I need to take the time to thank my parents. Thanks to them, I am of Greek and Italian descent. One of the things Greek and Italian people do great is cook. When I was a little girl that’s all we did in my family. My Mom, who I still think is the best chef I know, was always tearing it up in the kitchen. My Dad was always tearing it up on the grill. Lucky for me, they like to cook and we could afford great food. I always loved to watch them cook and talk about food. Eating and cooking were a huge part of my life,and  attendance was mandatory at the dinner table as well as engaging in conversations about food and school. It was a good thing for me to be so involved with who we were and where we came from . My grandparents all lived in Astoria NY. When I was a kid it was mostly Greeks and Italians that came from there. My Italian side were all in the fish business. My grand father had a store in New Jersey and when he would ride the train home he would rub fish guts on him so he would smell because he would bring home cash and not want to get mugged haha.  I remember eating well all my life going to my Yaya and Popoo, those are my greek grandparents, and there was always amazing food. Pastitsio, lamb, avgalemeno and so many more good things. Going to my nanas, the Italian side, and having Sunday sauce and meatballs, stuffed breads and the best meats around. Including soppressata, cappicola, and so on.  It’s no wonder my parents picked up the love of food. My dad, being a fisherman and hunter, was a great guy to be around because we would always have fresh fish and pheasant. I am grateful to my family and my heritage that I found something that I can be so passionate about and creative, and still keep it as close to my heart of who I am and where I come from when I cook. My love for fishing and seafood has been in my family for generations and that is pretty cool..