Food: The Great Common Denominator
Oh, baby, I’m not in Brooklyn anymore. In fact, I am a long way from the famous (infamous?) borough in New York City. I dedicated thirty-nine years of my life to my former home, and it provided me with eclectic experiences and introduced me to a cast of characters. Arizona is my new home now, along with my wife, kids, mother, father, brother, nieces, nephew, and uncle. My American-Italian upbringing made certain that I didn’t move out to the desert alone. In New York, I lived “down the block” from my parents with my new family. My brother lived “around the corner” from us with his wife and children. Two thousand miles away from the city, and we still have a similar set-up. It’s a sweet scenario for so many reasons, particularly edible reasons. In AZ, I don’t have to rush to shovel the snow from my parents’ stoop before Mom begins sweeping the snow with her favorite broom to benefit from her homemade delectables.
My native state is known as the “Melting Pot of the World”. I have given my new state the title, “Melting Pot of the United States”. During my first two years in Arizona, I have been fortunate to befriend individuals from a multitude of states. My buddies have relocated from Arkansas, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Chicago. I have found that Native Arizonians celebrate the frenzy of new faces as much as we embrace our beautiful new home and its welcoming life-long residents.
The key to maintaining my new friendships is to not talk sports, and speak even less of politics. I talk food. I love food. Food is my life. I was raised in my parents’ ravioli shop, and continued in the business for more than twenty years. I am a “Foodie”. The one thing I noticed in this life is that I can walk into a room full of people, from various backgrounds, and make instant friends simply by discussing food. Try to accomplish that feat by engaging in conversation about whose hometown sport team is better, or by sharing political jokes. Not everyone loves to cook, but we sure do love to eat. Food is comforting. It’s the great common denominator that brings people together in an easy and exciting manner. Seems like we all agree that food is much more than what’s on the plate; it’s the memories, bonds, smells and soothing thoughts from life’s adventures.
I was given a fun opportunity to contribute to this wonderful publication. I look forward to sharing my passion for food. I hope to entertain and inform our community with an interesting food column that touches upon current trends in food, fond recollections, questions, thoughts, tips, and most importantly, some great recipes.
Ciao Bella