mean you can have that at almost any restaurant. I think spaghetti and meatballs is as American as apple pie, so to speak, but the reason that is, the reason we've accepted these things into our culture is because nobody stopped making those foods the minute they came over here into the US.Suzy Chase: So let's move on to the women who immigrated to the United States that are in this cookbook. What was the process of getting introductions to these 45 women?Anna: So what happened was so nice, is that it really spread word of mouth. The way the whole project started was I just wanted to get my mom's recipes written down. I'm a recipe tester by trade. That's what I do for my living. I do it primarily out of my home and I love my job, but I realized I didn't have any of my mom's recipes written down, none of those were standardized and I really wanted to cherish and keep those recipes forever. My mom still cooks when we go over on Sunday, so there was never that need to learn, but then I realized that there's gonna be a day that my daughter wants to know how to learn ... Excuse me. Wants to know how to make those recipes, or her daughter, and you know, my mother isn't always gonna be able to cook them. So we started as a project, a family project, and I created a family cookbook, and then I had a moment that I thought, "Wow. I have all these friends from all over the world, many first generation kids. This is a service I could provide. This would be a fun blog. This is something I could do as a hobby." So this all started out with just a blog.Anna: So I sent an email to literally every friend I had with a first generation background, and the response was overwhelming. Everyone said, "Oh my goodness. I want you to cook with my mom. I want these recipes recorded." It was like a service I was providing. I was getting to learn all these authentic homeland foods, and they were getting recorded recipes. Then they were all gonna go up on the blog so I could share them. Once the project started and my blog really took off, then word of mouth created the next opportunity. So I was cooking with Iraqi woman for example, and she said to me halfway through cooking, "You really need to cook with my friend [Sheri 00:04:19]. She's Persian. She makes the most amazing Tahdig. You need to know how to make that." She made that introduction, and so on and so forth. So it started with friends and then, like the last couple of women I cooked with, I didn't even know the children. It was just that word of mouth.Suzy Chase: It's so funny, I was gonna ask you if these recipes were hard to get, but it just seems like it was just effortless and it just happened.Anna: It just happened, and you know, it's so funny because people will say, "Oh, grandma's secrets." Or, "My grandma would always tell people the wrong ingredients or the wrong measurements because she didn't want anyone to make it just like her." Or, "This was secret." I didn't encounter that once. It was, "Let me share this with you, I want you to get it perfect. We can make it again." I mean, there were times that I had to follow up, because I'm in there with a pad and paper scribbling as they're throwing things in the pot, and then when I went home and recipe tested it, it's like, "Wait a minute. Was it, did this go first? Did that go first?" So sometime I'd call and say, "I just want to make sure I'm getting this right." And everyone was more than willing to just sit on the phone with me to make sure it was absolutely perfect, and these women were with me during the cookbook process too, because then a recipe tester has a question, or a copy editor has a question, and I don't know if it was luck, but I came across the most generous women I could've ever encountered.Suzy Chase: What's one new tip that you learned from a grandma you met along the way? Maybe a life tip or a cooking tip.Anna: Wow, there's a lot. I feel like I learned so much in each kitchen. I learned first of all, I should probably take a step back. Once I went to the first home, it was a Greek woman Nelly in Long Island. We start making her pastitsio, her Greek dishes, and just by accident I said, "Hey Nelly, why did you come to the US?" And she just started telling me her immigration story, and while she was telling me this story, I'm thinking about how it's similar to my mom, or different, but the threads are the same, and I thought to myself, "This is just as important as the recipe, because why she came here and how this all came about is so important to just our historical oral knowledge of all these women." So I started writing down immigration questions before I went to the next appointment, because I wanted to know exactly why each women came here, and the stories were dynamic, and incredible, and inspiring, and that ended up going up on the blog too.Anna: Just the fact, if you think about when you go on a trip today, right? You go on trip advisor, you ask you mom friends, you do all these different