Make sure to try Kristin’s Pavlova With Strawberries recipe below.
Italians are known for lingering at the table long after the last bite. At the home of Mimmo Rosati and his wife, Kristin Lear Rosati, in Juniper Preserve, meals are meant to be savored—preferably outdoors, with a glass of prosecco or red wine in hand and good company all around.
“That’s our summer lifestyle. Italy in the summer is all about the outdoors,” said Mimmo, who grew up in Italy’s Umbria region and owns the home furnishings store Borgo Rosati in Bend’s Box Factory.
Their covered patio, complete with a fire pit and built-in grill, becomes the heart of the home during warm weather. Kristin, who grew up in Central Oregon, sets the teak Boca dining table with antlers, foraged juniper berries and tall grasses.
“I’ll stick a little piece of something in the napkin ring,” Kristin said. “He always calls me his Bend girl.”
Meanwhile, Mimmo might prepare a simple plate of spaghetti aglio e olio in a kitchen finished with white subway tile and rich wood floors. The result feels unmistakably Italian, with a distinctly high-desert sense of place.
A Tuscan-Style Villa in Juniper Preserve
The Rosatis’ four-bedroom Tuscan-style villa overlooks the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Juniper Preserve. With its sandy stucco exterior and stone accents, the home reflects the understated elegance visitors recognize from Borgo Rosati, where shoppers are welcomed with prosecco or espresso while browsing furnishings and décor sourced from around the world.
“Our customers travel. They like to have something that is unique,” Mimmo said.
Inside, the couple mixes heirloom-quality pieces with contemporary furnishings, creating rooms that feel curated rather than formal. A guest bedroom pairs an upholstered Brazilian bed with an Italian side table, while the living room layers a modern American chair beside a low Indonesian wood stool. A Belgian sheepskin rests atop a vintage Iranian rug that has been gently bleached to soften its colors.
“It’s cool, because you can see the stitching; it’s not too perfect,” Kristin said.
Collecting Furniture and Décor from Around the World
Mimmo’s appreciation for furniture began in Perugia, Italy, where as a child he selected antiques for his parents’ home from local markets. Kristin, who lived in Argentina in the late 1990s, shares his passion for giving vintage objects new purpose.
In the breakfast nook, a chicken basket discovered at a market has been transformed into a pendant light that hangs above an original artwork by Mimmo’s daughter, Francesca Rosati.
Elsewhere, the dining room combines a gilded French mirror with a wall installation Kristin created by attaching horns to antique silver trays. The mix of refined European antiques and rustic materials reflects the couple’s philosophy that contrasting styles create warmth and personality.
Mimmo’s marble-topped bar, which now serves as a sideboard, was found at Paris’ famed Marché Aux Puces and is believed to date to around 1780. Nearby, built-in shelving displays meaningful objects collected over the years, including an owl feather Kristin found in the yard beneath a glass dome and an antique orange toy truck from Mimmo’s childhood collection.
“A house should be a home and represent who you are, your experience,” Mimmo said.
Bringing Italy to Central Oregon
Throughout the house, personal keepsakes tell the story of the Rosatis’ travels and family history. Our Lady of Luján statues, a wooden wakeboard from the 1920s and a 50-year-old Arbequina olive tree all hold special meaning.
The olive tree was purchased in Tuscany before being transported to Seattle, where the couple met and married, and eventually moved with them to Bend. It has become a living reminder of Italy inside their Central Oregon home.
For Mimmo, Bend offers a familiar rhythm. The region’s soft light reminds him of the Mediterranean, while its outdoor lifestyle echoes the culture he grew up with in Umbria.
“Bend for me is a place that you can really relax, lie back and enjoy,” he said.
Recipe: Kristin’s Pavlova With Strawberries
A crisp meringue shell with a marshmallow-soft center, topped with whipped cream and balsamic-kissed strawberries, this pavlova is one of Kristin Rosati’s favorite desserts for entertaining outdoors.
Ingredients
For the Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
- A few drops of vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
- ½ teaspoon high-quality vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon high-quality balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and trace an 8- or 9-inch circle onto the paper as a guide. Turn the parchment over so the pencil marking faces down.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and salt. Begin beating on low speed, gradually increasing to high. Once soft peaks begin to form, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
Step 2
Gently fold the cornstarch, white-wine vinegar and vanilla into the meringue. Spoon the mixture inside the traced circle, shaping it into a round disk with smooth sides and a slightly flattened top.
Place in the oven, immediately reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool completely inside.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberries with the vanilla, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Cover and let the berries sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Step 4
Carefully peel the cooled meringue from the parchment and place it on a serving platter or cake stand. Gently crack the top with the back of a spoon to create a shallow nest.
Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks, then spread it evenly over the meringue. Spoon the strawberries and their juices over the whipped cream before serving.
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