The Macroterranean Way

My lifelong love affair with food that began when I was a child was birthed in my mother’s kitchen. As a young woman, I discovered macrobiotics: which I used to literally save my life. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, I used the food I ate as my medicine. Being introduced to macrobiotics made sense to me because I knew food. I knew how to do food. I knew that my Italian relatives had used food as medicine more times than I could count. Fennel for an upset stomach, basil for the blood, raw eggs to build red blood strength, parsley for digestion—these were common themes in my Nonna’s kitchen. She had an infusion for everything that ailed us: from anise, to black pepper, to basil, to corn silk. I had rolled my eyes at all of it, and now I was coming back to it. Talk about full circle.