Claire LaPia and Frank Criscuolo were married on February 22, 1975. Claire was a registered nurse and Frank was a musician who played bass and lead guitar. Deeply in love, they wanted to be together as much as possible and working together was the way to accomplish that goal. Claire loved to cook and while they were both raised in traditional Italian-American families, each in a family of really good cooks and bakers, Claire’s mother, Anna Bigio LaPia was “obsessed” with eating delicious, fresh foods, homemade food, with lots of fruits and vegetables, grains and beans. “Eat this, it’s good for you” and “We don’t eat foods with ingredients I can’t pronounce” were her mantras. Claire wanted to cook that way for the masses. She and Frank believed and still believe that eating well really is the best defense against illness and disease. Today, scientific research supports that theory. Mother was right!
