We are thrilled to announce Real Women of Philadelphia finalist, Laura Vitale! This Napoli, Italy native has cooked all her life and moved to Philadelphia when she was just 12! Laura's been working in her father's restaurants and eventually her own since she was a teenager, so needless to say, she's always been involved in the food world. She enjoys working on her webshow, www.LauraInTheKitchen.com, and we're thrilled to have found her!

We chatted with Laura a bit about her life and her feelings on becoming a finalist for Real Women of Philadelphia!

Who taught you how to cook?

Nobody really taught me to cook, but they definitely put me to work as soon as I could see over the counter top! Between my grandmother and my parents, I would say I was destined to be a cook! It was all around me for all of my life, there's something about a good home cooked meal that you can't get in any restaurant. That's why I think I can relate to Paula Deen so much because she is truly the definition of a home cook!

Why is cooking so important to you?

For as long as I can remember, cooking has been a major part of my life. I started cooking when I was really young, along side my grandmother in Italy. When I moved to the States, I immediately started cooking the way my grandmother and mother did back home. There was something about it that made me feel like I was still there with them. Eventually, I began working in my father's restaurant.

In 2007, he had opened a restaurant for me on the waterfront in New Jersey directly across the river from Philly. Due to the poor economy, however, we since lost both restaurants, but I didn't let that crush my dreams. I still continue to cook, create new recipes, I even have a website where I teach others to cook with my cooking videos!

If you could cook only one dish, what would it be?

Now you're really making this hard for me! But, If I could have one, just one, it would have to be my Sunday sauce. It's full of meatballs, braciole, and pork bones - just the way it's supposed to be!

And here's Laura in her own words:

My true passion is cooking. My father and I had restaurants in New Jersey until they closed in 2008 due to the poor economy. When that happened, I was devastated, but I decided that it wouldn't crush my dreams and I wouldn't stop coming up with new recipes and being creative in the kitchen. Now, I work for my husband's family business and dream to one day re-open a restaurant so I can get back into the cooking industry.

Being selected for this contest is the single most exciting opportunity I've had in all my life. This is truly something I love to do. The entire contest is right up my alley, I mean, I love to cook, I love to teach people how to cook, and I love making cooking videos. This is truly a dream come true! Oh, and did I mention that I have wanted to write a cookbook forever!? Thank you Paula, and thank you ladies, for all being part of this contest, you truly have inspired me more than I ever thought possible!