Cooking Hall of Fame Gallery - a tribute to all the important cooks in my life. Please feel free to elect all the important cooks in your life, for they have all "whisked up a better world" with their Aroma Therapy...
To induct someone into the Cooking Hall of Fame click on Product Packages above.
Joan Arcieri Inducted November 20, 2006 by her cousin Elise Feiner She may never have had very much but what she had, she always gave generously of. Her warmth and laughter will always be a part of those who loved her. Her Most Famous Recipe: Anginette Cookies |
Her Most Famous Recipe:
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Thirza Castro Avella Inducted January 25, 2007 by her sister-in-law Elise Feiner Her ability to have a great time was legendary... Her laughter and her dancing filled a room with joy. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Thanksgiving Turkey |
Dorothy Burt Inducted October 3, 2007 by her daughter and son-in-law Eileen and Anthony Furino Dorothy was a legendary gourmet cook. She filled her home with love and aroma therapy. Her Most Famous Recipe: Eileen: Her Roasted Turkey and Thanksgiving Dinners Anthony: Her Chocolate Cream Pie |
Mary Avella Caccavale Inducted December 23, 2007 by her nephew Marc Feiner There were never less than 30 people around her dinner table on any given Sunday or holiday. Her Most Famous Recipe: Marc says it's her sanguinache or blood pudding
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Jeane Tolino Cassata Inducted November 14, 2008 by her "other daughter" Elise Feiner Jeane is an amazing women who makes cooking so easy. When you sit and converse with her the recipes just flow and flow Her Most Famous Recipe: Her legendary Tomato Sauce but I love her Fried Bologna, Eggs and Potato Chips
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Evita "Eva" Castro Inducted November 10, 2007 by her son-in-law Joseph Avella Eva always carried a full load, most of the time by herself, yet she managed to find time to be an excellent cook Her Most Favorite Recipe: Paella |
Ann Frances D'Amico Inducted October 3, 2007 by cousin Elise Feiner Ann was Martha Stewart before there was a Martha Stuart. She is known for her family parties, doing all the catering on her own, and, all her friends bridal showers and parties Her Most Famous Recipe: My two favorites are her Linzer Tarts and her Quiche Lorraine |
Vincent "The General" DeClemente Inducted September 20, 2008 by his nephew Marc Feiner We may to give equal time to our influential men too... Uncle Jimmy is a fabulous cook, and more importantly one of the kindest and loving men around His Most Famous Recipe: There are so many but Marc nominated his Peppers |
Maria Di Pierdomenico Inducted February 18, 2008 by Elise Feiner Maria was our next door neighbor when I was a little girl. She made pizzelles before they were in vogue, filled them with her homemade strawberry jam and grated chocolate. I can still see those old fashioned pizzelle irons with the long handles on her stove. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Pizzelles |
Rose Marie DiPierdomenico Inducted August 23, 2008 by her "sister-in-law" Elise Feiner Ro is an incredible good, feeding tons of people at the same time. Her barbeques were famous all over the Hampton's. She makes cooking look easy... She turned the Feiner kids into mussel eating machines Her Most Famous Recipe: Mussels Marinara |
Steven Philip Feiner Inducted March 28, 2008 by his mother Elise Feiner Steven is a great cook for a young guy. He has embraced all of our family traditions and learned to cook them all. We can all rest assured that the next generation will enjoy the same foods as the past generations have His Most Famous Recipe: His Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing and New Years Eve Eggnog |
Phyllis Foster Caccavale Inducted October 31, 2008 Following in the footsteps of all her Avella aunts, Phyllis has led the next generation. The holiday meals were placed in her capable hands and she took the torch and ran with it. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Eggplant Parmigiana
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Aliza Gerstein Inducted October 28, 2008 by Jeffrey Feiner Aliza is our dear friend and was Jeffrey's Hebrew School Teacher. She is a warm and caring wife and mother...nurturing is what she does best...and then there is her cooking. She is of Greek descent and is a fabulous international cook. She and her husband Rabbi Stan stayed with Jeffrey at his apartment in Baltimore, hence, he was on the receiving end of her culinary generosity, and this nomination Her Most Famous Recipe: Spanokopita and Baklava
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Executive Chef John J. Grimaldi Inducted November 10, 2008 by his cousin Elise Feiner John has been cooking for as long as I can remember. He has cooked in almost every Italian Salumeria in Staten Island and can now be found in Long Island at Seven Brothers Catering in Oceanside Of course, I taught him everything he knows, lol "Johnny G" your the best! His Most Famous Recipe: So many recipes, so little space, but it would be his Chocolate Chicken |
Millie Grimaldi Inducted in August 17, 2007 by Elise Feiner From the smallest of kitchen Aunt Millie could turn out a gourmet meal in minutes. I remember as a kid going for lunch and she made the potato salad in 20 minutes, served it warm, and I was most impressed! Her Most Famous Recipe: Potato Croquettes |
