Francesca Depalma

I learned to make orecchiette from my grandmother on a trestle table much like the ones still set up on Via Arco Basso, so when I film the women working there I know exactly which motion of the thumb to point out. At the fish market I go early, while the boats are still unloading, because the light and the noise are half the point of showing it live. I keep my sessions unhurried and let viewers ask about ingredients and technique rather than rushing through a list of dishes, since that is usually what people actually want to know.