Some of my most memorable childhood experiences took place in the kitchen with my Mom and Grandmother. In an Italian family (as, I suspect, in most families) the kitchen is mission-control - the place where all the action takes place. In our family, it was the place where meals were eaten, homework got done, tears were wiped, bruises tended to and corrections given. Even the fittings for my wedding dress took place with me standing precariously on top of my Grandmother's kitchen table while she pinned and re-pinned my dress until it was perfect. I can't even begin to count the lessons I learned spending day after day, year after year just living life alongside my Mom and my Grandmother, sharing my thoughts, hopes and dreams with them as I watched (and sometimes helped) them perform the most mundane household tasks. What I know for sure, is that watching and working alongside them helped form me to see the world through their eyes, with their unique perspective and point
