Browsing by Category: New York City

If my grandmother weren’t gluten intolerant, I doubt macaroons would be such a big part of the Parla/Cipollina holiday dessert tradition. Same goes for ambrosia (don’t even think about dissing this white trash fruit salad–it defined my childhood). For us, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without these super sweet (more…)

On Sunday Mamma Parla and I made our first visit to the New Amsterdam Market in Lower Manhattan, which happened to be the market’s fiftieth engagement. It was also the market’s final meeting of 2011 and, in spite of the frigid temperatures, which were only intensified by the proximity to the East River’s icy waters, dozens of affable (more…)

My sister Laurenparla.

Within a few days of returning to the States for a brief trip in October, I began to crave pizza. When I’m at home at my mom’s house near Princeton, Conte’s is the logical choice. But when I visit friends and family in NYC, the options are far more numerous. In past years, I’ve tried most (more…)

Tonight thirty-one diners from all corners of the Tri-State area gathered in Porsena’s dining room to indulge in a Rome-inspired meal prepared by Chef Sara Jenkins. I curated this seven-course feast, which included Roman classics such as pasta e ceci, pasta alla gricia, and pangiallo. (more…)

On Sunday October 9 at 7pm, Chef Sara Jenkins and I will host a dinner at Sara’s restaurant Porsena in NYC’s East Village. The seven-course menu has been assembled to illuminate the characteristics and concepts of Rome and Lazio’s regional cuisines. Dishes will be accompanied by (more…)