I never knew my mother-in-law. She died before I even met her daughter. The ironic part of the story is this. Had Teresa Occhiogrosso Papandrea not passed away of congestive heart failure in late 1994, chances are I would never have met the woman who would become my spouse. Because the then Roselee Papandrea came to Swansboro to help look after her father after her mother passed away, she entered the office of the Jacksonville Daily News looking for a job. The rest is history.

But in many ways I feel as if I know Roselee’s mother. Like her dad, Roselee’s mother is a larger-than-life figure who is spoken of often. Never more so, though, than at special gatherings where food is served. In an Italian family how could that not be the case? Food is a major gathering point. Almost no visit to an Italian household can be accomplished without food, coffee or wine. Don’t get me started on Italian cookies direct from a Brookyn bakery.

When we eat at Prego’s, the Italian restaurant in Burlington owned by Vincento Hernandez, all of those Italian family memories come flooding back. When Roselee tastes the red sauce there, it’s like going to a gathering of the Occhiogrossos or Papandreas. Apparently, Vincent studied under some Italians who knew their stuff. As a result, Prego’s Original Trattoria is among our favorite places to go, ever.

Last night we saw something called ricotta cheesecake on the desert menu. It sounded a lot like the cheesecake Roselee’s mother used to make — something Roselee calls “pizza dolce” or sweet pie.

We had to try it. Based on our experiences at Prego the odds were good that it would be like a taste of home.

It didn’t disappoint. Roselee’s mom made it with chocolate chips lining the bottom. Prego, instead, iced the top wtih gelato. But the consistency and taste of the cake itself was spot on in terms of Roselee’s memories. Mine, too. Roselee has replicated her mother’s “pizza dolce” from time to time. We enjoyed the version at Prego very much.

It’s what keeps us going back.

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