I thought I would leave the Greek Cuisine this time around and share this very old delicious Italian Lasanga Recipe, that was given to my mother from her Italian friend Maria many many many moons ago. Our next door neighbors in the states was this wonderful and very happy Italian family. The mother’s name was Maria, can’t remember what the father’s name was and the son’s name was Rosario.

As children growing up in the states, most of the time we would play outside, on the street along with the other kids on our block and so did Rosario. Every afternoon/evening a little before 6, Maria would come out yelling “Rosario Manga” hahahaha till this day I still remember how Rosario would respond with “Mama ooohhhh” he would say something in Italian, stomp his feet, cross his arms, and then he would start running so that he would not have to go in and eat. Maria would then become furious and start yelling in Italian and of course then come running after him.

My mother and Maria became very good friends, we lived next to each other for so many years, they would exchange recipes, go shopping together, help each other out in the gardens, just being there for one another. What was really unbelievable was that neither one of these two ladies spoke good English, one Italian and the other Greek, and yet they communicated in their own little way. I found that to be amazing!!!

This recipe was originally passed on to Maria from her mother, and Mara gave this recipe to my mom.