Only in Naples: Lessons in Food and Famiglia from My Italian Mother-in-Law

by Katherine Wilson

There is a chaotic, vibrant energy about Naples that forces you to let go and give in. If you fight it, judge it, or even hide from it, you might as well get out before you get your wallet snatched.

The kitchen was for cooking and eating in famiglia. You can scooch around and bump into family, after all. Lean over them, step on them, feed and be fed by them. A lot of space isn’t really necessary when you’re with people you love.

“There needs to be enough sauce for the scarpetta,” she explained. The scarpetta (literally, “little shoe”) refers to the piece of bread that you use to sop up the sauce after finishing your pasta.

My favorite is probably dorme cu ’a zizza mmocca—he’s still sleeping with his mommy’s tit in his mouth.