In Italy, Easter is the time for special, traditional desserts, which, apart from being delicious, were conceived to represent symbols of life and rebirth.

Easter Monday is, traditionally, "picnic day" all over Italy. It's affectionately called Pasquetta (little Easter). This video is from RAI 1, one of the principal TV stations in Italy. At this particular picnic, "primordial" cooking is the protagonist.

Gianna Mantovan shows us how to prepare an excellent clam sauce. This video is kindly provided by uChefPuntoit.

Angelo Piras, chef of the restaurant San Domenico, in Chieri, in the Turin Province, prepares some delicious and quick dishes that you’ll be enthusiastic about! This one shows the preparation of fried squid, with a surprising presentation at the end. Copyright uChefPuntoit.

Alessio Uberti, chef of the restaurant Macelleria di Torino [Butcher Shop of Turin], prepares an amazing dessert for us. Video gently provided from uChefPuntoit.

Antonio is a teacher and we find him at Somma Vesuviana, on the slopes of Vesuvius, near Naples. For some time he has tending a small garden, where he grows vegetables, which he sees as miracles of the earth, with seeds developing into fruits.

Franco Calafatti shows us his marvelous shop filled with spices. He brings us into his world, his special relationship with the spices, from traveling the world in search of the plants, to the harvesting, to the sorting, to the crushing.

Sandra was born in the province of Pisa and tells the story of her personal transformation. She begins at the beginning, when she was a young girl growing up in Cascina, a town near Pisa. But she wasn't happy and felt like a fish out of water.

Sandra tells about her immigration experience to the United States in 1979. At first, without knowing English well and without technology, she faces many difficulties in daily life and in finding work. Starting from a simple job as a coat check attendant in a restaurant, she slowly begins a new life that would later lead her to become a chef.

Sandra tells about her initial difficulties in the United States and how, realizing she wouldn't get very far without knowing English, she learned it on her own. Starting from a humble job in the restaurant industry, she quickly grew professionally.

During an important evening at the Washington, D.C. restaurant where Sandra was the dining room manager, the usual chef didn't show, and Sandra found herself having to manage the kitchen as well. She had no experience there, and so it was somewhat of a disaster. The episode pushed her to learn, however: Thanks to the help of an expert cook, she began an apprenticeship, acquired skills, and started building a career bringing Italian cuisine to the United States.

The story of Sandra continues, a Tuscan chef who emigrated to the United States, who established herself in Miami with authentic Tuscan cuisine. Thanks to her continuous ties with Italy, she keeps her roots alive, even cooking for Barack Obama.

The story of Sandra continues, a restaurateur in Miami, chosen to cook at a White House event for Barack Obama. Between initial disbelief and rigorous security checks, the experience becomes a source of great pride for her. The story also highlights the value of friendship and the importance of reinventing oneself in life.

Sandra now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in North Carolina. She is still working and loves it. She and Marika discuss some Italian expressions about the value of work and about how their friendship has lasted all these years.

Even though the tomato is an immigrant in Italy, it has become synonymous with Italian cooking. The soil produced by Vesuvius and the mild climate of the area around Naples and Salerno have allowed the San Marzano tomato to become King.