StellaCadente* grew up under the tutelage of a mother who made her own pizza and gnocchi, and brought marinated lamb skewers to the soccer team barbecues instead of frozen hamburgers. She’s always been a healthy eater, able to pack down more food than her collegiate football-player cousin (well, when her metabolism was still fast). Now more into quality than quantity, StellaCadente* is currently devoted to sussing out the best food on the planet.

Having spent two years in the Bel Paese, she will always have a soft spot for Italian cuisine. She is a recent graduate of the French Culinary Institute’s Italian Culinary Experience program. As part of her training she attended Alma in Colorno, Italy and completed a stage in Capri, Italy at one of the most highly rated hotels in the world, the Grand Hotel Quisisana.

StellaCadente* is a contributing writer to Amazon.com’s Food & Cooking blog, Al Dente. She has been professionally eating for over forty years, and has travelled to more than twenty-five countries and twenty states…and counting. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area.

photo © pamela walencewicz 2010