Cappuccino with Shari

“Food connects people at the heart, at our most primal level.”

At 19, my cousin Shari left her home in northeast Ohio and moved to Italy. After adjusting to some cultural differences there, Shari realized just how similar life was to some of the traditions she grew up with. It confirmed her own Italian heritage, which was not something she had deeply considered until this time. It was there she learned to appreciate the family focus, communal eating, cooking with fresh ingredients, and the precision with which food and drink were crafted. 

This week on the podcast, Shari shared her love of science and history with us, as we explored what the cappuccino means to her. And if anyonzoe is an expert on how this beverage should be created, it’s Shari. She spent years studying the Italian tradition of coffee-making which led to her opening her own gelato, espresso, and pasties bar outside of Sacramento, CA: Zia’s. We talked about what it was like to hold space for the beautiful community that evolved through the years that Zia’s was open. And we discussed the ways Shari explores her passions through her work with the Placerville Food Co-op, where she now works. About this she said, “I think it’s a very noble thing to nourish the community. To provide food and sustenance.” 

It was such a pleasure to speak with Shari, mostly because of our shared family members and shared love of cooking (and eating). She shared with us the history of the pizzelle, an Italian cooking originating in Abruzzo (which, coincidentally, is also where my great-grandfather is from). Pizelles are a family tradition for us, and actually have roots in Ohio, where I am originally from. We explored Shari's memories of my grandmother, Mary, whom you'll hear from in a future episode.

Shari brings such a thoughtful, mindful presence to everything she does, and we discussed how the practice of yoga and mindfulness has helped orient her. When we recorded this episode back in September, wildfires were raging in California. As of the end of October 2020, about 4% of the land in California has been burned through wildfires related to climate change, making this year the largest recorded wildfire season in modern Californian history. Despite these fires, and the ongoing challenges of living through a pandemic, Shari offers a voice of reason. We discussed the importance of listening first, rather than pushing one’s viewpoints onto another person. “Is being right or wrong more important than having your community? As much as I want to speak my truth, am I willing to let someone speak their truth and listen?”