Starting with Confessore History then on to Great Recipes for taste testing & comments

Alphonso Confessore arrived into the United States as an immigrant from the outskirts of Naples, Italy in the late 1800’s.  It was in the State of New York where he met and married a fine lady by the name of Annunziata Liguori who was also an Italian immigrant from Naples, Italy. They established strong roots in America and became citizens. Their relationship was a fruitful one in providing Confessore heirs by the names of Luigi, Tomaso, Tessa, Angelina, Guiseppe, Rosa, Anna and, of course, Papa Gerardo Anthony.  There was a total of twelve children born but only eight survived.  Gerardo was the youngest.

          As a young boy, Gerardo tried to help the family financially by picking watermelons then peddling them from a cart through the streets.  Some people really wanted a watermelon but did not have the money to buy one so Papa Gerardo gave them one for free.  He had a heart of gold!  He also performed shoe shining services and collected old scraps of metal, which he re-sold. The family was very poor so Gerardo was always looking for ways to earn a few bucks for the needs of the family.  His mother (Annunziata) passed away when Gerardo was only eight years old.  While walking to the bakery, early one Sunday morning, to get rolls for the children’s breakfast, she was hit by a car and died instantly. So, Gerardo’s older sister Rosa (Rosie) took care of the two youngest children, Gerardo (Jerry) and Anna (Annie) until they were old enough to fend for themselves.  It was then that Gerardo developed his natural born talent for cooking from his sister Rosa who taught both Gerardo and Anna to cook.   Being of a kind and loving nature, as well as having to grow up way too early, Gerardo always stepped forward to help the family.  Helping in the kitchen, as much as he could, taught him the fine art of Italian (Neapolitan) cooking from his sisters.

          Wartime arrived and Gerardo (who was now known as “Jerry”) enlisted in the Army at the ripe age of 17 where he served our country in World War II – earning two purple hearts, a bronze star and a silver star.  When he was not fighting on the front lines, he loved to cook for his fellow soldiers using his creative talents.  Only this time, he had to use the rations given to him.  

          On October 20, 1945, Jerry married Mama Agatha Stefana Catalanotti who also came from a long line of great Italian cooks and were immigrants from the city of Trapani in Sicily, Italy.  Mama Agatha was the daughter of Guissepe Catalanotti and Guiseppina Maiorano.  Mama’s family was in the concrete business and were very hard workers. Her father used to buy her beautiful dresses. She was raised by an Aunt as her mother, at the age of 30, suddenly died at the dinner table of a heart condition when Mama was only three years old.

In America, Agatha (Tootsie) used her culinary talents to become a Dietician.  She worked in the hospital and school settings in such roles. Not only being blessed with culinary talents, Agatha’s family and Agatha herself were also blessed with gorgeous singing voices.  As a young girl, Mama sang in Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall where she astounded the audience with her operatic tones!  However, her strict Italian father forbade her to continue to sing.  The mentality about what women should do, back in the day, was very different from what it is today.  Sadly, she had to stop singing in public and only sang at family gatherings and weddings.

          Papa Jerry and Mama Tootsie together with Aunt Rosie and Aunt Annie blended their culinary talents together leading to a tradition of exceptional Italian dishes now cooked and served by their daughter and niece, Joyce, whose name was really supposed to be Guiseppina but was Americanized to the name Joyce.   These traditional dishes you are about to experience are a combination of Neapolitan and Sicilian cooking.

          Growing up, Joyce was always in the kitchen with Mama and Papa, as well as her Aunts to learn Italian cooking from only the best!  She incorporated her inherited cooking ability, as well as her love for cooking using traditional family recipes into her five star establishment known as “Confessore Pasta Cucina.”  It runs in the blood!  Joyce is always in the kitchen and is an exceptional Chef!  Joyce also adds her own personal touches and creativity to some dishes, as well as develops her own dishes.  All recipes are truly authentic and traditional; some of which you may have never heard of before.  They will make your mouth water with wishes to come back for more!  Joyce also works as a Personal Chef, is food safety certified, and comes highly recommended.

          Over the years, these recipes have been used at family gatherings, friend gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, confirmations, weddings and/or Sunday dinner…..Don’t forget – in a true Italian home, there is always pasta and lots of family on Sunday!  I also won’t forget all the Italian singing at these functions from the Catalanotti side of the family.

          The motto at Confessore Pasta Cucina was “Come in as a guest – Leave as family!” 

I hope you enjoy the collection of family menu items as they are sure to please your palate!

This is the Confessore Way!………..…. Nothing else is created equal! Mangia……………..

Please share, test recipes, and comment. Thank you!