Numero Undici

Part cookbook, part memoir, Numero Undici is a time capsule in the form of this humble publication that documents and reflects on my Nonna and Nonno’s home at 11 Trudewind Road, Wodonga.

Cooking was the main vehicle in which I processed the grief of my Nonna’s passing as the last surviving grandparent in late 2021, and allowed me to retrace my steps from my earliest childhood memories of food and cooking right through to the beginning of my thirties. By cooking for friends, family and colleagues I have been able to move through the stages of grief while producing this book, reflecting on my family’s northern Italian heritage, and discovering the things that matter the most – good food, friends, a sunny afternoon and a sauce that makes you reach for the bread to clean your plate.

The recipes inside have been handed down through my family, are new renditions of family classics, or recall fond memories from Numero Undici. Designed to be cooked as they have been enjoyed throughout my three decades of full-time eating and experiences around the dining table, each dish is an exercise in simplicity, intimacy and abundance.

Reach for this book, invite a handful of friends over and enjoy a few hours around the table.