I was born into a traditional Italian-Sicilian family. My mother cooked dinner every night and passed on to me the same recipes and techniques that her mother passed on to her. The meals my family cooks are hearty and traditional. They bring a warmth to your stomach and a smile to your face. Pasta and meatballs, Italian spukies, and chicken cutlets are what I was raised on, and tomatoes comprised the vast majority of my vegetable intake. But during my junior year of college I became engrossed in learning about the ethical, and environmental concerns over our food system and the consequences that the modern eating norms were having on our bodies and our minds. And quite suddenly and unexpectedly, I found myself deciding to go vegan.
I'm not overemphasizing here when I say that this, for me, was a massive transition. I will openly admit that at the time I made the decision to become a vegan I did not like vegetables, mushrooms, or even beans really. At least I thought that I didn't like them. Over the next few years my diet and my entire perspective on health and eating changed entirely.
I'm not overemphasizing here when I say that this, for me, was a massive transition. I will openly admit that at the time I made the decision to become a vegan I did not like vegetables, mushrooms, or even beans really. At least I thought that I didn't like them. Over the next few years my diet and my entire perspective on health and eating changed entirely.
In the end a strictly vegan diet was not for me, but the experience and the influence it had on my eating
habits were invaluable. I learned to love vegetables, and a big part of that was learning how to properly
cook and prepare vegetables. Equally as important, I realized that the food my body wants (and needs) is real food. It's food that is grown and nurtured.
Vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and legumes.
Breaking with veganism renewed my love affair with cheese and creamy bechamel, but I try to minimize
the number of nights out of the week that they appear on my table. Meat, I eat only very sparingly and
treat as a delicacy. Eating this way really demands preparing a lot of your own meals. Try as I may, I
don't always get to cooking veg-heavy breakfast or preparing a proper lunch, but for the past four
years I have made dinner at least six nights out of the week. Almost exclusively, all of those dinners have
been vegetarian. That is the minimum criteria I employ for creating a meal. I also aim to minimize
processed grains, superfluous fats, excessive starch, and dairy -but moderation in limitations as well as consumption is something I value. There is one other crucial criteria in devising our weekly menu: every
meal must taste good and it must be satisfying. This site is a place to share recipes I create and tried
and true recipes that I love as well as some thoughts and ideas on healthy, sustainable living and balance.
habits were invaluable. I learned to love vegetables, and a big part of that was learning how to properly
cook and prepare vegetables. Equally as important, I realized that the food my body wants (and needs) is real food. It's food that is grown and nurtured.
Vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and legumes.
Breaking with veganism renewed my love affair with cheese and creamy bechamel, but I try to minimize
the number of nights out of the week that they appear on my table. Meat, I eat only very sparingly and
treat as a delicacy. Eating this way really demands preparing a lot of your own meals. Try as I may, I
don't always get to cooking veg-heavy breakfast or preparing a proper lunch, but for the past four
years I have made dinner at least six nights out of the week. Almost exclusively, all of those dinners have
been vegetarian. That is the minimum criteria I employ for creating a meal. I also aim to minimize
processed grains, superfluous fats, excessive starch, and dairy -but moderation in limitations as well as consumption is something I value. There is one other crucial criteria in devising our weekly menu: every
meal must taste good and it must be satisfying. This site is a place to share recipes I create and tried
and true recipes that I love as well as some thoughts and ideas on healthy, sustainable living and balance.