Step into the heart of an Italian-American family and discover the richness, joy and comfort of Italian food shared with people you love—and who love you. For those who cook and those who just love to eat good food, Mangia…I Love You shares a legacy of Italian cooking, recipes, traditions and family stories handed down from generation to generation. Open the pages of this book, enter the kitchens and dining rooms of an Italian-American clan, and partake in their gatherings centered on food and family. Mangia…I Love You will remind readers of time spent cooking with and for those they care about. It will elicit a wonder and new appreciation for the traditions each one of us creates in our own lives. Most recipes are easy to follow and include fun serving suggestions. The few that are more complicated, like the cannoli recipe, are worth the extra time – they are world-class cuisine. Mangia in Italian means, “eat.” Showing affection through food is a tradition of many cultures. This book transports you into a world where those traditions come to life, so you can make them part of your own life and share them with your loved ones. Mangia…I Love You is the creation of Vicki Suiter-McNickle and Lucy Amico-Peters. Vicki & Lucy share recipes and stories from the kitchens of an Italian-American family. From grandma's recipe for spaghetti sauce to a sister's recipe for Fennel & Pear Salad you will learn how to create these mouth-watering recipes while sharing in heart-warming, humorous stories of family life. Working parents are often moving too quickly to join up with the slow food movement. But cooking doesn't need to be a production. Over the years I discovered that quiet time over any kind of meal connected me with my family and emphasized that it is the love and connection that matters, not baking the perfect soufflé. I was inspired to collect the family recipes when I realized the traditions and legacies of my family were disappearing before my eyes. My grandparents emigrated from Italy in the late twenties to start a better life for their family, and they succeeded! This is the story of that life, a life of food, family and love. To create this book, I collaborated with my mother, a project that drew us even closer. I am honored and privileged to share with you all that I learned about my own family - poured in between the covers of Mangia . . . I Love You. It broke my heart when mom suddenly passed away mere months before the book was published. We don't know when we will lose our loved ones, our life collaborators. I am grateful I took the time to make this journey with my mother and rescue the family legacy that I now share with you. This book is dedicated to my mother, Lucy. Mom, I miss you every hour. Vicki Suiter-McNickle was born and raised in Buffalo, New York as a member of a large extended Italian family. She now lives in lives in Northern California with husband Tim, and is mother to three wonderful children - Kari, Taylor and Kelsey. When she is not stuffing cannoli, she is a national speaker, business coach and consultant. ____ Lucy Amico-Peters was born in Buffalo, New York first generation Italian-American; youngest daughter of Leonard and Marianna Amico (pictured on the front cover). After her children were grown she moved to California where she resided until she passed in December, 2010. Beloved mother of four children, and loving sister, aunt and friend to many. Used Book in Good Condition