If you’re enjoying a three-day weekend right now, you have your favorite Italian to thank for that. No, not The Situation – Cristoforo Colombo! (Ok. It’s not St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo, but for us real-life Italian Stallions, Columbus Day is as legit of a holiday as we’re going to get). So, besides an extra night of shots at the bar, why not celebrate with an easy twist on an Italian favorite–sausage and peppers!

The Ingredient: Sweet Peppers

These are one of the most versatile vegetables in any pantry. Sliced, they make a great pair with carrot sticks to dip in hummus or ranch for a snack. They’re spectacular when grilled with a lick of butter or olive oil and slapped on a sandwich. And toss ‘em in any stir fry or omelet for extra crunch. What makes the pepper so nutritious? With more than a full day’s worth of vitamins A and C, they’re poppin’ with free-radical fighting antioxidants. Read More »

“Glenn,” my husband declared, “this routine has got to change. I accept that you’re in mourning, but you can’t be self-destructive like this.” He was right. We both agreed that I either “suck it up” and get through this first semester as a junior professor or that I resign immediately and look for a job outside of academia. We had this conversation over dinner one night, and just few days before classes resumed.

As I had become accustomed to my new routine of binge-drinking, it was on this rare occasion that I found myself actually sober and even hungry. My husband, Jason, had surprised me with a home-cooked meal of hand made gnocchi – one of his many specialties. Along with his gift for making fantastic Italian food, he also had a special way of giving me advice in the simplest terms. As he poured me a nice glass of Sangiovese, he gave me these two options. Recalling my days as a pianist and listening to the meticulous clicks of a metronome, my ears followed each syllable that rolled off his tongue and onto his lips. And, as I listened my eyes were fixated on that empty wine glass. I watched it change into a brilliant kaleidoscope, bursting with swirls of various deep red hues. Once he had finished speaking, I watched the wine settle, and suddenly I felt a rush of confidence.

“Jason, you’re right,” I said. “I’ll quit this new job and find something different.” That declaration and the agreement we made that late August evening filled me with a type of hope that I had previously thought died with my mother. That renewed hope, however, was soon dashed when I met Jack and his volatile middle-aged ego. Read More »