About Appetíto

Enjoying a Winery Tour with our amazing parents, who gifted us our love and appreciation of food



Appetíto is about many things but was born of one: a family’s love and appreciation of food. Raised as the children of a restaurant-owning father who emigrated from Italy, our family loves to eat, but also eats to love and the culture of food has come to influence our lives in more ways than we could have imagined. Our intention is for the blog to capture that love and appreciation in the form of sharing experiences with our readers. Readers will find posts covering a variety of topics that aim to illustrate the different ways we have come to take enjoyment from food, and not just eating it! While we both have extensive experience within the food industry, covering many years and a variety of different roles, as well as being avid explorers of food in our own kitchens, Appetíto is about much more than just reviewing restaurants or sharing recipes. Whether its detailing how to shop for the perfect ingredients, exploring new taste horizons, or talking about food's unique ability to inspire and bring people together, Appetíto is about the experience as a whole. So we hope that you will join us on our various culinary adventures and we encourage our readers to share their experiences with us as we build a community dedicated to a shared love of food.

Who We Are

Hello! My name is Lisa and I am a 20-something foodie who is loving life one bite at a time! Being raised in a home dedicated to the love and appreciation of food has given me a delicious outlook on life and has taught me that food is so much more than just food. It is a way of life that brings people together whether it be celebrating at a favorite restaurant, gathering around the dinner table, or making breakfast with loved ones on a Sunday morning. Great things happen when food is involved and according to me, food IS love. 

I have spent a lot of my time in the kitchen with a whisk in my hand, standing over the oven and frosting cupcakes. Needless to say...I am a baker! I find comfort in measurements and exact amounts but that is a comfort zone I am trying to break out of. Cooking...well, cooking is a whole different story! Mistakes are made into delicious miracles and I can't wait to dive more into the cooking world, make a few mistakes (I'll share them all with you, I promise!) and learn lots along the way. For how much this girl likes to eat, knowing how to cook well is essential! 

I currently reside in Southern California and for those of you who are familiar with California, we are blessed with wonderful weather which allows us to experience delicious food and wine all year round. I look forward to traveling up and down California to try all that this state has to offer but I also can't wait to become a world food traveler...hey, a girl can dream, right?

When I'm not in the kitchen covered in flour, you can find me spending time with the people I love most; my family (who share the same love for food as me) my boyfriend, Sean (official taste tester!), my amazing friends (who never turn down a great meal), and my dogs (always there to pick up the scraps!). I also love the beach, hiking, being outdoors, crafting, and work...yes, I said work! I work at a coffee shop as a barista and putting a smile on peoples face through coffee, tea and pastries is very fulfilling. 

I am an advocate for cooking with passion, baking with a dash of love, and making the kitchen the heart of the home. Thanks for taking the time to learn a little bit about me. I hope to learn more about you! 

Buon Appetíto!

Lisa

Ciao! As you have already met my sister, Lisa, I guess it's time to introduce the other half of this blogging team. My name is Michael and I am also a 20-something foodieholic (though I do have a few years more "experience" than my younger sister). As she said, the household we grew up in was very food-centric and it has come to influence my life in so many different ways. I still cherish the memories we have of Monday nights as a family. My dad's restaurant was closed on Mondays and so while many families got their time together on the weekends, between the restaurant and the countless sports and other activities Lisa and I were involved in, we were an atypical family in that Monday nights became our family night. I remember always looking forward to that night and it almost always came together over food....whether going out to one of our favorite restaurants or having a homemade pizza night, it was always our family together with great food.

I currently reside in Boise, Idaho where my fiancé, April, and I relocated about two years ago. While this has taken me away from my amazing family, food will always be a uniting force behind our love. And that is what this venture is about for me...that same mindset that influenced me at a young age is something that has continued with our family as we have added to it. Both myself and Lisa have incredible people we share our lives with and who have become part of our family. And now, whenever possible, that same idea of wanting to get together and share a meal still applies to us, but to our loved ones as well.

While Lisa may be the baker, I am the chef. Her comfort zone of meausrements and exactitudes is completely different from mine. I sat in awe when a Saturday afternoon would come around (my dad's restaurant wouldn't open until 5pm on the weekends, so this was his time to cook at home) and my dad would peruse the cupboard, seeing what we had in stock, before whipping out an incredible pasta dish you swore was an Italian classic straight from the homeland. But in reality, it was just his best effort of what was around, and what made it amazing wasn't so much following a recipe, but his nuancing of flavors and using what was available in a combination that made it taste fantastic. That has been my biggest influence in the kitchen, which is where you will find me almost 7 nights a week.

My fiancé comes from a completely different background when it comes to food that some of the greatest enjoyment I have ever had has been to share my love and passion for food with her. Her food horizons have certainly broadened in our time together, and you will get to witness that continued growth right here on Appetíto! When I am not cooking for her, we love to get outside and enjoy the beauty of Boise, biking along the Boise River, spending time with our pets, Charlie and Binx, walking through the downtown Farmer's Market, or venturing out to the Snake River Wine Country.

My hope is to build Appetíto into an interactive community of foodie storytelling about your favorite places to eat, what culinary adventures you have been on, and how food is also a growing and developing process, trying new foods, finding new likes and dislikes, and experiencing the world through its very unique scope.

Grazie é Arrivederci!

Michael