Heirloom Kitchen

Born in Italy, Anna Francese Gass came to the United States as a young child and grew up eating her mother's Italian cooking. But when this professional cook realized she did not know how to make her family's beloved meatballs--a recipe that existed only in her mother's memory--Anna embarked on a project to record and preserve her mother's recipes for generations to come. In addition to her recipes, Anna's mother shared stories from her life in Italy that her daughter had never heard before, fascinating tales that whetted Anna's appetite to learn more. So, Anna began reaching out to her friends whose mothers were also immigrants, and soon she was cooking with dozens of women who were eager to share their unique memories and the foods of their homelands. In Heirloom Kitchen, Anna brings together the stories and dishes of forty strong, exceptional women, all immigrants to the United States, whose heirloom recipes have helped shape the landscape of American food.