Anna Marie and her Mother	Anna Marie on her bicycle

I was born in Italy after World War II. My mother was from Calabria and father from the Piedmonte region. My family came to the U.S. in 1956, as so many immigrants did at that time. My father worked very hard to make a living for us and my mother stayed at home and kept the family together.

Even though we were in America, our Italian traditions never left us. Food was the central theme in my home. One of the many things I learned from my mother when cooking is that you never use anything but the best ingredients. She was an incredible cook and I learned so much from her. My mother would can eggplants, make fresh pasta, lasagna, polenta, risotto and even suppresata as well as many other specialties. I remember helping her make gnocchi’s on Sunday mornings. (I was in charge of running them through the fork to make the indentation.)  Everything she made was fresh, never frozen. 

Making biscotti’s brings back so many memories to me. I finally returned to Italy in 1999, over 40 years after I left. I went to my father’s home in Piedmonte, a little village called Piozzo. During this and three subsequent visits to Piedmonte, I learned much more about the northern Italian cooking heritage from my family. My father’s village, Piozzo, is located in the area of Italy that makes the finest chocolates, wonderful wines and truffles. His family home sits amongst hazelnut orchards, which are a major crop in Piedmonte.

I was fortunate that four of my Zio’s (Uncles) were still alive and were able to tell me so much about their lives. I sat by the fireplace in my Nonna’s old home where I remember her cooking the family meals and delicacies and slipping me pieces of candy from under her pillow as we slept together. Most of all, I listened to the stories told by my uncles and cousins and traded hugs, tears and kisses. It was magical and the memories will never leave me.

My visits to Italy have made me realize how important traditions and customs are in my life. At Christmas we made special cookies from both the Northern and Southern Italian regions, among them biscotti. My Nonna’s traditional biscotti were made with almonds and anise. Biscotti di Toscana products are hand made the traditional Italian way and I want everyone that tastes them to love them. Each biscotto is hand rolled, individually cut and hand dipped in chocolate. My Biscotti di Toscana products are hand made with love; like my mother made her food with love and respect for traditions.