Luisa Maria Giulianetti is Bay Area born and bred, the daughter of Italian parents. Her first languages were Italian and Sicilian, and the kitchen table-where friends and family gathered to share food and stories-her first classroom. She is published in Brilliant Corners, CALYX, Feile-Festa, HerStry, Italian Americana, Motherscope, Ploughshares, Rattle, Tule Review, and VIA. For her, food is sacred: rooted, like writing, in history, lore, storytelling. And love. Luisa directs student programs and teaches at UC Berkeley.