At the early age of 14, Ann Mullins started working in the kitchen of her family’s Italian restaurant, located north of Manhattan, NY. She and her mother made all the pies and specialty desserts. Her entire family loved to cook– she claimed her father could pull any random ingredients out of the fridge and create a wonderful meal! Ann also learned a great deal from the restaurant’s chef, Marcella, a native of Milan, Italy. She was skilled in cooking recipes from Northern Italy, and Ann loved hanging out after school watching her make pasta and wonderful wine based, creamy sauces.
Today, family and friends enjoy gathering in the Mullin’s large kitchen, happy to sample whatever she “whips up! ” Ann loves to use fresh ingredients when preparing food , and husband Mike and children Katie, Erin and Andrew know the value of her home cooked meals! Her motto is “DON’T COMPROMISE WITH THE INGREDIENTS!”
Many of the Italian team members have volunteered since the first festival and enjoy the friendships made while working in the kitchen. Ann has a menu that will make her “foodie” fans smile! Everyone loves the meatballs– she says using a meat grinder is the secret, with quality beef and pork loin the main ingredients. In addition, she’s offering Caprese Salad, Four Cheese Pasta, and Eggplant Rollitini, made with freshly grated cheese, fresh herbs and eggplant out of the garden. Each entree comes with a side of homemade fried dough… Hungry yet? Mangia! Mangia!
