My world has always been centered around family and food; food is a passion, an experience, and a way of life. Our family’s mantra growing up was “live to eat”, not “eat to live”. We always had sauce on Sundays at my grandparent’s home in Youngstown, Ohio.
My grandmother grew her own tomatoes and strained them herself to make the basis for her sauce. She selected her own cuts of beef to then grind herself at home to make her amazing meatballs. My grandfather roasted and seasoned red and green bell peppers, which we ate on our sandwiches; there were no condiments, like mayonnaise, to be found at their home! We also ate a variety of nuts, figs, oranges and fennel (finocchio/finoc) after our meals to aid in digestion. Another favorite dish of mine was stuffed artichokes. We only prepared these during the holidays as a special side dish, especially during Easter. They were delicious, fun and a bit messy to eat!
I believe this ethnic upbringing inspired my passion for cooking and piqued my curiosity for exploring a variety of ethnic flavors and cuisines. Being exposed to family gatherings centered around food in an environment filled with diverse languages sparked my interest in exploring different cultures around the world.
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