As an only child growing up in Sorrento, Italy, Cinzia Cripe recalls her parents' mandate that she grow up to be "someone important." To them that meant she needed to earn a doctoral degree. "I didn't want to do that," said Cripe, 58, a Brandon resident for the past 20 years.

To honor the wishes of her mom and dad, she studied for six years in Naples, Italy and earned her doctorate in architecture. Then she showed them her degree and immediately enrolled in culinary school to follow her true love: food. "I have never built anything," said Cripe, whose husband Mark retired from the Air Force in 1997 and moved the couple here from North Dakota. "But with food I built a good bridge between me and my mom."