I inherited my love of cooking from my mom, Helen Dimascio. She came from a large family of first generation Italians. No matter where we lived, I could smell her cooking as I walked home from school. It meant love, family, friends, home. She made every meal a special experience.

My dad was in the Air Force, which meant growing up in Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, New York, Iceland, Germany and Panama. Childhood food adventures included fish & chips in Iceland, bratwurst with hot mustard at German festivals, Weiner Schnitzel at grand hotels in Austria. At high school in Panama, we had the best empanadas in the cafeteria, and the pizza at Napoli in Panama City was some of the best I’ve ever had anywhere.

I was in London, New York and Austin during the punk explosion of the seventies and eighties. I loved punk because it was all about getting back to the basics of rock n’ roll. Not unlike the classic peasant dish, puttanesca. You grab whatever you’ve got and toss it together with love and an attitude. Italian soul food.

I met my future husband, Jesse Sublett, in 1977 when he was a struggling musician in Austin. He loved spicy food but he’d never had eggplant Parmesan until I made it for him. I don’t know if the stomach is the way to every man’s heart, but my mother’s family recipes sure helped hook this one.

Over the years, seeking out new favorite eateries and cuisines has always been an integral part of our travels and adventures, from spicy migas the morning after in East Austin to curry on Fourth Street in Manhattan and spicy noodles in various Chinatowns.

We live in Austin now, which has the best barbecue and Mexican food in the world. I love to get in the kitchen after work and cook. I get a lot of satisfaction from creating the meal, whether it’s something from a special new recipe or just going through the pantry and improvising. Hopefully you, dear reader, will enjoy the recipes and pictures I share with you.