Hi, I'm Bella!

My Story

I grew up in a small Italian-American household in Providence, Rhode Island, where Sunday dinner wasn't just a meal – it was an event. My Nonna Rosa would start cooking at dawn, filling the house with the aroma of slow-simmering tomato sauce, fresh basil, and homemade bread. As a little girl, I'd perch on a wooden stool in her kitchen, watching her hands work magic with the simplest ingredients. She never measured anything, cooking entirely by feel and instinct, and she always let me taste as we went along.

Those afternoons shaped everything I believe about food today. Nonna taught me that cooking isn't about perfection or fancy techniques – it's about bringing people together, creating memories, and nourishing the ones you love. When she passed away in 2015, I inherited her handwritten recipe book, filled with notes in her elegant cursive and splatters of tomato sauce. That book is my most treasured possession, and the inspiration for this blog.

Why I Started Home Recipe

After years of sharing Nonna's recipes with friends and family (and getting countless requests for "that lasagna recipe" or "those meatballs you made at Christmas"), I realized that these dishes deserved a wider audience. But more than that, I wanted to create a space where home cooks of all levels could find approachable, tested recipes that actually work in a real kitchen – not a professional test kitchen with unlimited time and every gadget imaginable.

Every recipe on Home Recipe has been made multiple times in my own kitchen, with my own family as taste-testers (they're wonderfully honest critics). I write the instructions as if I'm standing next to you, guiding you through each step, sharing the tips and tricks I've learned over twenty years of cooking for my family. Because I believe that anyone can make incredible food at home – you just need the right guidance and a little confidence.

My Cooking Philosophy

I believe that the best meals don't come from the most expensive ingredients or the most complicated techniques. They come from cooking with intention, using quality ingredients you can actually find at your local grocery store, and adding that intangible ingredient my Nonna always talked about: love. I know it sounds cheesy (pun intended), but there really is something special about food made with care for the people who will eat it.

My recipes focus on approachable comfort food – the kind of meals that make your house smell amazing, bring everyone to the table, and leave you feeling satisfied but not stuffed. I love Italian cooking, of course, but you'll also find plenty of American classics, weeknight quick fixes, and dishes inspired by my travels and the amazing food culture here in Portland.

What You'll Find Here