Get ready for the Holidays with this quick and easy, savory pear and gorgonzola tart recipe! The perfect appetizer to serve or bring along! Store brought pastry puff makes this incredibly simple. You could also swap in your favorite cheese like goat or brie! Enjoy!
Read MoreMy friend & author, Andrew Cotto is BACK in the Cucina with another delicious meal AND Italian adventure! His latest novel, "Cucina Romana" is out NOW (link inside!) and of course, we had to make the classic Roman dish, pasta carbonara! Fatty guanciale, mixed with eggs and cheese (yes Jersey peeps, it's a bacon, egg & cheese as a pasta course!). Fresh cracked black pepper represents the "carbon" for carbonara...coal miners.
Read MoreWe are starting the year off with a bang! None other than the Queen of Italian home cooking herself - Lidia Bastianich! Lidia is my extra special guest this week as we talk about her upcoming PBS special "Lidia Celebrates America: A Salute to First Responders". Along with all things food, the power of cooking, and why Lidia thinks a little patch of dirt just MIGHT be the cure for the quarantine blues. After the interview, I head to the Cucina to guide you step by step through Lidia's breakfast risotto recipe! If you've never had rice and eggs for breakfast, you've been missing out! This recipe is (of course!) a knock out! The perfect way to start the day!
Read MoreI'm SO excited to be kicking off November with my friends at Groundwork Elizabeth and Urban Griddle! I headed to Urban Griddle to get their recipe for their fan favorite "pig candy" - and to get a sneak peek at the menu for November 7th's Urban Farm Dinner! Owner George Vlahos talks about why Groundwork Elizabeth is so important to him, and to the community! Plus we have a lot of fun!
Read MoreI'm trying something a BIT new here - not with the recipe - that's tried and true! But with this video! We shot it using Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic! Chef Risa Boyer is my special "virtual" guest this week! She's sharing her cheddar and chive buttermilk biscuit recipe! Along with ALL her tips, from how to make a quick buttermilk if you don't have any, to how to get the flakiest biscuits! PLUS what you can do right now to help support HER small business, Vanillamore!
Read MoreWatch how to make this delicious Spring frittata! Using fresh, seasonal ingredients, you can make a simple meal that works anytime of day! Dandelion greens are a great Spring green that are available in stores - or even your own backyard! Yes, THAT dandelion green! Add in some earthy mushrooms and of course, plenty of parmesan cheese! This egg dish can serve for breakfast and brunch - clear through to dinner in a pinch! Plus it makes great leftovers! Serve with a fresh salad, crusty bread, or cooked grains on the side!
Read MoreWith everyone clamoring over Corona virus - not to mention the time of year in general - I thought I'd bring back Health Coach Hacks and start you off with my 5 Favorite Smoothie Recipes! These easy meals help boost immunity and weight loss! NONE of them have added sugar - all sweetened with fruit by Mother Nature! They all contain healthy, whole foods that will serve your body and allow it to do what it does best - keep you WELL! And as always - feel free to start here and play with the recipes! Try different types of milk (I use almond milk in the video and at home) or even yogurt! Swap in different greens like spinach, kale, or beet greens. Try an apple or pear in place of a banana. And add in different nuts, seeds and nut butters like walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflowers seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds! The options are endless! Enjoy all of these in good health my friends!
Read MoreThis easy egg dish makes a wonderful savory breakfast OR dinner (eggs for dinner is totally a thing in my house!). My version of eggs in purgatory "cheats" a little. Using leftover sauce (I've done it with marinara or even a Bolognese style sauce!), and baking the eggs instead of poaching them. But the results are still a wonderful Italian inspired egg dish - loaded with flavor that's easy to make at home! Served with some crostini (or even good old fashioned toast!) and you've got a great start to the day!
Read MoreIt was an ancient Italian tradition to give jars of figs in honey to friends and family at the start of the year to encourage sweetness in their lives - so I decided to start the year with this fig and honey jam! Easy to make, perfect as a hostess gift (or, you know, for that person who got you something that you didn't get for - oops!), and delicious all around! Watch how easy it is to make this sugar-free jam at home! I use dried figs which are easier to come by this time of year. Swap the sugar for honey to keep with tradition. And infuse the jam with vanilla! Enjoy!
Read MoreCheck out how fun and EASY it is to make fresh ricotta cheese at home! A few simple ingredients yields the most delicious, fresh ricotta! This is my go-to ricotta cheese recipe!
Read MoreWatch how easy it is to make chia seed pudding! This simple combination of 3 basic ingredients makes the best chia seed pudding! I make mine with almond milk but you can use whatever milk you use at home! Plus, find out what it is about these little seeds that has them referred to as a super food!
Read MoreI’ll show you how easy it is to make this impressive breakfast dish! Eggs baked in bread, with fresh veggies, herbs and olive oil! You can use whatever veggies you like, even add in some bacon if that's your jam! Watch the video and grab the recipe here!
Read MoreSee how easy it is to make an omelette at home! I use a simple filling of pancetta (Italian bacon), cheese and spinach - but you can use whatever YOU like! This easy technique can be replicated with any filling and makes you look like a fancy French chef! Now let's make some breakfast!
Read MoreCider doughnuts are one of my FAVORITE Fall foods! And while I love grabbing them fresh and hot from a farm after picking apples and pumpkins...I can't be there every day! So I figured out how to make donuts at home!
Read MoreOverdid it with the apple picking? Not to worry! Here's a quick, easy, sugar free recipe to preserve all that Fall bounty! Homemade applesauce is great with roast meats, in baked goods and even all on its own!!
Read MoreThese mildly sweet Italian biscuits pair perfectly with the classic Tuscan digestif, Vinsanto! Not only is the liquor IN the cookies, you dunk them in it as well! If vinsanto's not for you, you can always nosh on these mildly sweet little cookies for breakfast and dunk them in your coffee instead. Thanks again to Certosa di Pontignano for the recipe (and cooking class!)
Read MoreMom asked me to figure out how to make a version of this dessert that we had enjoyed together while out to lunch one day. This is what I came up with! Doubles as a great breakfast to be honest. Protein packed Greek yogurt is flavored with vanilla and rose, then topped with bright berry compote, crunchy pistachios and sweet sesame candy! It's the perfect dish for Mother's Day!
Read MoreThis simple Springtime dish can go from breakfast or brunch all the way to dessert! Mildly sweet, rich and creamy, it's a delicious way to incorporate the first strawberries of Spring!! Try adding it to your next brunch!
Read MoreI'm still rocking' this month's theme of a seriously badass brunch menu! And these Mediterranean Spiced Breakfast Potatoes are definitely a keeper! Super easy to make and loaded with anti-inflammatory spices, these potatoes can stand alone or pair with anything from eggs, to sausage and even avocado. They're the perfect base for brunch!
Read MoreWe're making delicious brunch dishes all month long and this is definitely the star of the show! This super simple strata is packed with fresh Spring produce, and layered with cheese, bread and eggs! It's so easy because you can prepare it the night before! Get the recipe and watch the episode here!
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