Bibliophile, and Thalassophile, who loves cats, horses, and food! My paternal grandparents, Salvatore and Sabina emigrated from Italy as children in the early 20th century, and their Italian DNA must be dominant in me because I can never cook or eat too much Italian food. I am a big fan of Italian chef Lidia Bastianich, she has a cooking show on PBS called, Lidia's Kitchen, and is the author of several best selling cookbooks as well. Her focus is 'real' Italian cuisine, the simple meals, and food that everyday Italians, across the regions of Italy eat. Recipes created using vegetables and herbs from their own gardens, and chickens or pigs they raised themselves. You should check out her show on PBS, it's on once a week for just 30 minutes. I wish it was an hour long. Mangia!