India, June 20 -- I still remember the pizza.
One whole fungi pizza, hot and bubbling, placed in the center of our small table at Fire and Ice in Calcutta. My parents, my brother, and I - we would slice it carefully, each of us relishing every bite like it was treasure. That pizza wasn't just a dish; it was an experience. It meant togetherness, celebration, and joy. We couldn't afford to order anything else, but we didn't need to. That one pizza - simple, authentic, made with love - was enough.
And now, years later, to have had the privilege of sitting across from the woman who made that memory possible - Annamaria Forgione, the founder of Fire and Ice - felt surreal. I wasn't just meeting a restaurateur. I was meeting a woman who proved ...