Tiziana Triolo moved to Houston from Sicily just six years ago. Her way of keeping her Italian culture alive is through teaching children her traditions.
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When lifestyle blogger Cammeo Murray was looking for a program to get her son, Garrett, to learn more about their Italian roots, she quickly found Tiziana's Cook2Learn Academy.
"My family is all from Italy and Sicily, so i loved that she taught the children Italian, and they learned all about authentic Italian recipes," says Murray.
When Triolo moved to Houston, she wanted to create a career for herself that included her heritage.
"My professional life after i moved to the United States was dedicated to promote and preserve my culture here in Texas," says Triolo.
So she started the Cook2Learn Academy for children three to 12 years old. The class starts with a lesson about the recipe. On this day, Triolo teaches the kids how to make Taralli.
"That is a typical cookie from the region of Sicily," says Triolo.
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Next, she teaches them some Italian. Then, it's time to bake. The kids mix the ingredients, roll the dough, form the cookies, and while they're baking, the restaurants where Triolo teaches provide a special treat.
"The kids then will be entertained with pizza, juice, or whatever they prepare," she says.
At the Hotel Granduca, where Triolo holds many classes, parents also get a special glass of prosecco.
After snack time, the kids finish their cookies.
They go home with a folder with the recipe in Italian and English...Then, they have the diploma, and of course the final product, like today, they went with Taralli," explains Triolo.
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It's a learning experience Murray and her friends bring their kids back for.
"I feel like it's something so unique that they never get to do in school," she says.
And it brings grazia - gratitude - to Triolo every class.
"Their smile, their happiness. This is my best rewards," adds Triolo.
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