Cocktails

About Us

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

News, stories, and recipes for anyone who loves Italian food, wine, spirits, and travel

Appetito

I am the idea behind and the co-founder of Mama Mancini’s. I am also a home cook, an obsessed entrepreneur, traveler, foodie, and I love sharing all of it with anyone who wants to listen. I believe passion fuels ideas and there is no such thing as a bad idea or too much passion. I look at the picture of my grandmother, Anna Mancini, holding me as a baby and think wow if my grandmother only knew that all those countless days of me learning how to cook by her side in Brooklyn would turn into this. After 25 years in the garment industry, I decided in 2007 it was time for a change. My idea: real meatballs made the authentic Italian way and sold in real sauce. To me there was no other way they should be offered, that was my big idea and Mama Mancini’s was born. The rest is history. So, I say this to everyone who has an idea: never give up; don’t listen to the people who say it won’t work. No idea is a bad idea and always chase your dreams. Let’s cook.

Daniel Mancini

Penne pasta with sautéed eggplant, cherry tomatoes, capers, and fresh basil in a light tomato sauce.

Recipes

Not “Alla Norma” Pasta

<a href="https://linktr.ee/maxtucci">Max Tucci </a>is the 3rd Generation Partner &amp; Global Brand Officer for Delmonico’s, New York, Owner of TUCCI-New York, an Award-Winning Author, TV Personality, Host, Producer &amp; Philanthropist.

Max Tucci

White truffle and mushroom risotto served on a blue plate.

Max Tucci’s Truffle and Mushroom Risotto with Pozzi Rice

<a title="https://francescazani.com/about#:~:text=Francesca%20Zani%20is%20the%20Assistant,%2C%20food%20news%2C%20and%20more." href="https://francescazani.com/about#:~:text=Francesca%20Zani%20is%20the%20Assistant,%2C%20food%20news%2C%20and%20more." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Francesca Zani</a> is a Food Editor at Delish, where she develops and writes recipes and features, produces, directs, and styles multi-platform videos, and hosts on-camera recipe and educational content. She also curates European-inspired food, lifestyle, and adventure content and writes a newsletter on <a title="https://francescazani.substack.com/" href="https://francescazani.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Substack</a>. She previously launched <a title="https://francescazani.com/buy-it/" href="https://francescazani.com/buy-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ciao Boxes</a>, a curated Italian-inspired food box, through her<a title="https://francescazani.com/" href="https://francescazani.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> </a><a title="https://francescazani.com/" href="https://francescazani.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a> and brand CIAO FRANKI LLC.
Francesca began her career as a bakery clerk at an Italian bakery, which led to pastry baking and decorating. She had a brief stint as a line cook at Castle Hill Inn and other Hudson Valley restaurants before joining Powerhouse Productions, where she worked her way up from Associate Culinary Producer to Culinary Producer. Over nearly four years, she produced award-winning lifestyle and food TV, working with talent like Patti LaBelle, JJ Johnson, Marcus Samuelsson, Kwame Onwuachi, and Jernard Wells. She was a producer on the James Beard-nominated series EatUp! New York, and led food styling for Wells’ cookbook Southern Inspired. 
Francesca is a CIA graduate with degrees in Culinary Arts and Applied Food Studies, with a concentration in Italian cuisine.

Francesca Zani

Bowl of rigatonini pasta with andouille sausage, Lacinato kale, cannellini beans, ricotta and grated Pecorino Romano.

Rigatonini with Andouille Sausage, Lacinato Kale and Cannellini Beans

Sarah Campise Hallier is the Associate Editor at Appetito Magazine. She is also a Board Member of Poggioreale in America Inc, a nonprofit committed to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Western Sicilians and their diaspora. Featured in Italy Magazine, The Local IT, la Repubblica, and We the Italians, Sarah enjoys covering everything from cultural identity to the evolving Italian-American food experience. A California girl at heart, when she’s not crafting food, travel and wellness stories, she’s chasing down the best foodie finds on her travels and sharing them at <a title="https://www.instagram.com/foodiesfromca/" href="https://www.instagram.com/forkboundfoodies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@forkBOUNDfoodies</a>.  Subscribe to her newsletter <a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/about-1">here</a>.

