Name: Americano Spritz
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 1/3 Cappelletti (wine-based bitter); 2/3 Prosecco; 1 orange slice

Appetito's aperitivo expert shares a refreshing spritz alternative to the familiar bitter spirits.

Why You Want an Americano, Americano, Americano (Spritz, that is)…

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Priya Lakshminarayan is the founder of Cookilicious, a vegetarian and vegan food platform where she shares Indian recipes, globally inspired creations, and modern interpretations of traditional dishes. A recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author, Priya is passionate about making Indian cuisine approachable and relevant to today&#8217;s home cook. She is the author of The Essential Vegan Indian Cookbook and recently appeared on Food Network&#8217;s 100 Cooks, where she won the Sunday Breakfast Challenge. Based in Orlando, Florida, Priya also hosts culinary workshops and supper clubs, bringing her love of food and hospitality beyond the digital space.

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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!
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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.
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<div>Marianna Cuomo Maier is a National Board Certified Health &amp; Wellness Coach and the founder of <a href="http://www.gratawellness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.gratawellness.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14YIpYbUloji2A2RHNVR0X">Grata Wellness</a>, where she empowers individuals to take charge of their health and cultivate joy through personalized coaching and engaging group sessions. Known for her holistic approach, Marianna leads transformative wellness workshops, events, and corporate wellness programs, utilizing an inside-out approach to foster growth and connection.</div>
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Additionally, she is the founder of the Emerging Leaders Council of <a href="https://italianlanguagefoundation.org/web/?doing_wp_cron=1700083117.0815899372100830078125" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://italianlanguagefoundation.org/web/?doing_wp_cron%3D1700083117.0815899372100830078125&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FeA-IVf0wN2W3zmaUJHKj">The Italian Language Foundation</a> (ILF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture. Marianna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Yale University and a Master’s in Teaching from National Louis University.
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gratawellness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/gratawellness/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0-p1BOSwGT2LwCBFQH-Smv">Join Marianna on Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.gratawellness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gratawellness.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3zJZn6DlYCdpYaedSJ9zYw">sign up for the Grata Wellness newsletter</a> for tips and inspiration. For personalized guidance, please email <a href="mailto:marianna@gratawellness.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marianna@gratawellness.com</a> or <a href="https://www.gratawellness.com/booking-calendar/complimentary-30-minute-consultation?referral=service_list_widget" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gratawellness.com/booking-calendar/complimentary-30-minute-consultation?referral%3Dservice_list_widget&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2pt-oFccDs6dDP44HSDO3D">book a coaching consultation</a> to begin your wellness journey today.
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Her deep dive into the soul and psyche of Italian cooking started over 30 years ago at Genoa,  one of the first high-end, chef-driven, seasonally focused restaurants in Portland, Oregon. During her 18-year tenure, 10 of those years as chef/co-owner, Whims introduced Portland diners to both the nuances of Italian ingredients and the concept of sourcing locally.
Today, she continues to share her passion through her three Portland restaurants (Nostrana, Oven and Shaker, and Enoteca Nostrana), the culinary tours she leads in Italy and the cooking classes she hosts around the world. Her writing and recipes have been featured in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Eating Well and soon in the pages of her first cookbook, scheduled to debut in 2025.
Whims’ culinary philosophy is grounded in the way Italians weave food into the seasons, holidays, love, friendships and daily life. Similarly, Cathy has created personal relationships with numerous farmers and ranchers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as winemakers in Italy and at home, crafting a community that celebrates the good things in life that come when you sit with friends at a table. Her ability to follow the seasons, creating brilliant food that comes from the heart has earned her six James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef Northwest and is the guiding vision behind all of her restaurants. 
Cathy’s community building includes serving on the board of Scuola Italiana di Portland, a non-profit school for all ages that promotes Italian language and culture, as well as ongoing collaborations with The Culinary Breeding Network, an Oregon State University initiative that aims to bridge the gap between ‘breeders and eaters’ by improving agricultural and culinary quality in vegetables and grains. And for many years she served on the board of Slow Food Portland–the first chapter in the United States of Slow Food, the non-profit, member-supported organization founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract the culture of fast food. 
Cathy is the owner of  three Portland, Oregon restaurants: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://nostrana.com/">Nostrana</a> (2006), her beloved flagship restaurant since 2006 that serves inventive regional Italian through the lens of seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients. Heralded  as one of the best Italian restaurants in the United States by Thrillist and Tasting Table, Best Pizza in Portland by Eater and Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian in 2006, the year it opened.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.ovenandshaker.com/">Oven and Shaker</a> (2012), an urban pizza and cocktail spot in Portland’s Pearl District, with a second location in Lake Oswego. Named one of the best places for pizza in Portland by Portland Monthly in 2022.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://enotecanostrana.com/">Enoteca Nostrana </a>(2018), a gorgeous, modern wine bar and special events space with an award-winning wine list focused on small producers and creative bar programs. The 2018 Eater Portland Award winner for Design of the Year and a 2018 Portland Monthly Best New Restaurant.</li>
</ul>
Follow Cathy on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cathywhims/?hl=en">@cathywhims</a>.
Photo: John Valls

Why You Want an Americano, Americano, Americano (Spritz, that is)…

Americano Spritz

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