THOSE OF YOU WHO know me know that I like to start most conversations with a #didyouknow. So, I am going to start with: Did you know that Italian food is officially the most popular cuisine in the world? (And it’s not just me saying so, but an international YouGov.com study.) Considering the number of great Italian restaurants I have found here in Michigan, I am sure a lot of you would agree with this study.

So what is the reason that Italian cuisine is so loved? First of all, because it’s delicious. Pastas in all shapes and sizes; signature meats such as ossobuco or Prosciutto di Parma that have flavor bursting forth; risottos; indulgent desserts like tiramisu, cassata and meltin- your-mouth gelato.