Giovanna has compiled a collection of home style Italian and American recipes because she wanted her grown children and their families to share in them. And just to add a little spice to the soup bowl, I’ve included some of my mother’s Portuguese recipes as well as a few of my own. A potpourri of sorts, I’ve included a few which I have made and served in restaurants in Iceland, Italy, and California. As with all family recipes, these are true to the meaning of home cooking…and not tested in commercial kitchens. Giovanna’s use of simple ingredients to make delicious dishes have been applauded by one and all. My mother, Beatrice, made dishes which were popular in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s! They were old fashioned… plain and simple! Portuguese with a splattering of everyday American home cooking that she served three times a day. I can even remember my mother teaching me how to prepare cinnamon snails (or rolls) she purchased at the Day Old Bread store (it was cheaper than homemade). She simply laid a lettuce leaf or two on the skillet, then placed the roll on top of the lettuce, then covered both with a pot lid for a few minutes. Piping hot and fresh! And served with a cup of fresh ice cold milk brought straight from the diary by my Uncle Jimmie.…yum! And I believe she once told me that it cost a whole .03 cents, including the milk! You just got to believe these were the times before “Microwaves”. So, to that end, I give you Giovanna’s Family Recipes…. Joseph L. Rose Mondragone, Italy