Raised by a Sicilian mother, food has been an integral part of my life. Soups, stews... anything that takes forever to cook and smells great while simmering on the stove. I make a mean vegetarian chili, and my oven braised short ribs are also fantastic. One of the first dishes I ever cooked turned out grey. That's when I learned brown mushrooms should never be used in a cream sauce. It was at that point that I learned to start paying attention to recipes.