Recipe for St. Anthony’s Bread. When I was little, I didn’t think about cooking, I thought of food as sustenance or gratification. I loved cookies, taralli, fritters and everything my local cuisine offered, first in Calabria and then in Piedmont, gradually expanding my knowledge. I was, in fact, a low-budget cook, but I accumulated experiences and aromas; and in the following years, with determination, I decided to delve deeper into the subject of “cooking.” Not that I didn’t know how to cook; at home, we took turns helping Mom prepare dinner, but I didn’t yet have a good approach to cooking, and Dad was very demanding when it came to rustic soups, his favorites. One day, I decided to try my hand at a cake, a simple sponge cake. I won’t tell you what an amazing shoe sole came out of it. I was a fan of broth made with a “stock cube.” Even now, I’m a fan of broth, but it’s been decades since I used that little square I thought was magic. I’ve learned to make a good broth or flavoring with my herbs, and I never part with them anymore.

Over time, I began working as an apprentice in some city delis and restaurants; gradually, I started refining my knowledge. I still have a lot to learn, but my journey through Italian cuisine continues every day, and this bread represents one of the pieces of our tradition with bread dedicated to the Saints.