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Italian savory pie connects family across the miles

Mark Chilla and Gae Chilla, share a moment in Gae's kitchen. This year, Mark and his family have the chance to spend Easter with Mark's parents, now that they all live in Atlanta Georgia. (courtesy of Mark Chilla)
Courtesy of Mark Chilla
Mark Chilla and Gae Chilla, share a moment in Gae's kitchen. This year, Mark and his family have the chance to spend Easter with Mark's parents, now that they all live in Atlanta Georgia. (courtesy of Mark Chilla)

“Cooking came to me a little bit later in life. Holidays in my family were always a really big deal, especially around the meals. The meals were the most important part of the holiday gathering. And I was pretty much the least useful person in the kitchen. It wasn’t until–even into my mid twenties, at Thanksgiving time, my mom would be like, ‘Mark, you can take the premade Parkerhouse rolls out of the freezer and put them in the oven. That’s all we trust you to do’”

This week on the show we join a mother and son in a family tradition that has kept them connected across the miles. Mark Chilla and his mother, Gae, tell the story and share the recipe for an Italian, stuffed, savory pie to celebrate the end of lent in the Catholic Faith.

Learn all about it in this week's episode, and try the recipe (below).

Music on this Episode

The Earth Eats theme music is composed by Erin Tobey and performed by Erin and Matt Tobey.

Additional music on this episode from Universal Production Music.

Credits:

The Earth Eats’ team includes: Eoban Binder, Alexis Carvajal, Alex Chambers, Toby Foster, Luann Johnson, Leo Paes, Daniella Richardson, Samantha Shemenaur, Payton Whaley and Harvest Public Media.

Earth Eats is produced, engineered and edited by Kayte Young. Our executive producer is Eric Bolstridge.

Kayte Young discovered her passion for growing, cooking, foraging and preserving fresh food when she moved to Bloomington in 2007. With a background in construction, architecture, nutrition education and writing, she brings curiosity and a love of storytelling to a show about all things edible. Kayte raises bees, a small family and a yard full of food in Bloomington’s McDoel Gardens neighborhood.