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

Appetito

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

Italian grilled chicken served with fresh lemon and basil.

Recipes

Italian Grilled Chicken Thighs

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

Oven-Roasted Chicken with Fresh Figs

By training, Chiara Montalto Giannini is an actress and a writer, but she has been cooking since before she can remember. As an actress and a writer, her solo play, A Brooklyn Love Story &#8211; based on the decade she spent living in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn with her grandfather &#8211; was produced Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York and at Theatre 68 in Los Angeles, where it was directed by Ronnie Marmo. Currently, she is the Director of the Writers Guild Initiative, a non-profit affiliated with the WGAE that shares the tools of writing and creative expression with different communities. She&#8217;s also a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild. At Appetito, Chiara will share recipes from her childhood and those she has learned through her extensive pursuit of Italian food both here and abroad.

Chiara Montalto Giannini

Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs by Chiara Montalto Giannini.

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs

John Bersani is a writer, teacher and passionate advocate of Italian food, wine, and culture. A second generation Italian-American with more than 20 years of living in central Tuscany, John is the CEO of <a href="https://www.avventuratrips.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.avventuratrips.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737825963529000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1BAX5gW0CNhU5yyN_5plqU">Avventura Trips</a>, a travel company that offers small bespoke tour guides of the area.  20 Amici, 40 Ricette is his debut cookbook.

John Bersani

Braised Drunken Chicken (Galletto 'Briaco) by John Bersani.

How to Make Galletto Briaco, a Braised Drunken Chicken

Chef Michele Casadei Massari is the CEO, Founder, and Executive Chef at Lucciola in New York City. He is also the US Chef Ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
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Michele Casadei Massari

Air-Fried Chicken Wings in Parmigiano Reggiano Aioli.

Enjoy the Big Game with Air-Fried Chicken Wings in Parmigiano Aioli

Hello. My name is Joanna Moeller, and I am a passionate home cook residing in downtown Manhattan for 20+ years. I started my Instagram cooking page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spaghettiroots_nyc/">@spaghettiroots_nyc </a>in April, 2023, as a way to showcase my cooking, as I initially intended for it to be more of an inspirational cooking page featuring my &#8220;No recipe, recipes.&#8221; It has truly been a wonderfully creative outlet for me.

Joanna Moeller

Oven-Braised Chicken Cacciatore by Joanne Moeller.

Braising Series with Joanna Moeller: Oven-Braised Chicken Cacciatore

<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/matthewcutolo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/matthewcutolo/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737732208475000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2W9sxEjPHw8HA5vP3lJrJs">Chef Matthew Cutolo </a>is the Chef at <a href="https://gargiulos.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gargiulos.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737732208475000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0bAwnlSS05rHhUJPnWJ2yd">Gargiulo’s Restaurant </a>in Coney Island, Brooklyn. As a third-generation Italian-American chef, Chef Cutolo carries on the legacy of Gargiulo’s century-old cannoli recipe and is a passionate advocate for preserving Neapolitan and Sorrentine culinary traditions. Chef Cutolo’s expertise spans a range of classic Italian dishes, including Penne Pasqualina, Zeppole di San Giuseppe, and a unique Pizza Rustica. He is known for maintaining &#8220;Old School&#8221; Italian recipes and traditions, often learned through hands-on experience rather than written instructions.</div>

Chef Matthew Cutolo with his lasagna on the set of Good Day New York.

Matthew Cutolo

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

Italian American Classics, Part I: Chicken Piccata

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>.

chicken recipe