Born into a large Italian-American family in rural southern New Jersey, the Author, grew up on a family farm that produced vegetables and fruits for the New York and Philadelphia markets.  While her father and brothers tended to the fields and orchards, her mother, sisters, and aunts gathered in the kitchen, cooking, canning and preserving foods for everyday meals and holiday feasts.  By her elders’ sides, she developed a passion and love for cooking and entertaining.

Eleanor Rodio Furlong, holds a BSN from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  An accomplished Mental Health clinician and educator, she carried her passion for cooking into her retirement.  For several years, she and her sister Rita, owned and operated Riel Cafe located on the boardwalk near Atlantic City, preparing family recipes and creating new versions of old favorites.  Nowadays, she is found nourishing family and friends in Naples Florida, where she currently resides.