IAP 404 Pt. 1 Reimagining Italian American Cuisine with Chef Tara Punzone
Sat Jan 31 2026
In this episode of the Italian American Podcast, the crew explores the intersection of Italian American heritage and vegan cuisine with Tara Punzone, chef, author, and the force behind Pura Vita, Los Angeles' first 100% vegan Italian restaurant and wine bar.
The conversation blends family history, cultural memory, and the challenge of preserving tradition while removing animal products from classic dishes. Punzone reflects on her path to veganism, shaped by an early empathy for animals and a childhood spent in a family of devoted home cooks.
Rather than rejecting Italian foodways, she reframes them, pointing out how much traditional Italian cuisine is naturally plant-based—born of frugality, seasonality, and vegetable-forward regional cooking long before modern food labels existed.
HER CREDENTIALS:
Tara Punzone Author Vegana Italiana Chef & Owner of Pura Vita www.puravitalosangeles.com
HER SOCIALS:
Instagrams:
@cheftarapunzone
@puravita_la
ORDER HER BOOK VEGANA ITALIANA :
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769027/vegana-italiana-by-tara-punzone-with-gene-stone/
HOSTS:
Patrick O'Boyle
John Viola
Marcella Martin
SPECIAL GUEST:
Tara Punzone
PRODUCED BY:
Nicholas Calvello-Macchia
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In this episode of the Italian American Podcast, the crew explores the intersection of Italian American heritage and vegan cuisine with Tara Punzone, chef, author, and the force behind Pura Vita, Los Angeles' first 100% vegan Italian restaurant and wine bar. The conversation blends family history, cultural memory, and the challenge of preserving tradition while removing animal products from classic dishes. Punzone reflects on her path to veganism, shaped by an early empathy for animals and a childhood spent in a family of devoted home cooks. Rather than rejecting Italian foodways, she reframes them, pointing out how much traditional Italian cuisine is naturally plant-based—born of frugality, seasonality, and vegetable-forward regional cooking long before modern food labels existed. HER CREDENTIALS: Tara Punzone Author Vegana Italiana Chef & Owner of Pura Vita www.puravitalosangeles.com HER SOCIALS: Instagrams: @cheftarapunzone @puravita_la ORDER HER BOOK VEGANA ITALIANA : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769027/vegana-italiana-by-tara-punzone-with-gene-stone/ HOSTS: Patrick O'Boyle John Viola Marcella Martin SPECIAL GUEST: Tara Punzone PRODUCED BY: Nicholas Calvello-Macchia