Bio Information
Founder of Bella Bella Cucina Bisous, I discovered at a very young age my love for Italian heritage, Italian culture, and culinary delights from various regions in Italy. I created Bella Bella Cucina Bisous to share all the wonderful "Old World” stories and recipes I've gathered through conversations with my parents, Frank and Judy and grandparents, Lucia and Luigi Castiglione through the years.
Bella Bella Cucina Bisous means in both Italian and French "Beautiful Beautiful Kitchen Kiss", inspired by my parents, I remember while growing up watching my Mother stirring the sauce in front of the range while my Father would smell the sauce next to her, give her a kiss on the back of her neck, and say, “It smells delicious babe", a piece of Italian bread dipped in the sauce and she sent him on his way, or at least until dinnertime! A memory that has lasted in my mind and has been an inspiration for my passion in cooking.
I'm from a traditional Italian family, my roots are Sicilian and Calabrese, which could be the reason why I have many styles in my Italian cooking. When I was a little girl, I remember going to church Sunday morning, then to breakfast with family and friends just to have my Mother invite them over for Sunday dinner. This consisted of homemade sauce, meatballs made from scratch, hot, and mild Italian sausage, pork chops, hard-boiled eggs, and her famous Italian Salada! When the fresh garlic hit the bottom of the pot and it started roasting in the extra virgin oil, the aroma was so intoxicating and makes you proud to say...“It’s good to be Italian, Dolce Vita"! I've carried on that beautiful tradition with my own family and friends and am sharing my recipes with new friends that want the same pleasure of the traditional Italian dishes and watching the pleasure it brings to the passing of their lips as well!
I hold a CDA degree in Early Childhood Education from Saint Thomas University. I've been a resident of Cape Coral, Florida since 1968. I have two children, a daughter Paige who is nineteen years old and a son Christian, who is fourteen. My Father Frank Castiglione, my sisters Jodi and Jane, nephew Mark, my Uncle Chuck his wife Fran along with their boys, Kevin and Ryan, also reside in Cape Coral.
A career change came during 2008 when I made the decision to jump into place as a solopreneur, focusing my attention on a dream built on sharing my passion of Italian Cuisine. I'm currently working as a marketing professional for a division of Ghost Executive Group, B.Wired Southwest Florida's Social Media Groove. My lifelong relationships formed in Southwest Florida have yielded fantastic results for the newly formed division of the company. I also hold the position of User Experience Liaison, and assist members with their experience on the website.
Some positions that I've held during my years involved in education include classroom teaching, administrative assisting, families and children liaison, and communication specialist.
I've also traveled to many places over the years experiencing the beauty and cuisine each has to offer from New England to the Jersey Shore, from Las Vegas to the beauty of Jamaica. I look forward to visiting beautiful Europe and tasting their cuisine from each region, I have a desire to travel to Egypt and Morocco and I plan on visiting New Zealand in the near future.
 |  |
