Proud Italian American father Chris Zizza aims to keep family traditions alive through his love of cooking. Zizza's recipes come from the heart, written as if you're speaking with your Italian grandparents and learning their recipes (sometimes with trial and error since they never write anything down!) as their parents taught them.

Food is a source of human life, but it is also a cultural bind to connect with your heritage and sharing a meal with family and friends connects us with not only the past but the present. Zizza's delicious recipes and corresponding photos are easily followed for any cook, from beginner to experienced, so other families can find the same connection to their roots and enjoy some incredible homecooked food in the process. Mangia! Buon Appetito! Enjoy!

About the Author

Chris Zizza was adopted as a child and now spends his life giving back the gratitude he has found in having a family to love. He is also a 2013 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a recognition he shares with seven past presidents as well as General Norman Swartzkoff, Mohamad Ali, and Gary Sinese. In his professional life, he is on the board of directors for The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago for over fourteen years.

In his spare time, he is involved with many industry boards as he is a hardwood floor contractor by trade. He also spends his time helping others with his own Charitable foundation Friends of the Valley, in Wilmington, Vermont as well as, The Gary Sinese and The Travis Mills Foundations in which they help disabled veterans with adapted life challenges. He also enjoys playing golf, offshore fishing tournaments, water and snow skiing. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his family consisting of his wife Heidi, daughters Emma and Ava, his mother Judi, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends he calls family.