Denise Romeo's Overview

Dom and I have been cooking together since we met 23 years ago. In fact, the very first weekend we met, Dom cooked Chicken Marsala for me. We use the recipes our mothers and grandmothers have handed down. We take recipes from cookbooks and make them ours by adding our own special flair. We have had a blast experimenting with new ingredients such as cardoons, oxtails, and stuffed squash blossoms. Dom grew up in an Italian community. Every Sunday his grandmother, Felicetta (Guarino) Warino, would... open their house to a multitude of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to enjoy handmade cavatelli with a meaty pomodoro sauce (made from tomatoes canned from the garden,) homemade bread with peppers in oil, and even homemade wine. It was unbelievably noisy and messy, but entirely enjoyable and memorable. I, on the other hand, grew up eating American classics like pot roast, chili and green bean casserole. My grandmother, Ruth Schuette, was an infamous baker and always had a freezer full of cookies! Our lives revolve around the kitchen. This is not by necessity, but by choice. We have had many wonderful times in our kitchen. Other families have bigger, fancier kitchens and yet they still eat out in restaurants most evenings. We actually cook in our kitchen. We love to experiment with new ingredients and have tried to instill a love for food and exploration in our two boys. Most importantly, we enjoy spending time together doing what we all love best: cooking and eating! Read more