Debi, Gabriele and their daughters have just arrived at their home in Italy. Everyone is exhausted from jetlag and the stress of travel. All Debi and the girls want is to relax but Gabriele has invited friends and family over for dinner so there's no time. Instead they pick apricots off their own trees, which they will grill for an appetizer, and head to a local goat farm to buy two delicious cheeses to go with them. They make homemade ice cream for dessert and harvest cherries for a compote to ladle over the sweet treat. Then, to top it all off, Gabriele builds a fire in the heat of the day to make pasta alla Norma with grilled eggplant and Debi makes a salad with green radicchio and a lemon and olive oil dressing. It's wonderful to see their loved ones after being away from Italy for so long and the food is a big hit.

• Debi Mazar