via Chapter 1: And So It Begins
Blog Posts
Craving The Adults’ Table
Sunday dinners were sacred. Family congregated to Grandma’s Brooklyn house on East 5th Street after church. Her brother’s family lived downstairs, and she lived in the upstairs flat. Grandma already had the sauce simmering, vegetables sliced and meat seasoned. I believed women got special dispensation from the burden of mortal sin by missing Sunday’s Mass.… Continue reading Craving The Adults’ Table
The Bread Story
Grandma Mastropaolo was the eldest of five daughters—the only daughter who was born in a starving Sicilian village. In 1906, she and her mother traveled in steerage to meet her father on the other side of the world. Perhaps this gave her the authority to tell her mother’s tales and recount her stories as absolute.… Continue reading The Bread Story
It’s Here and Everywhere
It's Here! It's a Beautifully Published Book! Hug Everyone You Know is now available everywhere books are sold. It's been a wild ride to publication. Hugs and kisses to She Writes Press's fearless leader, Brooke Warner, and my caring editor, Lauren Wise, as well as the many other creatives behind the scenes. Big fat bear hugs go to Caitlin… Continue reading It’s Here and Everywhere
Grandma’s Clam Chowder
My grandma was an excellent cook; not a fancy gourmet chef, but a home cook who could make simple ingredients into an epic meal. The stairwell to her second floor flat in Brooklyn heralded the warmth and goodness waiting behind her door. She enveloped each of her visitors with big arm hugs and kisses. Grandma's Sunday… Continue reading Grandma’s Clam Chowder
Stories Served Served Around The Table 