Benvenuto

Where do I start? Everyone is probably tired of listening to me go on and on about “le mie ossessioni” (my obsessions)- Italy and Food. I’m starting this blog to share my thoughts, dreams and food with anyone who wants to peek inside.

I grew up in an Italian American family in a small town outside NYC. My grandparents emigrated to NY in the early 1900’s. They came (separately) as teenagers from Calitri, a small rural town in southern Campania. As a child I didn’t really know much about them, except that my grandmother cooked the most delicious food and my grandfather had a huge garden across the street. I struggled to understand them when they spoke. Sunday dinners at their house were the highlight of the week and at an early age I came to appreciate the wonder of simple food prepared with the freshest ingredients. Although I didn’t know it at the time, looking back now I see those days with my grandparents and our extended family were definitely a little slice of Italy. I now regret never having conversations with them about their life in Italy, the families that they left behind and what it was like to come so far to start a new life without their loved ones. It wasn’t until two years ago when I visited their home town that I developed an understanding of how hard their life must have been and why their parents sent them to America to find a better life. More later on my trip to Calitri…