Photos: Andrea Ceraso
Anna Gass is a well-known Cookbook Author and Foodie Personality - and she lives in New Canaan with her husband, Phil, two daughters, Alessandra and Veronica, a son, Dante, and their Boxer, Levi.
In 2019, Anna authored Heirloom Kitchen, published by Harper Collins, which is a collection of over 100 recipes, and life stories, from 40 selected grandmothers. It has been critically acclaimed in The New York Times, People Magazine, and The Washington Post, among other notable publications.
In early 2024, Anna will release Italian Snacking, with Union Square Publishing, which will feature recipes for savory and sweet treats from each of the 20 distinct regions of Italy. The book delves into the regional origin and importance of each recipe, explaining why certain locals enjoy their specific treats…and why Italians are such great snackers!
…And she’s already working on a third cookbook, which she’s yet to title, about the fundamentals of Italian cooking, which she’s co-authoring with ‘The Pasta Queen’, Nadia Caterina Munno.
During Covid, Anna started giving online cooking classes, and now she’s available for private in-person events. She’s a regular on Good Morning America, Today, and Access Hollywood, has had dozens of recipes published in The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and other food bibles, maintains a wide offering of recipes on her website at annafgass.com, and has an Instagram following of 125,000 @annafgass.
“I was born in Italy, grew up in Rhode Island, and majored in Psychology and Journalism at NYU. I had a successful career in Insurance, but when I first got pregnant, my husband and I moved to Connecticut and I decided it was time for a complete change,” Anna explains her path. “I went ‘back to school’ at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan to learn about cooking, and right after I graduated I got a position working in the Test Kitchen at Martha Stewart Living. That experience shaped my current career. Working at Martha Stewart I learned the anatomy of a recipe, why it works and how it comes together, and how to get it right, and I can’t say enough about Martha Stewart’s exacting standards, professionalism, and work ethic. …From there, I moved to become the Test Kitchen Manager at Food 52, where I tested recipes before they could be published online. …I consider myself a pretty talented chef, but professionally I’m really a food and cooking expert.”
“When I set-out to author a cookbook of my own, I realized I’d inherited a rich legacy of my mom’s cooking - but had none of her recipes committed to paper,” Anna tells about how Heirloom Kitchen came about. “I called it the ‘Meatball Project’. I would watch my mom cook her traditional dishes - and write the recipe that would allow others to repeat the production.
…And during that process I realized that our parents’ and grandparents’ recipes are ‘heirlooms’ that need to be passed down, and treasured. Writing Heirloom Kitchen was a ton of fun. I got to meet grandmothers from all over the world, of every ethnicity, with a million fabulous stories…and a cookbook full of great recipes!”
I’m passionate about cooking, and my mission is to educate,Anna Gass
“I believe cooking is more of a skill that needs to be developed than a natural talent. Start simple, go little-by-little, practice, and don’t be afraid to try new things. I’m constantly trying out recipes people send to me, and experimenting with new ideas of my own. I cook dinner almost every night. I believe the time together as a family is critical. And food is a great conductor for family conversations and keeping our children around the table. Food is love!”
Queried about her favorite meal, Anna declares, “Family dinner every Sunday! A homemade pasta in a red sauce, chicken cutlets, some wine - my husband and I make some pretty good wine, and a few special desserts. …And, though I love to cook, we like to eat out as well - and enjoy a night away from doing the dishes. We’re lucky to have a lot of talented chefs in Fairfield County, and an excellent selection of restaurants to choose from.”
Anna has earned the trust of a large audience and is a well-respected cookbook author. She has the recipe for success!
Heading into the holidays, Anna shares a sneak peek at a few recipes from her new cookbook, Italian Snacking... and bakes up some delicious treats to try!
Occhi di Bue
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
While the origins of this sandwich cookie are not certain, many believe it was created in northern Italy, as it closely resembles the Austrian Linzer cookie. The top cookie has a hole to reveal the filling and has also been given its name bue, which in Italian means ox; hence the cookie is a bullseye.
I enjoyed these cookies while vacationing in Rome, as I found them in every pastry shop I entered. The variety of jam fillings was endless, but I always grabbed the one with a thick layer of chocolate hazelnut spread. It’s a perfect complement to the hazelnut flour I added for nuttiness. I also added a garnish of sea salt in my version, which is not traditional but so delicious.
Yield: 24 cookies · Active time: 45 minutes · Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (226 grams), softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, (180 grams) plus more for topping
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup hazelnut flour (170 grams) or almond flour can be subbed
- 2 cups AP flour (272 grams), plus additional for dusting
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, for filling
- Flaked sea salt, for garnish
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl, until the egg is just combined, another minute or so. Add the flours and spices and mix to combine completely. Empty the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and wrap up the dough.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Return one half to the fridge.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. In half of the 2-inch circles, cut out a smaller circle in the center (or use a fun shape like a flower). Reroll the dough for another 16 cookies.
- Place the cookies and the cut-outs onto the baking sheet and bake until very lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet and repeat the process with remaining dough.
- Once cooled, place the chocolate hazelnut spread into a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip (Ateco #844) on the solid cookies. Lightly dust confectioners’ sugar on the top cookies with the cutout in the center.
- Place the sugared cutout cookies on top of the solid cookies to create a sandwich cookie.
- Sprinkle flaked salt on the chocolate hazelnut spread.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Italian Snacking by Anna Francese Gass © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co.
Strazzate
Chocolate, almonds, and coffee make for a very delicious cookie combination. These cookies, from Basilicata, are double chocolate, crackled with a hint of coffee and lots of toasted almonds. Traditionally, a bit of Strega, an Italian herbal liquor known for its bright yellow color, is added, but I found the cookies didn’t need it, and it isn’t easy to find here in the States. If you find it, add a tablespoon to the batter for a hint of something different, flavored with mint, saffron, and juniper. This version is a chocolate lover’s dream.
Yield: 40 cookies · Active time: 25 minutes · Total time: 1 hr. (or 1 hr. 25 minutes if toasting raw almonds)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- ½ cup almond flour (48 grams)
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (42 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (248 grams)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped (144 grams)
- 2 cups coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate or chips (340 grams or 12 ounces)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and darkened slightly, about 10 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then chop.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda to combine. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla extract, and coffee, beating until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat until almost fully incorporated. Turn off the mixer and stir in the almonds and chocolate by hand until evenly incorporated into the dough and no dry flour mixture remains.
- Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls (1/2-inch scoop/32 grams each) and arrange them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until cookies are set along the edges but still wet in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to flatten the cookies (they will appear cracked on top). Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheets and serve warm or let cool completely before serving or storing.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Italian Snacking by Anna Francese Gass © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co.
As featured in the November/December 2023 issue of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine