Famiglia Italiano

As a chef, the most common question that I get asked is, "What is your favorite meal to make?" My answer is always handmade pasta and gravy. Chef Darrin and I traveled to New Jersey a couple weeks ago and the food experience on that trip revealed why my love for this particular cuisine runs so deep.

My Italian Grandmom Stella and Uncle Vince from South Jersey share their love for us via food. And boy do I feel loved by the end of my visit! Upon arrival, I was delighted to learn that my Grandmom already prepared the gravy and meatballs and my Uncle Vince wanted to make "homemades" (which is what he calls handmade pasta) to go with it. He went to a cooking class of one of his favorite chefs in Philly at Nunzio's where he learned a great recipe for homemades. He enrolled my brother, Brian, Darrin and I to help with the process. We were very happy to do so!

Uncle Vince, Darrin and I made the pasta dough on Saturday. We find that it is always best to let the dough rest overnight, if possible.

Brian and Uncle Vince rolled and cut the pasta, I eagerly and diligently captured photos. The recipe calls for more than a dozen eggs, which surprised me. But the fettuccine was the most silky, tender, paper thin pasta that I have ever enjoyed. It is a memory that will stick with me forever.

Prepping the dough to be cut.

An old pro at work.

Passing on family traditions with teamwork!

The cut pasta hanging out to dry.

Did I mention that my Uncle makes extraordinary wine too?!

That pairs so nicely with the pasta! The pasta is ready for a quick bath in boiling water.

Time to taste our efforts!
And there is nothing like having a beautiful woman serve you some pasta!

Much love to this group! From left to right: Brian, Barry, Grandmom, Jim and Debbie

Famiglia Italiano!

Wine. Lots and lots of wine...

Our dinners are always filled with belly deep laughter, memories and tales of Grandmom Stella's adventures! I love you so much Perla family :) Thank you for sharing your Love of Food with me!

For the love of food,

Chef Jeanine

Chamber of Commerce

As mentioned in a previous post, one of our New Year's Resolutions is to get more connected with the community via Chamber of Commerce. Last week we went to a business after hours at Ivy in Wheaton. They had a delicious spread of food for us to enjoy and we learned who has been nominated for Best of Wheaton. Some of our favorite businesses are in the line up. You can vote for your faves here.

While mingling, we met interesting entrepreneurs. Dick O'Gorman, the owner of Ivy, was one of the most intriguing. His passion for food and entertaining is palpable. You can tell that he wants people to feel like they are coming to a friend's house when they eat there. We also met a cool cat, Frank Curiale. He owns We Know Tickets. He knows the ticket market in and out, so if you are looking for those hard to snag tickets, he is the man with a plan. He watches the ticket market as intensely as a stock broker watches the Dow. Frank said that he can help people figure out when to purchase in order to get the best price.

As our faithful customers know, we love highlighting local wineries and breweries in our cuisine, so we were happy to discover that Dry City Brewery is part of the Chamber. Chef Darrin went to school with one of the Ebel's, so we have an allegiance to Two Brothers, but we will definitely stop by Dry City Brewery and see what we can weave into our menus.

After the event, we headed over to Lynfred Winery. We treasure that place and we are looking forward to doing a wine and food pairing event with them on April 28th. I will fill you in our connection to them and give details about the pairing soon.

All in all, we learned that connecting with the community will be like nurturing a garden. Thriving vegetables don't pop up over night. It takes time, commitment and a desire to make our community a better place. Fortunately, Wheaton is a great place to sow roots. The businesses around here are long lasting and service oriented. We look forward to the relationships that we will develop with fellow entrepreneurs.

For the love of food,
Chef Jeanine

Farmed Here

The farmer in the dell
heigh-ho, the derry-oh!
The farmer in the dell


Farming has been an important part of my journey as a chef. After completing my studies at The Natural Epicurean I interned at Green Gate Farms in Austin, TX. I picked tomatoes for hours, meticulously harvested green beans, carefully trimmed herbs, fed the pigs, pulled weeds for days and more. I would often go home with scrapes, bites, bumps and bruises.


My experience on that farm made me eternally grateful for all of the farmers out there, especially the organic farmers. It is back breaking work that requires tough character. I think that I know why most farmers put in all of that hard work though. For the love of food! There is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that your work translates into people eating and enjoying better health.

FarmedHere is a Chicago-based company that we were thrilled to stumble upon one day at our local grocery store. During the winter, fresh herbs and lettuces still find their way into our menus, thanks to them. Chef Darrin and I always aim to serve seasonal and local foods. This company has the values and practices that we admire.

• FarmedHere is an indoor farm that relies on vertical growing technology. They use hydroponics which maximizes yield and conserves energy and real estate
• They have a sustainable local distribution model
• Instead of using more energy to build buildings for the farms, they are conserving by reviving postindustrial buildings
• They boost local employment via direct employees, suppliers and partners
• And, of course, best of all, the product is excellent!

Their basil and arugula show up in our hors d'oeurves menu frequently. We are always looking out for companies like this so that we can keep our menus fresh in spite of the freezing temps that are blasting our way. Let the freshness in and enjoy!

For the love of food, Jeanine

I resolve to...

oh! Happy New Year! 

It is a refreshing time of year. I can clearly vision my "better self". Feelings of optimism are flowing. I also sense a battle rumbling. One with my own integrity! Who will be victorious? The new me? Or my old self? When considering resolutions for the business, I decided to stack odds in my favor by selecting ones that simultaneously make me happy and create a positive butterfly effect. 

Sow roots in our community

Chef Darrin and I want to support and collaborate with the businesses in the area.  The Chamber of Commerce in Wheaton seems like a good start. Their goal is to foster business relationships, advocate for local economy, and develop business education and opportunities. I just registered oh! and I look forward to getting to know fellow business owners very soon.

Organize an effort

The question, "What are you doing for others?" regularly pops up in my mind. Darrin and I intend to create an avenue for community members to join us in donating food to civil service workers to thank them. We plan to put together a team to serve the underprivileged. This is a tough one because we are in the beginning stages of organzing. But where there is will, there is a way. 

Cultivate a garden

This one is personal. I interned at an organic farm and I managed personal garden beds when I lived in Austin, TX. Gardening is tedious in terms of prepping the soil, properly planting the seeds, weeding, and fertilizing. But the grand prize of harvesting fresh vegetables is so delicious! Having a garden inspries me as a chef, so it is a win-win for my home meals and oh!'s menu development.




For the love of food,
Chef Jeanine