Family Recipes

I have always cooked for the simple pleasure of serving family and friends and enjoying the fruits of my labor as soon as the meal was ready. It’s the Italian way. As we began organizing ideas and recipes for our family cookbook, I had an epiphany: I am neither a chef nor a food photographer. Exacting lists of ingredients, measurements, and prep times has never been my style, instead, preferring to improvise in the kitchen. This is evident in the style of these recipes, which is best enjoyed with a glass of Cimarossa wine in hand and the idea of exploration in mind. We will guide you through key steps in recreating some signature Italian dishes and also suggest various techniques for success that I have gleaned over the years. Certain dishes rely on exact measurements and a series of steps, so in those instances we have made every effort to provide them. I’ve also found the art of food photography to be a specific and demanding exercise in composition, lighting, and patience—which is not one of my strong points—so please accept the photos within these recipes as a mere hint at what a finished dish might look like plated on the table. As you sift through the recipes on this page, you’ll find our approach is less about ‘how-to’ steps and more about life at Cimarossa, and the role that food and wine play up here on our ‘red hilltop.’
We hope you enjoy these with this spirit in mind.