things before you head out, so that when you show up at your location destination, you're an expert. These women didn't have that. There was no world wide web, there was no cellphone, pictures or whatever. They just packed their bags and went. One of the women said to me, because [inaudible 00:07:31], "What made you do it? What made you get up one day and say, 'You know what? I'm leaving everything I know. I'm leaving my family, I'm leaving my friends and I'm going to this mysterious place to start a new life.'" And she said, "You know, what people from the US don't realize is the US is so enchanting. When you're not from here and you think about The United States Of America, there's a dream there. There's a dream to be had." And I just found that so special, and I think as Americans it's something that we should embrace and understand that we're so lucky to be here, and it's why other people want to come.Anna: So just that tenacity, that courage, I just found so inspiring.Suzy Chase: So in Heirloom Kitchen, it's organized with the recipe, a story, and a lesson. Talk a little bit about that.Anna: When I went in and I was pitching cookbooks to all the different editors at all the different publishers, that was very important to me. I said, "I understand I'm sitting here. I am proposing a cookbook to you, but I think the only way that this is really gonna work and is really gonna be as special as I want it to be is if we also share the women's immigration story, because I think that's half the story." I'll tell you, when I'm making the recipes, I think about the women and I think about their story. I learned a whole bunch of different cooking techniques, for example the Palestinian women taught me how to make Maqluba, and Maqluba means, in Arabic means upside down. So it's this rice dish that you make in a pot and then at the end, when it's all done, you literally flip it upside down and you take it out of the pot and you're left with this mold, and I will tell you, I made a couple of that, did not work, but phone calls back and forth, I figured out how to do it and it's so satisfying when you turn this pot upside down and this beautiful, delicious, rice dish comes out.Anna: So I just think that the book is what it is because you are getting the lessons and the stories, and the recipe all broken down for you, and obviously categorized by continent.Suzy Chase: Your mother is in this cookbook. I found it interesting that she wanted nothing to do with pre-packaged frozen dinners that were the rage when we were growing up, and they were supposed to make our mom's lives easier.Anna: Yeah. I have the chicken pot pie story in there because I think it's quintessential immigrant mother lure. I think that it's very funny and I think that a lot of people will also really relate to it. Yes, I mean, when we were kids all I wanted was a Marie Callender's chicken pot pie. I watched the commercial, it looked so delicious, and why did I have to eat this Italian food every night when I all wanted was this chicken pot pie? So she relented and bought it, and cooked it incorrectly because she didn't read the directions. She just kinda threw it in the oven and that was the end of our chicken pot pie, but I think for my mother, and especially, it's hard to make generalization, but for at least the women that cooked with, the immigrant women that I cooked with, is they value the food that they create so much that the pre-packaged ready in five minute meals, what you were saving in time, it wasn't enough.Anna: It wasn't enough for them to say, "Okay, you know what? Forget my stuff, I'm just gonna do this." And it's funny, the women from Ghana told me that there were times her daughter would say to her, "Mom, we want to take you out to eat tonight. Let's just go out. We don't want you to cook. Let's just relax." And her mom's like, "No. I'd much rather eat my food. I don't need restaurant food." And I laughed when she told me that 'cause my mom doesn't like going out to eat either.Suzy Chase: Really?Anna: So funny. I think it's a common thread because there's so much pride in what they're creating, and it does keep them tethered to their homeland, which is still so very special to them. The cover of the book is my mom making Tagliatelle, which is a hand-cut Italian pasta, and I watched my grandmother make them, and obviously my mom grew up watching her mother make them, and when my mom makes Tagliatelle, we think about my grandmother who is obviously now past, but it's just so nice to have that memory and eat food that tastes exactly like how my grandmother used to make it.Suzy Chase: The story that you told about your mom really shows that she viewed her new American identity as an extension of her Italian identity.Anna: Yes. Absolutely. I think when they came here, these women, right? They were very brave, and they learned English, and I talk about my mom getting her citizenship and going to ESL classes to become an American. That's