AUTHENTICALLY VEGAN
Even Nonna Won’t Know
Hi! I'm Elyse, self-proclaimed red wine enthusiast, cat mom and fresh cannoli snob.
I live in Los Angeles with my husband, David, and three cats, Rocky, Millie and Kona, but was born and raised in Massachusetts. I grew up with a very large Italian family. So large, in fact, that we wore name tags at family reunions, to show which branch of the family we were from!
As a self-taught baker, I sold cakes and catered events after graduating college. However, in 2015, my husband David and I went vegan, so I took a step back. What started as a challenge to feel healthier, turned into a way of living. And we have not looked back since!
However, as much as I loved going vegan, I was a little sad. I thought I might never experience some of my favorite Italian dishes ever again.
But then, I started to CRAVE an Italian butter cookie!
You know, the pink and green and chocolate ones from a bakery? They are a fairly plain cookie, yet I NEEDED one.
After about 2 years worth of failed attempts, I finally cracked the code, and made, what I consider to be, a true bakery style Italian cookie. This re-ignited my love of baking, and I began to recreate all of my favorite Italian treats, and then some!
What started as a need to satisfy a craving, turned into a passion for sharing my treats with others. Whether you are vegan or not, I promise that you... nor your Nonna.. will know the difference.
An Italian Legacy:
The Family Behind the Bake
The picture above is my family, after immigrating from Italy to Massachusetts. My great-grandparents, Pasquale and Mary had eight children, and, according to my Nonna, her dad would make his own wine in the backyard of their home (Massachusetts, after all, is known for their wine 😉).
My Nonna took her parents recipes and raised me on homemade pastas, pasticiotti, pizzelle and lots and lots of cheese! It was my Nonna's ease in the kitchen (and lack of strict recipes - "I just feel it" she says) that first inspired me to cook and bake.
It is for her, and my Italian roots, that I hope to honor and keep alive in everything I make.