Author, branding and media expert, and my dear friend, Beth Nydick joins me in the Cucina this week! Beth is all about eating CLEAN - hence her book, Clean Cocktails! She shares a fun and easy spring rolls recipe with peanut sauce! And she threw in a healthy paloma recipe! Beth also shows us how to get clear on our messaging around ourselves and our brands so we can get that message out into the world!
Read MoreThis incredibly simple recipe is PERFECT for the holidays! You can use it for chicken, turkey - even pork! A handful of ingredients lands you a flavorful roast chicken! Seasonal apples and grapes are balanced with a few strips of bacon to create a really delicious meal - whether for a weeknight or a show-stopper for the holiday table!
Read MoreI couldn't let Summer go by without doing a recipe using Jersey tomatoes and our sweet corn! I actually came up with this dish at the end of last Summer but we were already shooting for Fall, so I wrote it all down and tucked it away for this year! On top of the delicious flavors of fresh produce in this risotto, I like using a Summer beer instead of wine as the first splash of liquid. It's just another fun way to incorporate these late Summer flavors into a delicious dinner!
Read MoreThis quick and easy parsley based sauce is the perfect Summer condiment! Enjoy it with chicken, steak, fish or veggies! I make mine with shallot, red wine vinegar, LOTS of parsley, some fresh chives (cause they grow in the garden!) and some capers - but feel free to switch things up and swap them out to suit your tastes! Try adding in mint for a lamb dish, or some tarragon with fish - whatever is fresh and easy will work here!
Read MoreThis classic Sicilian dessert (now found all across Italy!) makes the perfect sweet treat to celebrate the good ol'U.S. of A! Granita is special because it's not flavored frozen water, but rather frozen puree of whatever you're looking for! Then it's mixed every 30-45 minutes during the freezing process, giving it its unique texture! In this video I'll show you how to make an easy mint simple syrup to flavor your granita with! Then we'll mix it with watermelon puree to make a beautiful, refreshing dessert - PERFECT for 4th of July weekend - or any time you want a light (healthy!) dessert for a hot Summer's day!
Read MoreIt's true - there's nothing exceptional about chicken salad...other than, in this case, the memory it brings back for me! My great-grandmother's house in Fort Lee NJ, as a kid, playing on the knee wall in the back of her house, waiting for her and my mother to tell us lunch was ready! And later, after she passed, my mother realizing yet another of her culinary secrets! We could never figure out how she got her chicken salad to have such a great texture...until Mom discovered the meat grinder in her kitchen! She quickly ran through some red onion, celery and poached chicken and discovered that was the trick all along! Mom still has the meat grinder but lucky for the rest of us the food processor works the same way here!
Read MorePossibly my new favorite quarantine activity is reading books ABOUT food, and then recreating dishes I've read about! While reading Andrew Cotto's "Cucina Tipica" I was left salivating by his scene around braised ceci beans. I had never heard of them! But it sounded delicious, and incredibly simple (as cucina tipica usually is!). So I did my best to recreate the dish for dinner that night - and it was SO good! I knew immediately I had to share it with all of you! Rich extra virgin olive oil bathes ceci beans and fresh herbs for a comforting dish that checks ALL the boxes! It's warming, and soothing, delicious and filling while also being INCREDIBLY healthy and immunity boosting (BONUS given the times!). I've been serving it with my focaccia bread and a big fresh salad.
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 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 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 MoreI created this recipe out of necessity (the mother of all invention) - I needed to use up a boat load of veggies I had lying around the house! Grain bowl - done! For me, there's something about pork that just seems to go with Fall flavors so I used some Italian sausage in this dish - but it's an easy veg/vegan convert by simply omitting it from the recipe! After that, roasted squash and sweet potato come together with earthy mushrooms, savory onion, and bright zucchini - held together with farro for a chewy, nutty base! I even roasted off the squash seeds for a crunchy topping!
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 MoreSee how easy it is to make this classic Italian focaccia bread! This one is better know in Italy as focaccia al rosmarino because of its rosemary topping! In Italy there are MANY types and flavors of focaccia, but this is the classic version that we have come to know and love here in the U.S.! It's so simple to make focaccia at home, you'll never buy it out again!
Read MoreSimple and healthy, it's SO easy to make roasted red peppers at home! And more delicious! Here I show you how to roast them on the stove and explain what to do if you have an electric stove. There's nothing quite like the flavor of roasted red peppers in olive oil!
Read MoreThis easy, no bake dessert is perfect for Spring time! Strawberries are some of the first berries to come into season and they are LOADED with antioxidants and Vitamin C to help fight late season colds and allergies! And when topped with some fresh basil and a drizzle of homemade balsamic reduction - wow! You can't go wrong! Serve them alone, over ice cream, pound cake or angel food cake!
Read MoreI love this soup! It's a classic dish that is super easy and very healthy! A great way to get your greens in while the warmer weather is still holding out! It's "peasant food" that fits into all kinds of diets without having to make massive changes! Make a big batch and have it for lunch and dinner all week, or, stash some in the freezer for another time!
Read MoreWhat fasting? It's TECHNICALLY Ash Wednesday which, for a lot of people, means no meat. But that's no hassle when you've got beautiful sea scallops like these from Sona Far Hills Seafood! They generously gave me these and shared the PERFECT recipe for cooking them up right to make this delicious dinner! Watch the video, grab the recipe, and check them out! (p.s., it's keto friendly!)
Read MoreCheck out how to make this creamy, dreamy, lasagna béchamel! A quick and easy béchamel sauce combines with earthy mushrooms and bitter radicchio for a perfectly balanced dish! And you'll notice this is lasagna without ricotta cheese because that sauce is all the deliciousness you need in there!
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!?
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