Biscotti translates to 'twice baked' and apparently was a popular snack for Roman soldiers since the biscotti lasted for days without getting stale. I read Christopher Columbus had biscotti stored away on his voyage to America... In Tuscany, biscotti and vin santo is considered by many to be a perfect pairing. I enjoyed this combination at a cafe in Florence years ago... I love dipping crunchy biscotti into a cup of strong black coffee. 

Struffoli are fried dough covered in sweet, luscious honey. We always had a large crock of struffoli stored in a cool, dark (probably a closet) spot & I hope, covered with plastic or something. (I'm not too sure about that though). My mother would spoon struffoli onto a plate when company came, top with colorful sprinkles for decoration & serve with tea. My mother always had a LOT of visitors, they played yatze or scrabble or just chatted.

My first job in the restaurant business was as a dish/pot washer at a local diner. I was encouraged to get my cleaning done quickly so that the owners could teach me to prep and even cook. I was interested in learning. The chef owner's dad had been a cook in the army. One of the many dishes he taught me to cook is lasagna and it's the recipe I have always used.

I remember learning to make crepes at the CIA using a small, square of pork fat with a slit cut into the skin for my finger to slide in & hold the fat to oil five crepe pans at a time. I remember being very hot & having very burnt fingers when I was done... but very proud. Crepes a la Reine was the first crepe recipe I learned as a young, CIA student in 1980's... we didn't eat many crepes growing up in New Jersey...

Most chefs make thousands of crab cakes in their career and eventually settle on their own 'secret weapon' crab cake recipe. I haven't experienced too many exceptional crab cakes at restaurants-most have fillers, cheap crab meat, too much breading etc... so I simply make my own!