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Chiara Montalto Giannini

By training, Chiara Montalto Giannini is an actress and a writer, but she has been cooking since before she can remember. As an actress and a writer, her solo play, A Brooklyn Love Story – based on the decade she spent living in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn with her grandfather – was produced Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York and at Theatre 68 in Los Angeles, where it was directed by Ronnie Marmo. Currently, she is the Director of the Writers Guild Initiative, a non-profit affiliated with the WGAE that shares the tools of writing and creative expression with different communities. She’s also a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild. At Appetito, Chiara will share recipes from her childhood and those she has learned through her extensive pursuit of Italian food both here and abroad.

Make This Fig Crostata for the Holidays

Our contributor shares her version of a family dessert recipe that is great for the holidays or anytime this winter.

December 18, 2023

Aunt Phyllis’ Italian Citrus Cake

Our contributor continues her series on the "Era of Coffee and Cake" with a signature cake of her beloved Aunt Phyllis.

December 13, 2023

How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers

In Fun with Zucchini Flowers, Part 3, a simple tomato sauce meets a secret ingredient.

Spaghetti with Zucchini Flowers, Zucchini and Breadcrumbs

In Fun with Zucchini Flowers, Part 2, our contributor shares another recipe for zucchini flowers that makes for a perfect summer pasta.

September 11, 2023

Fun with Zucchini Flowers, Part 1: Fried and Breaded

A four-part series on using zucchini flowers begins with a classic from the grandmother's kitchen of our contributor.