Donna Rapaccioli, PhD, began her career in academia in 1987 at Fordham University, while she was still a PhD student at NYU's Stern School of Business. She spent 20 years on Fordham's faculty before serving as the dean of the Gabelli School of Business, where she holds the rank of university professor and teaches accounting. Throughout her time as dean, she embraced applied learning, encouraging her students to take advantage of the business learning lab that is New York City, and instilled the importance of maintaining a global outlook. She also championed interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration, and established strong ties between academia and industry. Donna has consulted for financial institutions in the New York area and has guest-lectured on accounting, finance, and leadership. She is also an independent director and trustee on the State Street Global Advisors mutual fund board. A self- and family-taught amateur chef, Donna's love of the culinary arts began at a very young age. Over the years, she has attended and taught cooking classes to feed that passion. As seen from her recipes, Donna's international travels have influenced her relationship with food, and her portfolio of recipes represents cultures around the globe. No matter what Donna is cooking, rest assured that it will be simmered and steeped in her grandmother's belief in the importance of sourcing quality ingredients and investing time and love in every home-cooked dish. Donna most enjoys cooking for her husband, three grown children, and their families. She has shared her recipes with faculty, staff, and students at the Gabelli School for well over a decade, and through this cookbook, she is delighted to share them with readers.
"""Beautiful in its words, lessons, and recipes, this wonderful book takes you on a journey of family, food, and life. You will relish every page and every dish!"" -Chester Elton, author of the New York Times bestseller The Carrot Principle ""When Life Hands You Lemons, Throw Tomatoes offers a harmonious blend of innovative recipes and transformative leadership advice, giving readers a feast for both the mind and the palate. Each chapter serves up delicious dishes paired seamlessly with stories that provide invaluable insights into becoming a more effective, compassionate, and dynamic leader, with a side of humor. This must-read book is more than just a cookbook-it's a manual for living a life of resilience, passion, and purpose.""-Lerzan Aksoy, PhD, dean and George N. Jean PhD chair, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University ""This book is a love letter to the art of cooking, a testament to the power of nostalgia, and a source of inspiration for anyone seeking comfort, connection, and a deeper understanding of life's simple pleasures. Donna invites us into her family's kitchen, not just sharing recipes but cherished family stories and traditions that have been passed down through generations. She is an incredibly accomplished leader and product of deep family roots and strong values.""-Mandell Crawley, chief human resources officer, Morgan Stanley ""As a chef and restauranteur, I realized early in my career that if my passion for cooking was to grow and flourish, I needed to be a good businesswoman, knowing how to balance numbers as well as balance flavors in a saut� pan. It seems that Donna has a gift for both. In her new cookbook, When Life Hands You Lemons, Throw Tomatoes, she ventures into the history of her Italian-American family while offering over one hundred recipes that kept that family happy and fed. I found the book utterly charming, with recipes ranging from true Italian to Italian American to personal renditions, along with some of the different ethnic neighborhood flavors thrown in. A fun read with some great recipes to bring it all to the table!"" -Lidia Bastianich, Emmy award-winning television host, bestselling cookbook author, and restaurateur ""Most business advice books follow predictably boring formulas. Donna Rapaccioli has instead done something uniquely charming, mixing together a pinch of memoir, a tablespoon of life management advice, a dash of accounting history, and some fabulous recipes that you'll surely enjoy!""-Chris Lowney, bestselling author of Heroic Leadership and Make Today Matter ""This book is--almost literally--one to sink your teeth into. Beyond the scrumptious recipes to fill your belly, Donna takes the reader page by page through a journey of food, brilliantly weaving in life and leadership lessons."" -Patricia David, former chief diversity officer at JP Morgan Chase and author of The 'Her'story of Davidisms: My Straight-Shooting Answers to 30 Years of Career Questions People Have Asked Me"