A former Utica resident has released a cookbook, and it's chock full of local Italian favorites. Claudia Colenzo Lamascolo now lives in Florida but she has put together an incredible collection of recipes inspired by her parents and grandparents in East Utica.

As with many Uticans, Claudia learned to cook at home right from the source. She grew up with a variety of dishes inspired by different regions of Italy. And that fusion of styles has become the Utica food we all know and love.

Italian pastries and cookies, tomato pie, fried dough, pasta, sauces and so much more. The "What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine Cookbook" contains 150 recipes, most over 100 years old. And they're all passed down from the people who inspired Claudia to cook - family.

You can follow Claudia on Facebook, where she shares recipes and vintage pictures of the Utica area. Her group - Upstate NY Utica, Rome Pictures, Italian Foods, Conversation Club has lots of locals reminiscing about the good old days. Her What's Cookin' Facebook page has more details about how to get your copy of the cookbook. Or you can check out her What's Cookin' blog site.

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