I have absolutely no Italian ancestry. My ancestry is actually Scottish with a bit of French-Canadian and Iroquois (Mohawk) to boot. I have always had an interest in foods other than traditional over-salted yet under-seasoned, over-cooked, bland and stodgy fare. I grew up with typical, post WWII cooking which meant that vegetables were cooked until tasteless and mushy. Anything still green (and not olive-drab) had obviously not been boiled long enough. Meat was only safe if it had been semi-incinerated. You get my drift. Even as a child, I liked distinct, strong flavours (particularly spicing) and textures. Mashed potatoes (the only way they were served in the 1950's, fries were "unhealthy") were MUSHY and I found the texture nasty. Pasta and rice were not. When I left home, I decided that I could read and follow a recipe. No one else was cooking for me so I decided to start cooking what I wanted and that began a long "learning curve that continues to this very day. Along the way, I have learned a lot about food ingredients and what "works with what". I experiment and I have produced some exceptional recipes... and some real "duds" best forgotten. I am a cook, not a "chef".
