Andrea Moretti’s fondest food-related memory is crystal clear: “I’m in the kitchen at my grandmother’s house, and there was a special and very old book placed neatly on a shelf, where my nonna would write down her recipes. Sometimes they were learned from her mother-in-law, who had a small restaurant in Rome, and sometimes they were copied from a magazine or inspired by something she could have snatched quickly during her visit to the local grocery market. As a child, I remember I could open [the book] sitting on her legs and read the notes she had in there. I could feel the love she put in that simple book.” Moretti’s voice is full of pride when he adds, “The most important thing is that today that book is mine.”
Moretti—who continued to read cookbooks as a hobby throughout his childhood—was born in Rome and has lived all over the world, including Hong Kong, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro. His father worked for the Italian airline Alitalia, affording Andrea and his family the opportunity to travel extensively, at least during school breaks. “I can still remember the noodle soup I had on an improvised—and quite unstable!—wooden canoe, during our visit to a floating market in North Thailand,” he says.
Moretti owned and operated a small, fresh pasta factory in Estonia before selling it and emigrating to Easton in 2016 to be closer to his family. He graduated from the culinary program at Northampton Community College and worked at a few area restaurants post-graduation before opening The Mellow Kitchen in Forks Township in early 2024. While most of The Mellow Kitchen’s recipes are part of his Italian heritage, Moretti offers dishes with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences as well. He prides himself on creating nourishing meals that are made with care, encompass diverse flavors and can hardly be found elsewhere. Moretti’s philosophy is a simple one: “Always be humble in life as well as in the kitchen.”
The Mellow Kitchen offers home meal delivery, catering services and a private chef experience called “Eat, Pray, Love: A Classic Italian Dinner with Friends and Family,” which is prepared and served in clients’ homes.
Beef Straccetti with Arugula, Grana Padano and Lemon Vinaigrette Over Roasted Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
2 lb. baby potatoes
4 oz. arugula
1 lb. ribeye steak, thinly sliced
1 tsp. chopped oregano
1 tsp. chopped dry thyme
2 oz. and an “extra splash” extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Juice of one lemon
2 oz. Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 420°F.
Prep: wash and dry the potatoes, cut them into 1-to-3-inch chunks and place into a mixing bowl. Wash and dry the arugula. Slice the ribeye into thin strips.
Season the potatoes with oregano, thyme, salt and pepper, and a splash of EVOO; place on a baking sheet. Roast potatoes for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Do not touch or mix the potatoes during cooking time; just let them roast. When finished roasting, set aside.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass container or cruet. Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and shake to create a vinaigrette. Add an additional splash of olive oil to a frying pan to prep for cooking the meat. (To cook 8 oz. of meat, 1 1/2 tbsp. of oil should be enough.)
Slice cheese into strips using a cheese grater on the thick/shredding side; the cheese strips should look just like the strips of meat.
Cook meat in frying pan until all residual liquid has evaporated; add salt and pepper to taste. (The minimum internal temperature for beef steaks is 145°F.) After cooking, the steak should rest for at least three minutes.
Add half of the arugula, half of the cheese and half of the vinaigrette to a bowl; mix with your hands or tongs. Season the rest of the arugula with the remaining vinaigrette.
Serve in either a large soup bowl or standard entrée plate with potatoes on the bottom, followed by all of the meat and then the arugula-cheese-vinaigrette mixture. Top with the remaining arugula and cheese.
Published as “Beyond the Menu” in the March 2025 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
