I'm married with two teenage sons. I've lived all my life in or around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I'm first generation Italian, so everyone thinks I only cook Italian dishes. But I love to cook just about anything. I love to experiment, by opening up a cookbook or looking on Allrecipes for a different recipe. I love to make casseroles and lots of different comfort foods (stews and soups). I learned to cook basic items from my mother and nanna, but I really learned to experiment from my zia (Italian for aunt). My mother only made traditional Italian dishes (without a recipe). But my aunt showed me how to try different things. I love cooking for holidays, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer events. I make some great quick stirfrys with whatever I find in the refrigerator. Unfortunatly I rarily write them down, so I can't duplicate them when I come up with a great one. I make a delicious Split Pea soup that my family loves. I can't make a decent meatball to save my life. Disappointing for a first generation Italian. I can't seem to duplicate my nanna's or mother's wonderfully moist meatballs, even though they've given me the recipe and instructions.