“Hai fame?” (Are you hungry?) would be their first words whenever I visited. “Mangia!” (Eat!) they would command, if ever I was hesitant to take that first bite. “Ti piace?” (do you like it?) they questioned as I cleaned the last scrumptious morsel from my plate.

It's not a secret.

Food is essential to the Italian culture.

And it has become essential to my way of life. Italians treat eating as a celebration. And cooking itself is simply a birthright.

Italian cooking can be easy or complex. It can be sweet or savory. The product can be instantly recognized or seem strange to even the savviest food critic.

But one thing is always true of Italian food – it's tasty!

From pizza to pasta, antipasti to desserts, nothing makes my mouth water more than cooking (and eating!) the foods that I grew up with.

Yeah, being the daughter of Italian immigrants had its disadvantages. By the time I was in first or second grade my English was far better than my mom's was. I didn't participate in many extra-curricular activities because my parents weren't sure how to sign me up. And the only place we ever traveled to was remote parts of Italy to see wrinkly old relatives who grabbed my belly and squeezed my cheeks whenever I entered a room.

Regardless of all that - I now realize growing up enveloped in such a dense Italian culture was actually a huge blessing. Those times I stayed at home instead of going to summer camp or karate, I learned to respect tradition, embrace family ties, and use my imagination to take me places that I couldn't physically go.

Being Italian has made me the person that I am today.

I am not a chef, and I don't pretend to be. But since those early days in my mom's kitchen, I have acquired tricks, techniques and skills to create great, delicious meals with simple ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease. Of course, I have a few favorite recipes that I follow almost as often as I invent my own creations.

And I hope to be able to pass these tidbits, and most importantly my passion for cooking Italian food to you!

In addition to recipes and my personal story, I will help you navigate the world of Italian cooking, from it's origins to modern day fare.

From preparing meals in your home with essential Italian ingredients, to sampling authentic cuisine on your next trip to Italy, let me help you better understand and appreciate the delectable world of Italian cooking!

Andiamo!

(And if you can't find something on my site, use the handy search tool below to take you to a world of additional information!)

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