Cyndie Koury Inducted July 15, 2008 by Elise Feiner Cyndie is a wonderful cook and specializes in all things ethnic. She is a whiz at Lebanese Cuisine. Her cookie trays are beyond the beyond. There is nothing she can't cook. Her Most Famous Recipe: Spinach Pies and Kibbee |
Diane Longo Inducted November 1, 2008 by Lauren Feiner Diane was our next door neighbor and we spent so many of our growing up years in her kitchen. She always had something special for us and has never forgotten us through the years. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Crumb Cake Diane my (Lauren's) Favorite |
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Elizabeth Barone Maida Inducted January 16, 2008 by her niece Elise Feiner Aunt Lizzie was such an incredible force in my life, having so much time at her house growing up. She and my mother were like sisters and the same holds true for her daughters and me. Her Most Famous Recipe: Sunday Roast Beef Dinners with Mushrooms on the side
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Clementina Massimiano Mainella Inducted February 17, 2005 by her granddaughter Elise Feiner My grandmother started it all, what a role model she was. Widowed at 29, pregnant with her last child, she took in sewing to take care of her family, putting a son through Medical School and a daughter through college, with the help of her other two children. She was an superb cook, anything she touched was delicious! Her Most Famous Recipe: Home-made Tagliatelle with Gravy and Meat
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Edith Jacques Mainella Inducted August 23, 2006 by her niece Elise Feiner Her heart and her house were always open to everyone she knew, and everyone they knew. She was French Irish by birth but learned to be a gourmet Italian cook when she came into our family. Her most famous recipe: Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool on Friday night) Fettuccine Alfredo my very favorite
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Jean LaRocca Mainella Inducted November 1, 2008 by her niece Elise Feiner I had the opportunity to live with my Aunt Jean and Uncle Pat during my senior year of high school when my parents sold their house in Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island. She was a woman ahead of her time, working from home and running s trucking business. She taught me to cook with color... You have to have several colors on the plate and you'll have a balanced meal she would say. Her Most Famous Recipe Veal Cutlets |
Josephine Emilia Mainella Inducted January 23, 2008 on her 90th Birthday by her niece Elise Feiner Aunt Fifi lived with our family her whole life as she never married. She was my other mother, and when my mother died, she came to live with Marc and I. We spent many happy hours in the kitchen together making bread, cookies, pasta...you name it, we cooked it. Her Most Famous Recipe: A Toss-up between Her Tarelle with pepper and nuts or her Easter Conga Bread |
Mary Marmorale Inducted December 1, 2007 by Elise Feiner Mary was a very close friend of my mother's for their entire lives and we remain that way with her children. Their families came from the same town in Italy. Her husband Mike would only eat Mary's cooking and no one else with one exception...he would eat my mother's food too, as their style of cooking was the same. As a child we would often go to Mary's on Sunday where she would have pizza dough rising and wait for dinner with bated breath. Her Most Famous Recipe Her homemade Pizza - no one has come close yet
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Antoinette Grimaldi Mercurio Inducted November 4, 2008 by Elise Feiner It seems all of the Italian women of that generation could rival any of the top chefs and culinary graduates of today. Ann was no exception. When going through all my mother and aunt's papers, I found so many recipes that were Ann's that we enjoyed through the years. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Fried Zeppole
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Rose Pacifico Inducted September 7, 2008 by Elise Feiner An incredible woman, a fabulous cook a wonderful role model. So many of my teenage years were spent in Rose's house and more specifically in Rose's kitchen. She ranked among the best cooks out there, and was willing to teach all she knew to her pesky next door neighbor who adored her. I learned so much about cooking from growing up in her kitchen. Her door was always open to everyone, family and friends alike. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her 2 o'clock in the morning pasta dinners
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Nellie Billet Reinish Inducted November 15, 2005 by her granddaughter Elise Feiner Nanny Nellie is my husband Marc's maternal grandmother. Along with her husband Judah, they ran Germantown Butter and Egg in Philadelphia, Pa. She was one of the few women who could give you a recipe with the right proportions from her head, although she never used a recipe to cook. When I married Marc, she taught me all there was to know about Jewish Cooking Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Cabbage Soup but she made a mean brisket, cole slaw, and luchen kugel too! |
Rae Lipetz Rosenfeld Inducted 10/31/2008 by her children Mindy Rosenfeld Stookey and Jake Stookey, Lindsey Ulrich Rosenfeld and Joshua Rosenfeld Her home is always filled with lots of love and great food. My note: Rae is quite a good cook but doesn't think she is...she is very wrong! Her Most Famous Recipe: Her incredible rugalach
