daily bread

Rain or snow, it is Easter! and spring!

My Italian mother, Mary Rose Catherine Benedict Tina Crisera Bush, makes many exquisite confections for this holiday, including chocolate and lemon glazed egg-shaped mini cakes and a pound cake in a lamb shaped mold, smothered in coconut dusted marshmallow cream icing.

My favorite? the authentic, buttery, Italian holiday "basket" bread, Casatielli -- melt in your mouth magic for Easter breakfast.

An added surprise? the egg tucked into the "bread basket" before baking!

Thanks, Mom, and Uncle Richard, for perfecting this recipe and passing it down from Grandma Marie (and Naples) to all of us!

excerpted from Mary Cooks, a food memoir (forever in progress) about my mom, Mary! 

Once upon a time...

What are your plans for 2015?   Why not write a memoir?

Last night, I had the good fortune to attend literary agent and author Sarah Jane Freymann's discussion and book signing, held at Roberta Freymann Roller Rabbit Tribeca store.

Sarah Jane extolled the unique stories that are within each of us as well as the transformative powers of memoir writing itself.

Along with co-author and memoirist Brenda Peterson, she encouraged us to follow the prompts and tools presented in the book and hinted that Oprah, for one, agrees with the team's approach!

Your Life is a Book is available for purchase through www.amazon.com.

Happy writing!