Christina Cooks: Back to the Cutting Board

Is it easy to be vegan? And Italian? Uh, yeah, man. Not only is it easy and delicious, but there?s so much history around healthy eating dating back to ancient Rome. Yup, you heard me, ancient Rome, where they feasted on lentils, millet, barley, seasonal vegetables and whole grain bread, along with wine. Mind-blown, right? We?ll talk about the Italian history of food.

Pasta is pasta, right? You couldn?t be more wrong. There?s the cheap supermarket stuff that costs 60 cents a pound or you can buy?pasta. Real, authentic pasta makes you swoon with pleasure when you eat it. We?ll talk all things pasta and visit an amazing family pasta company in Gragnano Italy.

I love Rome. I love the chaos, the traffic, the culture, the people, the history and the food. Ah, the food. But the lifestyle is what really grabs me and won?t let go. A powerhouse of a city that manages wealth, history, banking, commerce, tourism and all the trapping of a major cultural hub, life in Rome has a rhythm that sings to me.

Do you ever wonder how styles of eating became what they are? What?s the history of food? I thought it might be fun to explore some of the history that makes the Mediterranean Diet, the Mediterranean Diet. We?ll head to the ancient ruins of Pompeii for some answers.

Everyone seems to be in pursuit of their ancestral roots. We find out that we are a percentage of this and a percentage of something else. But what do we do with that? Nothing? Looking back on our roots can give us all kinds of answers to who we are and why we are as we are.

I have talked about diabetes incessantly over the years and it?s been like beating my little head against a wall. How has this almost completely preventable disease become an industry in our modern culture and how can we take back control of our wellness?and our blood sugar levels? It?s easy and delicious. Let?s talk about creating a truly sweet life.

If I could have only one meal before I died, it would be pizza. I love the yeasty perfume of pizza baking, the spicy gravy smothered on top; the veggies, the crunch of the outer crust, the breadiness; the flavors. Nature?s perfect food, in my view, began in Naples, so it?s off we go to see how pizza became the food we love so much.

There?s the family you?re born into and the family you choose. It?s a small group of people upon whom you depend and love you without condition. They created you and make you who you are in the world today. They?re your home. For me, it?s family over everything, so let?s gather around the table and celebrate those we love.

I know what you?re thinking. Here?s where she lectures us about eating for heart health yet again. Hang on. Don?t touch that remote. What if I told you that there?s more to heart health than kale? Our emotional connections to what and how we eat help determine how our hearts feel day to day. Life is short so let?s live well and thrive.

It?s no secret that I love coffee?but not just any coffee; the rich, bitter coffee we know as espresso. That little shot of heaven makes my day like just about no other thing I can think of. And the best coffee in the world, in my humble opinion? In Naples, baby. Let?s explore the world of caffe.

Some of the longest lived people attribute their longevity to their healthy diet, a purpose in their lives, family and?friends. I don?t know about you, but life without my friends, would be a grim affair indeed. Friends love us, keep us honest, call us out when we need it and are always in our corners, giving unconditional love and support.

There are women in my life that shape the woman I am. They?re forces of nature; strong, loving, driven by their life's work and their families. Like most women, we band together and get...stuff...done. And we do it with style. Let's travel to Pompeii to cook with one of the coolest, strongest and finest cooks I know.