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Joanne (Giovanna) Mosconi on “The Chef of Greenwich Village”

Joanne Mosconi writes about "The Chef of Greenwich Village," a love letter to the food and accomplishments of her beloved father.

Joanne (Giovanna) Mosconi, author of "The Chef of Greenwich Village," with her father Chef Pietro Mosconi.

Joanne (Giovanna) Mosconi, author of “The Chef of Greenwich Village,” with her father Chef Pietro Mosconi.

I wrote The Chef of Greenwich Village  as a promise to my father, Chef Pietro Mosconi, after his heart attack in 2015. It began as a mission to preserve his recipes—but became a love letter to a man who built a life in New York through food, family, and sheer will.

My father immigrated from a village in Emilia-Romagna in 1966 with a dollar in his pocket and a dream. He worked every job in the kitchen until he became one of the most beloved chefs in Manhattan.

"The Chef of Greenwich Village" by Joanne Mosconi.
"The Chef of Greenwich Village" by Joanne Mosconi.

When he finally had the means to bring his mother, Giovanna, to America, she passed away from a sudden heart attack. She never got to see what he built—but her recipes and energy live on in every plate he serves.

This cookbook captures our family’s journey, with over 100 recipes from our restaurant Monte’s Trattoria and the stories behind them. It’s part memoir, part legacy, and 100% heart. And if there’s one dish that brings it all together—it’s this one:

How to Make Lasagna Bolognese like the Chef of Greenwich Village - Appetito

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