Hi, my name is Marty Pollio. Helping people learn how to cook Italian food is something I've wanted to do for many years. I'm not a chef or restaurant professional, but I grew up with some of the best southern Italian food on the planet.

My father's side of the family was from Naples and my mom's was from Palermo, Sicily. At 12 years old I started working for my Aunt Juliet at her Italian imported foods store. There was a kitchen in the back and Juliet would cook sauces all day long over a flame the size of a thumbnail. My mother was also an excellent cook, so I grew up with some fantastic and inventive dishes from two regions of southern Italy.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I noticed my favorite Italian restaurants were making their sauces in sauté pans - I called them California quick sauces. I started playing with that style and found it to be a very flexible method that lent itself to experimentation. I have invented some of my dishes and improved some of my mom's, but I still often stick to her original recipes.

I will be posting recipe videos at the same time that I upload them to YouTube and Facebook. Check out some of the videos, try my dishes and I promise you won't be disappointed.