Italian Moms Cooking

Elisa Costantini was born in 1938 in Poggio Valle, Italy. The daughter of farmers, she learned to cook at a very young age as an apprentice to a local chef using simple, fresh ingredients to create wonderful food for those closest to her. At the age of twenty-three, she immigrated to the United States with her husband, Francesco, and daughter, Nadia. They settled in the Philadelphia and raised their family there. For more than 35 years, Elisa has used her expert cooking skills to provide for children with special needs at Divine Providence Village in Springfield, PA. She continues to work with Special Needs Teens and Adults for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to this day. Elisa donates portions of her book sales to local schools and charities in her community.

How it Began - The expensive battle from her late husband’s cancer left Elisa concerned about her future and financial security. She spent months on the sofa mourning her late husband and waiting for her turn to pass on. Elisa’s children became very worried about her health and mental wellbeing. As a distraction, and a way to earn some income, they convinced her to publish a cookbook of her tried-and- true recipes. So her family turned to Kickstarter, and 30 days later she had $27,000 to produce her book. Since the release of her self-published book, she has sold over 15,000 copies.

Since the cookbook’s publication, Elisa has a new purpose in life. She is donating much of her time, as well as proceeds from her book, to help local charities and schools that include the ALS Association. What started as Elisa’s way to earn extra income has developed into a mission to give back to a community she’s loved since coming to America almost 50 years ago. Elisa’s family recipes prove that love and family is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Her story is ongoing and ever changing.

Today: After appearing on the Today show and reoccurring guest spots on Rachael Ray, Elisa has signed with Sterling Publishers, a division of Barnes and Noble. Sterling will release a hardback edition of her book ion October 3rd 2017, and her new title Italian Moms – Something Old Something New in April 2018.