Homemade by Bruno chef Janine Bruno making the best of life by making pasta

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- At Homemade by Bruno, pasta chef Janine Bruno is preserving the tastes of old-world Italy, combining her family's recipes with her own kitchen creations.

She turned to her past when her present world was turned upside down.

In late 2016, at the age of 30, Bruno was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the same time, she was laid off from the job she loved and her boyfriend broke up with her, creating a trifecta of loss not long after she'd lost her beloved grandmother.

As she recovered from her physical and emotional wounds, Bruno found comfort and joy in making homemade pasta.

As she learned from family members, Bruno decided she wanted to share that learning process with others, and Homemade by Bruno was born.

Guests are welcomed to her pasta-making classes with an antipasto plate and a glass of wine.

Students pick their shapes along with two sauces.

During the pandemic, when Bruno couldn't teach pasta classes in person, she decided to step out of her comfort zone and learned how to make gelato too.

She competed in Gelato Festival America for the Gelato World Masters, considered the Olympics of gelato.

She placed in the top three in the United States and top five in North America with her Italian rainbow cookie flavor.

Along with the parties, Bruno also plans to hold popups, selling her homemade gelatos, pasta and sauces out of her new South Philly shop.

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1429 Wharton Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19146