“If you loved me, you’d eat it” was my Italian grandmother’s mantra. Growing up, I recall this barely five-foot-tall woman a powerhouse who expressed her love through homemade pizza, sauteed zucchini flowers, and every dessert imaginable. While preparing for my first guest chef appearance, I realized her food gene was passed on to me.       

My background led to an opening to be a guest chef on “World Kitchen,” a PBS affiliate, WPSU, Zoom cooking show. Accordions, fierce bocce matches, and no fewer than eight pasta dishes defined holidays in my Italian American family. Inspired by my heritage, I spent some years in Italy.