Christian Petroni grew up in kitchens. Born in the Bronx, where his uncle owned an Italian restaurant, he was surrounded by Italian-American NYC culture. But he also spent his summers in Ponza, a small Italian island off the coast of Naples, surrounded by old-world culinary Italian traditions. He’s been working in kitchens since he was thirteen and has made a name for himself working in some of the best restaurants in the NYC area, including his own, Fortina. All his knowledge, experience, and homegrown Italian heritage are wrapped up in his debut cookbook, Parm to Table. The combination here is simply delicious: no pretension, no hang-ups, just good food made to taste like your nonna made it. The book is broken up into chapters based on what you’re looking for: Italian-American Classics, like 8-Hour Marinara Sauce and Neapolitan Eggplant Parmigiana Family-Style Meals, like Lasagna “Calabrese Influence,” Fried Meatballs, and Fresh Mozzarella Sticks Weeknight Go-To’s, like My Babe’s Sau