Marlana DeMarco Hogan, who earned a teaching degree in Italian language and culture from Rutgers University and has had a teaching career spanning 25 years, has completed her new book "Growing Up in the Pasta Zone": a delightful and heartwarming story of a beloved family tradition for an Italian American family that brings everyone closer together and requires them to work as a team to accomplish something beautiful.

"'Growing Up in the Pasta Zone' is a story about three little hardworking boys and the joy they find while helping to continue their annual family tradition of making tomato sauce together," writes Hogan. "Every step is filled with fun and excitement, from collecting firewood to preparing the homemade sauce outside on an open fire. Treasured memories are made…in the pasta zone."