Some people eat to live... and for the rest of us we live to eat!
Growing up I was lucky to be exposed to lots of different foods. My Dad was Portuguese and he could hunt, fish, bake bread, cook, make his own wine and even build things.
Mom was Polish and she could cook really well too. She loved food, and always wanted to try new dishes. We had some great but simple food growing up -- well to me it was simple.
Our neighborhood was very Italian so that influenced what we ate too. My Mom had three sisters, one married an Italian, another married a Brit and my favorite Aunt married a Frenchie who was also a Chef in NYC (don't ask me where he died when I was very young). But I know that he was from Brittany and every Christmas we would be presented with the French cake. After my Uncle Laurent passed, my Aunt Emily took on the tradition of making Gâteau Breton - French butter cake.
This "cake" is so delicious, buttery, slightly nutty, just melt in your mouth good and for the longest time, no one had the recipe! Then one day I stumbled upon it in a French cook book and I tried my hand at making it. Each bite brings me back to the kitchen table where I grew up.
Food has always been my touchstone, a special part of life, Mom would make breakfast and we would talk about what sounded good for dinner.
