Laurina’s Kitchen
A perfect blend of old Ecobelli family recipes... and memories
Written by ANN HAUPRICH
While the film titled Laurina captures a portion of the saga of a former restaurant’s beloved matriarch’s tragic youth, a cookbook co-authored by grandchildren Lora Lee and Tom Ecobelli is a light-hearted and heart-warming collection of what had once been secret family recipes as well as a treasure trove of memories.
Published by Square Circle Press, Laurina’s Kitchen is described by publisher Richard Vang as “a colorful and eclectic mix of ephemera, such as menus, postcards and newspaper articles which combine to bring this Upstate New York institution back to life. Peppered throughout are images of the Ecobellis and their extended ‘family’ around the restaurant and at home as well as special memories contributed by staff, patrons and friends who were all part of the restaurant’s devoted community.”
Although Laurina’s Kitchen was first published in 2012, Tom and Lora Lee continue to meet folks who are interested in learning how to secure copies of the richly illustrated 8.5” x 11” literary keepsake. “It’s amazing -- and touching -- how many people from near and far remember meeting our grandmother (Laurina) while dining at Ecobelli’s Tam O’Shanter on Route 50 in Ballston Spa,” says Tom. “At the time, of course, none of them knew the story of her tragic childhood which has now been brought to life in the film titled Laurina.”
Noteworthy is that those who turn the pages of Laurina’s Kitchen will discover it contains references to plans for a major motion picture titled Chickadee, however, no mention of the recently released short film Laurina. The reason is that at the time of the cookbook’s publication just over a decade ago, Lora Lee and Tom Ecobelli had not yet co-authored the script for the masterpiece that is now making film festival rounds. The siblings decided to call the latter creation Laurina because they wanted it to stand alone from Chickadee.
“The short explores the beginning of Laurina’s story and ends with her courageous decision to have stepfather Pietro arrested. We wanted it to tell this portion of her life fully, not just have it be a promo for the future feature. This was very difficult to do in under 20 minutes, but we feel we accomplished most of what we wanted,” explains Tom. “The script for Chickadee, on the other hand, is the complete story of Laurina’s saga taking the viewer through Laurina’s journey from leaving the orphanage, the tragedy with Pietro, the difficult, landmark trial, the birth of the baby and eventually Laurina’s acceptance and healing.”
BOTTOM LINE: While the short film titled Laurina has been completed and is earning rave reviews, Chickadee has not yet taken flight. Tom and Lora Lee remain interested in meeting with benefactors and investors who might want to help them bring a full-length feature version of their cherished grandmother’s inspiring and empowering story to the big screen. “We would love to hear from anyone who can help make that happen,” says Tom, whose email address is
To purchase copies: https://squarecirclepress.com/books/LaurinasKitchen.htm