very important to them and they're proud to be American, but they also needed to create kind of like a safe haven. You go out in the world, you have an accent, you're an immigrant, everyone knows that, so when you come home at night, what's gonna make you feel safe? What's gonna make you feel comfortable? It's your food. The minute you start cooking and the meatballs are bubbling, or you have the rice cooking, or whatever it is that you made back in the homeland that you're now making here, food transports you. I can get transported to the past just as much as it gives you energy to catapult you into the future.Suzy Chase: I think my very favorite photo is on the inside page of the cookbook. It's the one of the hands forming either ravioli or some sort of dumpling. It's fascinating how you're drawn, how I was drawn, to this woman in the photo. Is that your mom?Anna: No. So that is Tina, and she is making traditional Chinese dumplings, and she makes everything from scratch and then she just sits there and pleats all these dumplings and they all look exactly the same and they're perfect. What I love about ... But first of all, my photographer Andrew Scrivani was just a genius. He is a genius and he does a lot of work for The Times, and it's because he's so wildly talented, but his whole thing was, "I want to see hands." This is food that you make with your hands. Nobody pulled out a food processor, nobody used their Kitchenaid. It was rolling pins, hands, mixing spoons. I had women using mixing spoons that they literally brought over from their country. They hold up a spoon and say, "This spoon is 45 years old." But that's the food of our grandmothers, right? They didn't have all these gadgets. They weren't sous vide, they weren't hot pot. So that was very important in the cookbook, to have a lot of hands, and I'm so happy that you were drawn to that photo because it is so tangible, right? Like you feel like you're standing right next to her while she's pleating these dumplings.Anna: She told me that, so they make Chinese dumplings every New Year, and what I love about this story is, she said that the women would get up, and they make the filling, and they make hundreds of them. So all the women in the neighborhood would come together and sit down and while they're pleating the dumplings, they gossip. So it'd just be a totally gossip day making [crosstalk 00:15:14] for dinner.Suzy Chase: I love it. On Saturday I made the recipe for tomato sauce with meatballs on page 25. Was this your grandmother's recipe?Anna: Yes. To be honest with you, it was probably my great-grandmother's recipe. My mother also spent a lot of time with her maternal and paternal grandmothers, and they all had the same techniques to make all these different dishes. So yes, the Brodo di Mama, which is mom's tomato sauce, and the Polpette, which is meatballs, come from a very long line of women. My grandmother did a couple things that were different. One, as you know, she uses some of the sauce in the meatball mixture, which we feel makes them very tender, and there's no pre-frying or pre-baking, which I know a lot of people do. These meatballs just get simmered right in the sauce, which not only does it eliminate a step, once again, we think it makes a very light and airy meatball.Suzy Chase: At the very beginning of this recipe you steep garlic, basil and olive oil. I feel like this is like the magical secret ingredient to this dish.Anna: Yes. By creating, and almost kind of liking it to a T, because you're infusing this olive oil at a very low temperature to kind of marry all of those delicious ingredients, so that once you ultimately strain the garlic and the basil out, you're left with a very aromatic olive oil, which is the base of the sauce. Now, my grandmother was obviously a trend setter in her day because now you can buy so many infused olive oils.Suzy Chase: What do you tell people who see a recipe, or who will see a recipe in this cookbook, and think, "That's not how my mother makes it."Anna: Oh, I'm so glad that you asked that question, and actually, if you read the very beginning of the book, I do address that because I think we play a lot nowadays with the word authentic, I know you probably hear that word all the time.Suzy Chase: All the time.Anna: And you know, what really is authentic? How could we really put our finger on that, right? So what I'm saying is these are my mom's meatballs. She's from Calabria, it's very similar to the way in her mom's village probably made them, but you know when you get in the kitchen, that's your recipe, and you might, your husband might not like garlic, or your son doesn't like the pinch of hot pepper flakes so you eliminate that. So I think, what I would love this book to do for people is kind of like the way I look at any cookbook or even food magazine, is use it as a jumping off point. Let it stimulate in you those memories of your grandmother. So let's say for example you're Greek and