Italian trained Chef AJ Sankofa is my special guest in the Cucina today and he is dropping KNOWLEDGE! Check out all his tips and tricks for taking this super easy pasta recipe (and your cooking in general) up a level (or ten!). He also shares the special flour they use, what inspired him to start cooking and why he decided to study in Italy!
Read MoreMy beloved friend and neighbor, Chef Jesse Jones is first up to join me in the Cucina! Check out his incredible shrimp and grits recipe!
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 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 MoreWhile reading Lidia Bastianich’s memoir “My American Dream” her perfect description of a simple gnocchi dish that she would make with her grandmother as a child in northern Italy in Springtime got my tastebuds going! I HAD to recreate the dish! This is it! Gnocchi with asparagus, garlic, oil and pecorino cheese! WOW! Five simple ingredients create a flavorful dish that is PERFECT for this time of year!
Read MoreMy friend Chef Mike Carrino joins me in the Cucina this week to answer the question - what do Chefs eat at home? Turns out, it's Thai red curry with duck! At least for this Chef! This dish is actually incredibly easy - chopping the vegetables is the only time consuming part! Chef shows us how to perfectly render the fat from the duck breast. And then easily toss the dish together! LOADED with nutrients and anti-inflammatory elements - this dish will keep you healthy, clear through till Spring!
Read MoreTo be honest - Lou Falcon is a very good friend of ours - so it was only natural that at some point we feature his food truck! Like me, Lou has a passion for food and we often enjoy cooking together for family and friends. Latin Bites serves up classic Cuban and Puerto Rican food; Lou shares the recipe for their top selling Cuban sandwich - The Big Papi!
Read MoreWe're cooking up a Fall classic in the Cucina this week with special guest, Chef Todd Villani of Vesta Wood Fired in East Rutherford NJ! Chef gives us his take on this delicious fall dish, plus his tips for creating the most flavor, and why risotto doesn't need much added to it but love!
Read MoreWhat an honor (and a surprise!) to meet and shoot with Chef Harold Torres Paz of Trilogia Restaurante ! While visiting Cali this past Summer, we went to his restaurant because he grew up with my husband's uncle! He wow'd us with his amazing food! Creative takes on classics, perfect finishing touches, incredible service and a ridiculously cool ambiance! Then he invited us back to the kitchen where he was prepped and ready to shoot his own Cucina episode! With Go-Pro in hand, we made it happen! Enjoy this impromptu (but still delicious!) episode where we learn how to make Longaniza Clavado!
Read MoreChef Kathleen Sanderson is my special guest today as she shows us the RIGHT way to pack a salad in a jar! She shares her tips and tricks, like these reusable/washable lids (https://amzn.to/2N6Rkcl )! We make a classic cobb in the video but she shares her overall technique
Read MoreCheck out Chef Jesse Jones' recipe for New Orleans style BBQ shrimp! This dish makes the perfect Father's Day appetizer! Plus it's got that BIG flavor that Dad will love and Chef Jesse is known for! Watch the video, get the recipe, AND snag yourself a copy of Chef Jesse's book, POW! My Life in 40 Feasts!
Read MoreChef Mia Castro is the brilliance behind this dish! She was actually supposed to be our guest and got sick the day of our shoot! But she kindly let me share her sweet pea and basil risotto recipe with all of you! Loaded with fresh Spring flavors, this dish is both beautiful and delicious!
Read MoreChef Risa Boyer is my special guest in the Cucina this week! Full disclosure, she's a lifelong friend and I was SO excited to watch her open her restaurant Vanillamore in Montclair NJ with her signature vanilla bean marshmallows! She was gracious enough to share that recipe with us today! And what's better for Valentine's Day than homemade sweets!?
Read MoreChef Mike Carrino of Pig & Prince in Montclair NJ is my special guest this week as we get ready for the Feast of 7 Fishes in the Cucina! He shares an amazing calamari recipe with us, along with tips for selecting and preparing the squid! PLUS check out what he's got going on at the restaurant at the link below!
Read MoreChef and recipe developer Julie Hartigan joins us in the Cucina this week! She's teaching us her skinny shrimp scampi recipe along with some great kitchen tips for easy weeknight meals in general!
Read MoreChef Eric LeVine is my special guest this week! We're showing you how to make a fabulous wild mushroom risotto for Fall. Talking about Taste of Hope NJ AND Chef's new gig!
Read MoreMy dear friend Chef Jesse Jones is BACK in the Cucina showing us how to make his classic Southern fried chicken and sweet potato waffles! And we're talking about his new book, "POW! My Life in 40 Feasts" which you can purchase at the link in this post!
Read MoreCelebrity Chef Carlo Filippone joins me in the Cucina this week to share his healthy turkey meatball recipe! Plus we learn about his meal prep company, Elite Lifestyle Cuisine! It's what's being served this week in Cara's Cucina!
Read MoreThis New England classic goes ALL Jersey as Chef Marilyn Schlossbach of Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park puts her special twist on lobster rolls! Check out her recipe & step by step video!
Read MoreWatch how to make a delicious salad using summer zucchini, fresh ricotta and pickled cherries with Chef Ed Crochet of Rat's Restaurant in Hamilton NJ! Set within Ground For Sculpture, this restaurant offers a beautiful dining experience. Try the salad at home or make a day trip to Rat's and check out the Grounds!
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