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A collection of our personal stories… our families, friends & how CASAGIOVE California came to be. |
~the following is N°1 in the series, Tutti a tavola // Come to the table~ Although summer of 2020 may look quite different than past summers, one thing remains the same– our need for gathering around the table as a family each evening. In fact, the warm Italian invitation, Tutti a tavola! // Come to […]
~the following is N°3 in the series, Un’estate senza fine // An endless summer~ The next part of our journey brought us to Napoli for the wedding of my cousin, Maddalena, to Giancarlo. The anticipation was palpable. We couldn’t wait to see our precious Italian family and to celebrate with them. What a gift it would be […]
Andiamo! Wait…ANDIAMO? When the new year arrived, I realized I hadn’t decided what my word for the year would be. Last year, it was present, and having that word as a frame of reference proved to be helpful. Referring to it became the gentle nudge I needed when I started to revert to worrying again. […]
I love this time of year— it’s my favorite, actually. I love that it’s starting to get a little cooler and a bit more crisp out. I love the excitement of going back to school and the hope that comes with it… More than anything— this stems from my parents. They were both immigrants and the […]
Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy dining al fresco with family and friends. Dining al fresco is simply eating outside; it requires very little and has the ability to top off a beautiful day perfectly, to make an ordinary day more special, or to brighten up even the toughest of days. In the spirit of […]
I am constantly learning from my students. They continue to inspire me long after our time in the classroom together. Recently, one of my former students shared something that prompted me to choose a word to define my new year. It seemed so simple — a word. Not a list of to do’s, not a complicated […]
My mom, Rosa Giuseppina Ianniello, was born on July 2, 1938 in the small town of Recale, Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. She is an incredible woman who has endured more tragedy than most, but you wouldn’t know it from the big smile she still greets everyone with to this day. Growing up […]
i miei cugini, my cousins, who are like brothers to me I have always wanted brothers. Big brothers to tease me, protect me and love me. My Zia Ninuccia had three sons, my dear cousins Enzo, Orazio and Nicola…. From the moment I walked through their portone to the moment I left, they lovingly […]
CASAGIOVE // kah-sa-JO-vay //… Sure, it’s fun to say, but why did we choose it for the name of our market? We first thought of CASAGIOVE because Zia Ninuccia, the inspiration for the market, lived and ran her market in the city of Casagiove, Italy which is located in the region of Campania. The first […]
This is my aunt, Maddalena Santoro, or as I affectionately called her, Zia Ninuccia. She was the beloved owner of her own market in Casagiove, Italy, and the inspiration for Casagiove, California. I loved my zia. I loved the way she embraced us when we came into town, and I loved how she made everyone […]