you buy this cookbook because you want to know how to make Spanakopita, and then when you get to it you said, "Wait a minute, my grandmother didn't use cottage cheese, she used ricotta." Or whatever it is, but it gets those creative juices flowing, it gets those memories flowing, and that's what I really want this to do.Anna: I do want you to try the recipes in the book. They are phenomenal, they are delicious, they're grandma's greatest hits, because everyone gave me theirs best dishes, but don't fret if it's not just like your grandmother, because your grandmother was special and she made things her way, just like these grandmothers made it their way and hopefully it just creates a new, that nostalgia for the homeland foods.Suzy Chase: Grandma's greatest hits. I love that. I think the main sentiment in this cookbook is maintaining the culture of our origin countries was not a statement, it simply created the comfort of home in a new place. I think we all deserve the comfort of home.Anna: Absolutely, and I think whether you're cooking a recipe from Poland, or literally you're just making your kids some brownies after school, I think that that's what food does for us. Food is the one thing that we all had in common. No matter who you are, how important, everyone has to eat, right? So it's this common thread amongst every single person on the planet, and it does provide comfort. When you're hungry, all you want to do, all you think about is what you're gonna eat. I know for my kids, the things that I make that they feel are very special, or when I'm eating something in mom's house in a Sunday that she made when I was a little kid and I can think about those days. It's why I think the term comfort food was created, right? Because food provides comfort.Suzy Chase: Now to my segment called my last meal. What would you eat for your last supper?Anna: I think going on what I just said, I think my last meal would have to be something that my mom cooks for me, because when I'm eating something that my mom made, I know that that bowl of food is not only just filled with nutrients and everything I need physically, there is so much there emotionally for me, and it's filled with her love and her care, and everything that she wants me to have. One of the women that I cooked with said, "A mother is full when the children have eaten." And I think about that every day because I think that's the most important gift our mother give us, is nourishment and the memories of our childhood through food.Suzy Chase: Where can we find you on the web and social media?Anna: My website is annasheirloomkitchen.com and I'm very active also on Instagram, and I'm at @annafgass. So at A-N-N-A, F as in Frank, G-A, S as in Sam, S as in Sam.Suzy Chase: Heirloom Kitchens shows us that America truly is the land of opportunity. Thanks Anna for coming on Cookery by the Book Podcast.Anna: Thanks Suzy. This was great.Outro: Follow Suzy Chase on Instagram @cookerybythebook, and subscribe at cookerybythebook.com or in Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening to Cookery by the Book Podcast, the only podcast devoted to cookbooks since 2015.

On this episode of Editors Unedited, Cristina Garces, an Editor at Harper Design, interviews Anna Francese Gass, author of HEIRLOOM KITCHEN, out on April 9, 2019.

What happens to family recipes if they’re not written down? Anna Francese Gass decided to preserve these treasures by celebrating grandmothers and their culinary creations via her website, Anna’s Heirloom Kitchen. Joining Anna is her sister Luciana Francese DeCrosta, a real estate developer with Acadia Realty Trust, the company behind the DeKalb food hall in Downtown Brooklyn. The sisters talk about their mother’s meatballs, how Anna’s project has become a family affair, and how they keep their heritage alive through food. Also on the show, The Cookbook Call-In. We talk to Diana Yen of Jewels of New York about her recipe in Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook, Black Sesame and Matcha Fortune Cookies.

Behind Door 24 of the Alimentary Advent Calendar is the Feast of Seven Fishes, an Italian-American Christmas Eve seafood feast that speaks to both Old Worlds and New. Acclaimed food photographer Andrew Scrivani takes Kim back to his childhood on Staten Island and forward to his own modern, multicultural celebration of Christmas Eve.MORE FROM THIS EPISODESources We Found Helpful for this EpisodeThe Chef John Mitzewich PodcastBy Chef John Mitzewich & Andrew ScrivaniBooks We Think You'll  Enjoy ReadingThat Photo Makes Me Hungry: Photographing Food for Fun & ProfitBy Andrew ScrivaniHeirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women by Anna Francese Gass with Andrew ScrivaniRecipes You Really Need to TryFrutti di Mare - Chef DennisClams Oreganata - Orsara RecipesLinguine and Calamari - My Gourmet ConnectionWe would love to connect with YouAsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.Do you have a great idea