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

Bona Furtuna

<div class="my-[1px]">
<div class="py-[3px] whitespace-pre-wrap u-break-words">Mario Traina is a Sicilian chef, gastronome, and educator based in Catania. A graduate and ambassador of the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo (founded by Slow Food&#8217;s Carlo Petrini), he is the founder of the Comunità Educativa Gastronomica Etnea, Sicily&#8217;s first educational gastronomic community. He works as a private chef across the island, cooking for travelers with a zero-waste philosophy rooted in local ingredients and Sicilian tradition.</div>
</div>
<div class="my-[1px]">
<div class="py-[3px] whitespace-pre-wrap u-break-words">Website: <a title="https://chefmariotraina.com" href="https://chefmariotraina.com/">chefmariotraina.com</a> | Instagram: @chefmariotraina</div>
</div>


Chef Mario Traina in the kitchen with an apron on.

Chef Mario Traina

A man cutting watermelon beside a truck filled with watermelons in Sicily.

Features

Gelo di Mellone and a Family’s Sicilian Summers

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-casella-00081140b/">Chef Victoria Casella</a> is the founder, owner, and pastry chef and recipe developer of the award winning <a href="https://www.pasticceriaumami.com/">Pasticceria Umami</a>, the first company to focus on Italian Japanese fusion desserts. She also serves as Chef Lead and Culinary Instructor at Sur La Table. With family roots in Sicily and Basilicata, her work is driven by a deep love for Southern Italian culinary tradition and a passion for introducing regional Italian desserts to a wider audience. She is currently developing her debut cookbook, Pasticceria Umami: The Art of Italian Gelato, a collection of original and authentic Italian gelato and frozen dessert recipes elevated through quiet Japanese ingredients. To stay up to date with the cookbook and explore her recipes, visit her website.</p>


Sicily desserts

Gelo di Mellone and a Family’s Sicilian Summers

Gelato, Sorbetto, Granita—And How to Spot the Real Thing