“For Italians, food, wine and ‘la dolce vita’ are profoundly connected. People’s lives are so busy now that the simple act of sitting down with family or friends to have a good meal and great conversation is almost lost. Growing up, I can remember all the stresses of life being eliminated as soon as I sat down with family for dinner. It was safe and I was surrounded by the people who loved me most. After a couple of minutes of talking, an endless array of food began to find its way onto the dinner table. Meatballs, veal, chicken, fish, pasta, along with dad’s homemade wine and grappa, it was endless. There was always an extra place setting just in case someone decided to visit while we were eating, and boy did they leave happy.”