I am a transplanted Italian-American WNY'er living in Phoenix. I am an everyday cook. I suppose the things that I learned to cook as a child are now considered gourmet Italian dishes. Polenta, Risoto, Greens and Beans, fried, stuff squash blossoms. I would rush home everyday to help my Nonna prepare the meals, I had my own little pearing knife and there I was slicing the garlic and chopping the herbs. The stories she shared during those times spent together are memories I sitll cherish today. Italian Christmas! Christmas preparation started in our house day after Tgiving when we all gathered to start baking the cookies and continued cookies the next 2 weekends in Dec. Mom froze the cookies. The Saturday before Xmas trekking off to the Italian Import store in Rochester to get the bacala, shrimp, squid, lobster and eel (yuck, for my Dad). The bacala was soaked and drained every day the fresh seafood was frozen until Xmas Eve. Xmas Eve, Gram, Ma, and my sister and sister in law and I would gather in the kitchen to prepare the Xmas Eve meal and get the hommemades made for Xmas day. My Sis and I are the only ones left now and Xmas is not the same! I AM IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM A BAKER! My Mom and my sister-in-law were the bakers. I keep on trying though. I can make a mean tiramisu and cream puffs. Whenever I bake, I start out saying a Hail Mary and pray it comes out ok. I made pound cake Sunday and it turned out so good...I used a AllRecipe for the pound cake. My first Turkey, I cooked it for hours and hours and it was raw in the middle, my sister was with us for dinner and I was so embarassed! Then there was the Thanksgiving when I invited my whole family to my house 20 people and being single, I didn't use my flour much and when my sister in law went to use the flour for gravy, my gravy had lil visitors in it. Thank God the local convenient store was open!!