When my dad sold the deli, only then did I realise the void we were going to have in our lives. No longer could we get free parma ham, pesto, olives, cheese, pasta etc. Why had I taken it for granted?! I was going to have to go elsewhere to stock up my cupboards and fridge. It was a shock to the system and it was then that I realised that I couldn’t walk away from my Italian food roots. For the first time in a while, I decided to do something for myself and embraced everything I could to learn about it.

I started by teaching myself my favourite recipes that I had enjoyed many a time on our annual family Italian holidays in Puglia. I held myself accountable by uploading them to a blog, that I thought no one would ever read. At the same time, I started a mini Italian food stall in ode to the deli, which is where the name Tiny Italian came from.

Overtime, I started to notice a change. I was feeling more confident, happier and it was due to making better food choices. Rather than relying on take-aways and a pint after work, I was eating my way back to happiness with EASY, SEXY, HEALTHY meals that were fuelling my body, mind and soul with goodness. I was creating food that I absolutely loved to eat and was making me happy. I use to ask myself, ‘why hadn’t I cooked more before?’. However, I clearly remember believing that good cooking was only for experts and that good cooking couldn’t come easy to someone like me. I soon realised how wrong I was.

My new found love for cooking made me feel confident enough to regularly see and invite friends over for dinner which also positively contributed to my mindset. Being with people you love is so important to daily wellness and this was what my Italian culture had shown me for years, but only now I understood the importance. Plus, cooking was a great distraction to the daily struggles. It was my time, time to relax, enjoy, switch on the radio and cook to my favourite tunes.