Nanà's mother, Donna Amalia, had found a way to support her five children in that kitchen. Not only did she cook for her family, she also cooked for the workers who were rebuilding Naples after World War II. dishes were kept warm, wrapped in a hand towel and were delivered to the workplaces and later picked up by one of her sons, who would take the orders for the following day.

This was how Nanà and her four brothers grew up. Donna Amalia died one summer evening while sitting outside her home, in her lane, without a word or any fuss. It was now time for Nanà to start practising everything she had seen and heard so that she could carry on living. There was no recipe book, only what she had memorised, seen, smelt and heard while her mother taught her the job.