In part 3 of the Birrittella's Pizza Dough series, acclaimed pizzaiola Nicole Russell shows Appetito's Andrew Cotto how to make a calzone.

Making Calzone with Birrittella’s Pizza Dough

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Prosecco DOC & Digital Detox: The Art of Slowing Down (With a Glass in Hand)

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

Pasta with Creamy Locatelli Pumpkin Sauce.

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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

Pecorino Romano PDO is the King of Pecorino Cheeses from Europe

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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

Views like this help explain why a growing number of travelers are discovering Sciacca.

Why Sciacca May Be Sicily’s Next Great Food Destination

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

A professional chef and Italian cooking instructor for over 20 years, Deborah Dal Fovo has a passion for Italy. As a young woman in search of a more meaningful life, she left her home in the U.S. and moved to Northern Italy to rediscover family roots in the Dolomites. After living in Milan and Tuscany for 20 years and cultivating a wealth of culinary knowledge and skills, Deborah now divides her life between Italy and California, where she shares her mastery of Italian cuisine and lifestyle.
Chef Deborah has cooked for royalty, rock stars, tech moguls, and political leaders, and plenty of regular folk celebrating a love of the good life. She teaches Italian cooking online and in person at schools and venues around the world, including the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Eataly Silicon Valley, and Italian Cultural Institutes.
Dubbed the Italian Martha Stewart by her clients, Deborah shares the beautiful Italian lifestyle ‘la bella vita’ through her brand of cooking and entertaining. You can find Deborah in the kitchen cooking up Italian feasts, teaching in person and online cooking classes, creating recipes and cooking videos for students and followers, and hosting week-long food and wine tours in the Dolomites for travelers wanting to get an insider taste of Italy. Deborah is sharing the passion for food and cooking that defines the Italian way of life!
For more on Deborah, please visit her site <a title="http://www.deborahdalfovo.com/" href="http://www.deborahdalfovo.com/">www.deborahdalfovo.com</a> and her La Bella Vita blog: <a title="http://www.theartofitalianliving.com/" href="http://www.theartofitalianliving.com/">www.theartofitalianliving.com</a>.

Deborah Dal Fovo

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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.

Samuel Ghelli

Homemade lasagna on a wooden table in a sunlit Italian farmhouse kitchen.

The Italian Saying That Celebrates Leftovers

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.

Making Calzone with Birrittella’s Pizza Dough

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