Growing up in an Italian family, food is central to literally every event and family get-together. My grandma was always the one who was in charge of the kitchen, no matter whose house we were at. All of the recipes that we used were passed down to us from her great-grandmother, from traditional cannolis to our authentic Italian lasagna recipes.
Some of my fondest memories are of standing on phonebooks to reach up to the sink and helping her fill the manicottis. I always think of our family get-togethers as being quite similar to the opening scene from The Godfather—without the organized crime. Today my family has tried to maintain the tradition and atmosphere that my grandmother worked so hard to create.