Name: Curious Espresso 86
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 3 oz Curious No. 8 (Black + Blue Amaro); 2 oz Curious No. 6 (Coconut Painkiller); 4 oz Cold brew coffee; 2 bar spoons Blue agave syrup (or more to taste); Garnish: Mint leaf

Our Italian-Inspired NA cocktail menu for Dry January continues with this "curious" offering that combines espresso, Amaro and more.

Italian-Inspired NA Cocktail #2: Curious Espresso 86

core/paragraph

postId

wpzoom-recipe-card/recipe-block-from-posts

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

Close-up of homemade yellow squash stew with tomatoes and basil in a white bowl.

Recipes

How to Make Summer Sunshine Squash Stew

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

Fresh potatoes, crisp string beans, basil, and red onion come together in this classic Italian summer salad

Italian Potato, String Bean & Onion Salad Recipe

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

A rustic bruschetta board topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, burrata, prosciutto, olives, roasted vegetables, and toasted bread

Jessi and Alessio Pasini’s Summer Bruschetta

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

The Pale Rosé Spritz cocktail served over ice beside a bottle of The Pale Rosé.

The Pale Rosé Spritz is a Summer-Forward, Showstopping Sip

Fettuccine with Shrimp. Courtesy of Central Park Boathouse

Central Park Boathouse’s Fettuccine with Shrimp is Made for Summer

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

Not “Alla Norma” Pasta

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

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

Stanley Tucci visits the island of Procida

Features

Tucci in Italy Season 2 Recap: Campania’s Resilience

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

World Cup-inspired gelato flavors at Pamina Dolci e Gelato

Pamina Gelato Scores a Goal with World Cup Inspired Flavors in NYC

<pre>Rob LeDonne is a humor and culture writer whose work can be found in
Billboard, The New York Times, The Guardian, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and
Interview. He lives in Brooklyn and is of Neapolitan and Sicilian
descent.

Learn more about Rob at his <a href="http://robledonne.com/">website.</a></pre>

Rob LeDonne

DJ performing beneath a glowing Sammontana neon sign

Inside Sammontana’s Forte dei Marmi Beach Party

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.

Samuel Ghelli

A warm frittata on a plate with flowers with one slice cut

Rigirare la frittata: How Italians Flip an Argument

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hilarywritesny/?hl=en" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/hilarywritesny/?hl%3Den&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ydXi8uzvxO1L0CIg-q18x">Hilary Sheinbaum</a> is a journalist and the author of <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dry-challenge-hilary-sheinbaum?variant=32126637965346" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dry-challenge-hilary-sheinbaum?variant%3D32126637965346&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw02NQ2NJ7m30IERyX-kN7Ib">The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month (HarperCollins)</a>, a judgment-free guide to giving up alcohol for a month-long period.
Hilary is a prominent figure in the sober curious/nonalcoholic beverage space. She is an advocate for dry months and exploring fun, new and different ways to live a happy, adventurous, big life. In 2023, she was featured extensively in news articles and on broadcast segments including: MarketWatch’s piece on <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/sober-st-patricks-day-6-ways-to-celebrate-the-holiday-without-alcohol-209f1870" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/sober-st-patricks-day-6-ways-to-celebrate-the-holiday-without-alcohol-209f1870&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw22tdYPq1uhLA6v4yddwb05">nonalcoholic options on St. Patrick&#8217;s Day</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/dry-january-failure.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/dry-january-failure.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3O3sxdi-YtDepk_OMDv0ZP">The New York Times</a> which calls &#8220;Ms. Sheinbaum, the Dry January M.V.P.,” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/mocktails-dry-january-nonalcoholic-drinks-11673018218" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mocktails-dry-january-nonalcoholic-drinks-11673018218&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FXfdsCj4NbLHVFamTKNCO">The Wall Street Journal</a> in a front page story, <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/video/tips-dating-dry-january-96476684" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/video/tips-dating-dry-january-96476684&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3sd9aKPcyG-laN1CSufnPj">Good Morning America</a> in a dry dating segment with Michael Strahan, on <a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/human-interest/2023/01/14/author-discusses-dry-january-and-makes-an-alcohol-free-paloma?cid=share_clip" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/human-interest/2023/01/14/author-discusses-dry-january-and-makes-an-alcohol-free-paloma?cid%3Dshare_clip&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ik92RnsUe-gRzAfpOctR9">NY1</a> mixing a N.A. cocktail, and discussing Dry January tips on <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/dry-january-tips-to-drink-less/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/dry-january-tips-to-drink-less/?intcid%3DCNM-00-10abd1h&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LTAkNGEqhNVwN_LEKmOwr">CBS NY</a>, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/alcohol-related-health-issues-rise-in-young-adults/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/alcohol-related-health-issues-rise-in-young-adults/?intcid%3DCNM-00-10abd1h&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw35DZ_YEymcR-kfFX1qtUf1">CBS Miami</a>, The Tamron Hall Show, and NBC Streaming. Hilary also regularly appears on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnef26BKvhA/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnef26BKvhA/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1704223499783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3VotP8xJ4zyO_n2eL3lDoZ">Good Morning America’s Instagram</a> (3.5 million followers) and website, making her own N.A. concoctions. Her first TEDx Talk, covering the topic of dry dating, went live in October 2023.
The University of Florida graduate started her journalism career as a red carpet reporter, interviewing actors, recording artists and reality stars. Hilary has contributed to 60+ publications since, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, USA TODAY, New York Magazine, EATER, The Huffington Post, Us Weekly, Marie Claire, and ELLE.com.

Hilary Sheinbaum

post

<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.

Italian-Inspired NA Cocktail #2: Curious Espresso 86

Curious Espresso 86

Ingredients

Directions

Did you make this recipe?

Like this recipe?

Follow us on Facebook!

Read More:

Stay in touch

More Stories