Louise Fadness

Life long foodie, starting when I was a baby and was given hot espresso, hot milk, egg yolk and sugar to help get over a cold. Graduated by age 3 to green salad simply dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, S&P and fresh Italian bread to soak up the dressing. Grew up saturated in southern Italian cuisine until my young mom found her own cooking voice and reconnected with her northeastern Italian roots. I married a Norwegian/Dane (from North Dakota, no less) who couldn't care less for food but changed 180 degrees by our one year anniversary became an honorary Italian.

I am an experimenter and always look for new twists on classics. During the 1970's, 80's and 90's, I participated in a cooking circle where every month the host chose the ethnic theme and prepared the entree; the rest brought dishes to complement the entree. Many successes, a few flops, always interesting and great cocktails and wines. My mom made the best meatballs, arancini, risotto, chicken marsala and eggplant parmigiana this side of the Atlantic. She died last year, six weeks after my husband.

Now I'm retired and a widow.