Sarah Campise Hallier

Jonathan Bailey in MARTINI's summer 2026 aperitivo campaign

Jonathan Bailey is the New Face of MARTINI’s Summer Campaign

Morgan Hines is a New York City-based contributor for Appetito. She loves learning about and experiencing Italian cuisine and culture. Morgan is a full time reporter at PhocusWire and also contributes to Hotels Above Par, Women&#8217;s Wear Daily, Footwear News, etc. She was previously a full time reporter at USA TODAY and holds degrees from Columbia University and Georgetown University. Follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morganemhines/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@morganemhines?lang=en">TikTok</a> at <a>@MorganEmHines. </a>

Morgan Hines

Overhead view of the Mana Breeze cocktail with watermelon garnish beside the pool at The Dominick hotel.

Sipping and Sunning: Mana Breeze Italicus-Infused Cocktail

Lowcountry Bella (Mandi Casey) is Italian by birth and Southern by choice. Moving to eastern North Carolina as a young girl, she was exposed to a whole new type of cuisine like BBQ and hush puppies. As an adult, she embraces both cultures so you never know what she may be cooking up in her kitchen! Currently she lives in both Pawleys Island, South Carolina and Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Her family continues to grow, and that makes her happy because there are more people to feed and love. What&#8217;s better than that?
In addition to creating, cooking and sharing great recipes, she loves to research the history of food origins. Understanding the flavors and ingredients helps her creativity, but more-so, appreciate the meal with even more passion.
Mandi loves to be a guest of events, signing books and donating a portion of her net proceeds to local charities. Her second cookbook, Mangia Y&#8217;all &#8211; Make Everyday Delicious, was released in July 2025.
Please follow her on her website <a href="http://www.lowcountrybella.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lowcountrybella.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1705416623316000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2qLX1Ag56lHqdrjNXYhkQG">www.lowcountrybella.com </a>or on social media: @lowcountrybella on both Instagram and Facebook.
Mangia Y’all!

Mandi Casey of Low Country Bella on a foam green Vespa in a floral skirt.

Lowcountry Bella

Homemade peach basil cheddar muffins arranged on a serving platter with fresh basil leaves and peaches.

Peach and Basil Muffins That Taste Like Summer in Italy

Paul Watters grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he discovered his passion for cooking at the age of 16. With nearly 35 years in the culinary industry, he has worked in some of the world’s most renowned kitchens, including the Savoy in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. His career has taken him around the globe, allowing him to explore new cultures, refine his craft and gather decades of experience that continue to shape his approach to food today.

Paul Watters

Chicken parmigiana with tomato sauce, melted cheese, fresh basil, and seasonal vegetables.

Chicken Parmigiana Recipe Inspired by Italian Family Traditions

Captain Claudio’s Lobster Bloody Mary

Part reporter, part pasta enthusiast, and always in search of a good story, the Appetito Editors bring readers the latest happenings in food, travel and Italian culture.

Appetito Editors

illy's classic affogato combines vanilla gelato with freshly brewed espresso for an easy Italian dessert.

Illy Affogato Recipe: The Easy Italian Coffee Dessert for Summer

Hello. My name is Joanna Moeller, and I am a passionate home cook residing in downtown Manhattan for 20+ years. I started my Instagram cooking page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spaghettiroots_nyc/">@spaghettiroots_nyc </a>in April, 2023, as a way to showcase my cooking, as I initially intended for it to be more of an inspirational cooking page featuring my &#8220;No recipe, recipes.&#8221; It has truly been a wonderfully creative outlet for me.

Joanna Moeller

Victoria Granof preparing Sicilian biscotti al vino in a home kitchen.