Food is a big part of my life! I'm simply and plainly obsessed with it. Being Italian, it's always been something that brings the family together. I've grown up eating a huge variety of pastas, sauces, meats, chicken, cheeses, salads, and more. I've been extremely fortunate to have parents that value eating quality meals and sitting down for a family dinner each night. And now, I've come to really enjoy exploring food cooking for myself.

Food connects people to their heritages and to amazing memories. It's not only necessary for life, but it can also enhance it. I always look forward to Aunt Rosanna's prime rib and gorgonzola sauce at Christmas, our seafood dinner on New Year's Eve, and barbeque ribs in the summer time. And, it's always a treat to eat anything my Nonno makes, he makes all of his pasta from scratch and everything is as authentically Italian as it can be. These things have become tradition, bringing my family together for good times and good eats. I have happy memories baking cookies with my mom, or making fudge with my grandma during the holidays. As I grew up, my mom and I would try new recipes we saw on Food Network or in Sunset Magazine, or mimic ones we would find in restaurants, furthering my desire to try new foods and methods of cooking it.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Italy my junior year of high school. There I got to try black squid risotto and a lightly sweetened cookie we dipped in a thick, dessert wine. I connected with my culture, especially when I stayed at my family's house in Pieve Vergonte and enjoyed fresh peaches, prosciutto, and baguette for breakfast and veal cutlets with thick, pork risotto for dinner. Meals were generally served in courses of three or four, beginning with pasta, then salad and a meat, then fruit (this was only sometimes a course), then dessert. It was an experience, not only for my own family history, but for me as an individual to discover how vast the realm of food can be.

Two years later when I went to college, I realized how nicely I'd had it at the dinner table. The food at school wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. The pastas weren't al dente, they had ingredients that didn't always belong, chicken would be either very dry or very undercooked, and desserts were surely out of a box. It was all about sheer volume and speed. Some days there were dishes that were pleasant surprises, but never often enough to make me not look forward to coming home to a good meal.

Now, when I'm home, I love having the time in the morning to make an omelette, (flipping it is still not my strong suit), or inviting friends over for marinated chicken that I made the marinate from scratch for, or trying out a new cookie recipe that I got from a friend. Food is just downright fabulous, there are endless possiblities for any tastes, cultures, and all skill levels. You can find me watching Food Network basically all the time. Some of my favorite shows are Chopped, Barefoot Contessa, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, the Pioneer Woman, and Cupcake Wars. These shows center around testing skill, creativity, and the ability to put out something positively delicious. They also provide some great ideas and inspiration.

I've recently been trying my best to combine my love of food with a more healthy lifestyle. I think there's always a way to maintain a clean diet while enjoying pastas, meats, and desserts. It's all about moderation, preparation, and starting with simple, quality ingredients. Upping the fuits and vegetables, using more olive oil instead of butter, limiting the amount of carbs you eat, and of course hitting the gym, are all great ways to allow yourself to keep having those mouth watering meals without feeling bad about them later. I refuse to give into the vegan fad, or become a vegetarian. I'd sooner maintain a paleo diet than either of those two. I am a strong advocate for eating what you love in smart way. It's important for people to expand their tastebud's horizons, along with their minds, to experience all these amazing foods the world has to offer. Italian, Irish, Indian, Aisian, Mexican, and so on, are just the tip of the iceberg! Whether you're out there exploring the seven continents or sitting at home on your couch, there's something you can learn how to make or just learn you want to try.

So get out there, test your tongues comfort zones, and dig into one of my favorite things ever, the world of food!