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Camille Cassata Sanabria Inducted November 4, 2008 by her "sister" ELise Feiner Camille is a very close friend and a wonderful cook, as is her mother Jean,e and her sister Fran. I would know because whenever we head to the city we land at Camille and Rene's where we have had some wonderful meals. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Chicken Marsala and her grandmother's Thanksgiving Soup which I can never spell right
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Barbara Ostrow Schwartz Inducted July 31, 2007 by Lauren Feiner Aunt Barbara was a very important figure in the lives of the Feiner kids. She was the first person our Mom met when she moved upstate and they got along famously because they both spoke Brooklynese. We spent many holidays together gathered at each others tables. She helped us with all our college applications and grad school applications. She will live on for us through her recipes. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Potato Kugel and Brisket |
Ann Silvestri Inducted April 18, 2008 by her cousin Joseph Avella Having spent a good many years working for my cousin Philly and living at their house in Huntington I experienced first hand Ann's delicious meals. Her home was always open to the family and every year we had an annual holiday party there. Her Most Favorite Recipe:
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Angelina Avella Silvestri Inducted September 1, 2007 by her niece Elise Feiner My Aunt Julia was the oldest of my father's six sisters, and more like a mother to him than a sister. When I was young, she lived upstairs from my father's barber shop and would cook and bake into the wee hours of the morning. I wonder who I take after. Although she was a good cook, she was a superior baker. She was making Rice Krispie Treats before anyone knew what they were. Her anginette were legend. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Three Layer Sponge Cake with Ricotta Filling
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Ferne Sussman Inducted November 11, 2008 by her granddaughters Abby and Jody Feiner Ferne Sussman is a fabulous cook who work side by side with her husband Moe at Moe's Deli in Philadelphia. She is a wonderful cook in her own right. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Salads in the deli and her brisket
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Moe Sussman Inducted November 11, 2008 by his granddaughters Abby and Jody Feiner Moe, the driving force behind Moe's Deli deserves mention of this Hall of Fame Cooking Site. Although he may not have done the actual cooking at Moe's Deli it was one of the best Deli's in Philadelphia because of him. He ran a family business and those who worked there became family as well. He was one of the greats! His Most Famous Recipe: Moe's Corned Beef Special
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Jennie Avella Tarantino Inducted April 16, 2007 by her niece Elise Feiner Aunt Jennie was another of my father's sisters. On Sunday morning when he came home from church, we accompanied my father on rounds. First to see Aunt Frances, then Aunt Mary, then to Aunt Jenny's where she, and Aunts Mae and Flo lived. We ate our way through Brooklyn and mother mother could never understand why we were never hungary at dinner. A meatball here, some cake there, and so it went. My Aunt Julia as I said cooked, but she was really the baker of the sisters, Aunt Jenny was the cook. Her kitchen gave new meaning to the term Aroma Therapy. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Oven Roasted Potatoes...to die for!
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Maria Trainer Inducted August 14, 2007 by her children Katherine, Jonathan, Kyle and Tessa Our Mom is an absolutely terrific cook. Everything she touches is delicious. She does everything from scratch. She continues to cook and send care packages since we are all away at school or working in other cities. We all wait for those packages to arrive. Her house is open to all and our friends have never been so well fed. It was really hard to pick her most famous recipe as everything she makes is delicious! Her Most Famous Recipe: Her pesto sauce no one even comes close |
Estelle Zierler Inducted November 11, 2008 by Elise Feiner I met Estelle through my friend Fran, her daughter-in-law. Through the years we became great friends and gambling buddies. I always looked forward to her visits, for her sense of humor lit up the room. She was a good cook as well and in a house of good cooks, she always held her own. Her Most Famous Recipe: Her Tossed Salad and her Roast Beef |
Frances Cassata Zierler Inducted August 18, 2008 by her friend Elise Feiner When you love to cook, you sometimes don't enjoy going out to restaurants or other people houses because you can do it better yourself...not so if you eat at Fran's This woman can cook, and cook, and cook. At some point along the way some of her family were vegetarians, and she could cook macaroni a million ways. Our styles of cooking are so similar, so we always enjoyed it when one of us was doing the cooking so the other one didn't have too. Again, picking a famous recipe of hers is a hard thing to do, everything is great! Her Most Famous Recipe: At least for me is her Macaroni with Zucchini |
