My husband and I both have Italian roots, with my family originating from Rome and his from Ischia. Whenever our conversations get animated, with wild hand gestures and raised voices, we often have to explain to our confused five-year-old that, "We're not yelling, we're just Italian!" My garden has a natural inclination towards Italian vegetables…  READ MORE 

Now that it’s February, we’re only a hop skip and a jump until the tulips start springing up where I live in the Northeast, the fragrant sign that winter is finally over. But by the time they’re in bloom, most of the gardening supply stores, including the farmers co-op down the street from me, are sold out of the most essential gardening tools, or at least any specific ones that I want.  READ MORE 

If anyone ever said that a Type A personality and gardening didn't mix, they never heard of seed tape. Have you heard of it? This tool is the best way to feed your neuroses of perfectly spaced vegetables like carrots, lettuce, radishes, beans, and other seeds you tend to plant in bulk. It's a bit hard to find in stores, but that's fine because it's totally easy to make DIY seed tape.  READ MORE 

Chicken Cacciatore is my favorite go-to dish—it reminds me of Sundays at my Italian grandmother's house, and it might be the first spicy dish I ever tried. Of course, when I was a kid, I picked out the peppers and onions, but nowadays all the ingredients are equal on my plate! This dish is also…  READ MORE 

Tomatoes, believe it or not, haven't always been the household staple we know today. In fact, these luscious red orbs have a fascinating history. Native to South America, tomatoes were initially met with skepticism when introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Some folks thought they were poisonous, thanks to their close botanical relatives, deadly…  READ MORE 

Is there anything more exquisite than indulging in the rich flavors of an authentic Italian meal? For those of us fortunate enough to trace our roots back to Italy, the answer is an unequivocal no! And even if your heritage doesn't hail from this culinary paradise, picture this: a steaming plate of handmade fettuccine or…  READ MORE 

Once the soil softens in the spring, I'm rushing to grab my trusty shovels from the garden shed! But does that mean I'm twiddling my thumbs all winter, waiting to slip on my gardening gloves again? Heck no! There's always a fun gardening DIY project waiting for me, whether building a hydroponic system or getting…  READ MORE 

When I hear people griping about their difficulties in kick starting tomato seeds, I can't help but think of the sight of my own tomato forest that spontaneously emerges every mid-summer. These are the babies of last year's tomato heroes who simply tumbled to the ground and decided to set down roots on their own…  READ MORE