Memories are Made Around the Dinner Table: A Tribute to My Mother, Grandma Cungie (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798218875947)

Memories Are Made Around the Dinner Table is more than a cookbook-it is a heart-stirring celebration of family, tradition, and the power of food to bring people together. Chef Annie Payton invites readers into the warm, bustling world that shaped her, from her Italian-American upbringing in Franklin Square, Long Island, to the vibrant dinner tables she later created with her mother, Connie "Cungie" DeFalco, in their beloved Las Vegas restaurants.

Told with humor, nostalgia, and deep affection, the book blends cherished family stories with the signature dishes that define the DeFalco-Payton legacy. Annie shares vivid memories of growing up in a lively household where cousins were inseparable, neighbors felt like family, and every gathering-large or small-centered around delicious food made with love. From the aroma of her mother's simmering marinara to the sound of relatives laughing around the kitchen table, these early moments became the foundation of Annie's passion for cooking and hospitality.

As Annie's life journey unfolds-moving across the country, building a career in the airline and hospitality industries, and ultimately opening Annie's Gourmet Italian with her mother-the reader experiences the beautiful intersection of food, community, and fate. Mentors, lifelong friends, customers who became family, and even a few unexpected angels weave through her story, each leaving their mark both on her heart and on the recipes featured in this collection.

The recipes themselves are rich with heritage and love: antipasti inspired by Aunt Mary's legendary spreads, Annie's award-winning stuffed mushrooms, comforting pastas, beautifully layered parmigianas, irresistible desserts, and treasured dishes that carry generations of tradition. Each recipe is paired with the memories, people, and moments that gave it life-reminding readers that great food is never just about ingredients; it is about the stories made along the way.

Memories Are Made Around the Dinner Table honors Annie's parents, Connie and Carmine, whose love, humor, and dedication shaped every chapter of her life. With heartfelt storytelling and soul-warming dishes, this book invites readers to create their own moments of connection, joy, and togetherness-one recipe, one gathering, and one memory at a time.