“I grew up in an Italian family in Syracuse, New York and moved to Raleigh in 2010. My parents, brother and sister arrived from Calabria 40 years ago. Being the first born American in the family, I wanted to make sure I kept my ties to the “old country” strong. I have been lucky enough to make regular trips to Italy to visit 500 cousins and also travel around different regions of Italy. I watched my mother cook army sized meals for our family my whole life and had to bat away friends looking for frequent dinner invites for my mother’s famous meatballs. I have a passion for my heritage, culture and especially the food. My goal is to teach people about authentic Italian food so in 2010 I went on a culinary tour of Italy culminating in pasta making school in Bologna. Since Italian food is very regional and my family is from the South, I was able to learn a whole different tradition of Pasta Making in the method of the region of Emilia-Romagna – the center of fresh pasta in all of Italy. I’m excited to share these old traditions and food with you!”
Click here to find recipes and local cooking classes with Melina herself!
