Our language instructor, Luna, explains the Italian practice of "scarpetta" to help make the most of your meal.

How to “Fare la Scarpetta” Like an Italian

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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

Nonna's Italy in America (left to right): Nonna Italia, Nonna Luciana, Nonna Margherita, Nonna Lalla.

Features

Nonnas & Cavit Wines Want Americans to Celebrate Like Italians

<div dir="ltr">Planted, harvested and aged in NY, Li Valentine has a background in education and marketing, with a passion for travel and all things wine. With roots in the boot, she has a special interest in Italian wine and travel. She is a certified wine professional and Italian Wine Specialist. In addition to writing about wine (<a href="http://discover.thewininghour.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://discover.thewininghour.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1697217195025000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2tvR1J02Hhj2IanKTun4fa">discover.thewininghour.com</a>), she is the founder of The Wining Hour, Inc., which includes a wine boutique that caters to the wine lover, as well as the vinous winechat (#WiningHourChat) on X (formerly Twitter).</div>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<div dir="ltr">Follow Li on all social at @thewininghour.</div>

Li Valentine

Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, at VinItaly.USA 2025 in Chicago.

Vinitaly.USA in NYC: A New Chapter for Italian Wine in America

Paola Marocchi is a NYC-based pastry chef who has worked for some of the world&#8217;s most acclaimed chefs and restaurant groups. Her passion for Italian food was ignited from early childhood, growing up in an Argentinian household of Italian background that valued all things homemade and food as the main guest in any celebration. In her free time, she travels all over Italy mingling with locals and sharing in the culture, food, language and love for all things Italian.
Follow Paola on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paola_marocchi_/">Instagram.</a>

Paola Marocchi

Cacio e pepe topped with grated cheese and black pepper in a white bowl.

Salumeria Rosi’s Cacio e Pepe Is Worth a Visit to the East Village

Alyssa Smolen, MS, RDN, CDN, is a community dietitian, nutrition content creator on Instagram, freelance writer and recipe developer. She has been quoted as a nutrition expert in Food Network, Martha Stewart Living, Food and Wine, Forbes, Parade and US News and World Report. Her work has been published in EatingWell, Dietitian Connection and Today’s Dietitian. Work. Alyssa’s account, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/arugalyssa/">@arugalyssa</a>, promotes simple recipes and is a source for myth-busting nutrition misinformation. 
Find Alyssa online at: 
<a href="https://www.arugalyssa.com/">Website</a>
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@arugalyssa?_t=8lC6fE8Ykpf&amp;_r=1">TikTok</a>:
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssasmolen/">LinkedIn</a>

Alyssa Smolen

Vegetable soup with penne, chickpeas, tomatoes and leafy greens in a white bowl.

5 Italian Super Soups for Fall, According to Dietitians

I am the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Appetito magazine. I like Italian food &amp; drink, a lot. I am also an award-winning novelist and a regular contributor to the New York Times. More about my work can be found at <a href="https://andrewcotto.com/">Home &#8211; Andrew Cotto</a>.

Andrew Cotto

Let’s Bring Back the Spoon for Eating Our Spaghetti

Audace’s Tricolore pizza with tomatoes, melted cheese and basil on a patterned plate.

At Audace, Neapolitan Pizza Takes Center Stage

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

Appetito

Bona Furtuna

Michele Sessa is an Italian American home chef raised in upstate NY with a flair for creating new recipes. When she was young, her great grandmother would watch her while her parents worked. She only spoke Italian, and they communicated through the magic of cooking. The duo would bake, garden and even take care of the chickens, which developed Michele’s passion for making people happy through her food. All the women in her family fostered the importance of family, faith and healthy food.
Working in the apparel business for over 25 years in NYC and traveling the world for developing fashion lines, her love of different cuisines grew. Of course, Italian food is near and dear to her heart, but she now develops Greek, Asian, Latin and Mexican recipes for her family and for parties.
Now living in Florida with her husband and extended family, she even teaches her friends her innovative takes on Italian classic dishes. Everyone wants and invitation to her Italian Sunday feasts she makes for 8-14 family members, and everyone gets to pick their favorite dinner for their birthday celebration. Her Mother Louise has finally left NY and is living nearby, and they love cooking and baking together, especially for the traditional holiday meals. She learned everything about being a gracious hostess from her mom, and they even catered a large wedding for 65 guests in their backyard when her cousins came to America from Italy to get married!
Michele’s love for her heritage and family continues to drive her knack for entertaining, decorating and cooking. Instagram is another place where she shares her recipes, and she has a great following for her handle <a href="https://www.instagram.com/michele7533/">@michele7533</a>. Make sure to stop by her page for inspiration and her authentic stories through her eyes and her food! Casa Michele’s kitchen is a special place that you can visit through her page!

Michele Sessa

Italian Stuffed Peppers by Michele Sessa.

Recipes

Mondays with Michele: Italian Stuffed Peppers

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

Sunday Shop

Sunday Shop: What Caught My Eye at Mango During a Weekend Stroll

Nicoletta Ricci is an Italian author, recipe developer and food content creator based near Milan. She has contributed to Ora Cucina Magazine and develops and photographs Mediterranean-inspired recipes, with a particular interest in Italian regional traditions, creative home cooking and visual storytelling. She is the co-author of the English-language cookbook Food 4 Real – Create Your Italian Menu. When she is not developing recipes, she loves traveling, discovering local food traditions and, above all, cooking for the people she loves.

Nicoletta Ricci

Slices of erbazzone with green filling on a white plate beside purple flowers.

Erbazzone: The Savory Pie Reggio Emilia Eats for Breakfast

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

It’s the Season for Noni’s Autumn Sauce

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Samuel Ghelli is an Italian scholar and educator based in New York. He teaches and directs the Italian and Food Studies programs at York College, CUNY.