My earliest memories of cooking are from the 1940s at my grandparents’ ranch. They lived on ten acres of apricot and prune orchard where they raised chickens, vegetables, and other fruit and nut trees. My nonna was such an amazing cook, and there was always a crowd gathering on Sunday for dinner. No one ever knew how many would show up, but she never ran out of food!

Nonna would wrap a clean flour sack dish towel around me, lift me onto a chair and drag me and the chair to the kitchen counter, and later to the stove, where we would cook together. Now, as I look back over the years, I realize that as eager as I was to learn, she was as eager to teach her first granddaughter what she knew about cooking! She had no measuring cups and no recipes.

Joanne builds flexibility into her recipes with good humor along the way. She experiences cooking as one of life’s great joys to be shared with family and friends. She strongly believes that these recipes can always be altered to suit the tastes and needs of the cook.

Nonna’s Kitchen Chair is filled with color photos and illustrations. There are quotes from famous chefs and fun stories throughout. A great gift book!