Author Andrew Cotto is my special guest in the Cucina this week and we have an AMAZING conversation about food, Italy, & passion - all while showing you how to make his grandmother's veal spiedini recipe! If you love food like we do - you will love this video! The dish is light and delicate, with only a few ingredients! And Andrew's passion and knowledge of food makes him the kind of guest I love to share with all of you!
Read MoreRicotta gnocchi are an easy and delicious fresh pasta shape to make! They're perfect to serve during the holidays because they're much lighter than potato gnocchi - making it easier to keep on eating! Both Thanksgiving and Christmas generally involve a pasta course in my family and these are one of our favorites! We serve these gnocchi in a Bolognese style sauce. The shape is perfect for the hearty sauce! They also freeze easily so we can make them in advance! Plus then we have leftovers for another day!
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 MoreI came up with this 30 minute Greek flavored marinade for a special event I did with my friends at Savory Spice Shop in Westfield NJ! Now I'm sharing it with all of you! My husband says this is "the best chicken you've ever made". So you KNOW it's got to be good! Pair it with rice and a salad with feta, olives, cucumber and tomato and you've got an awesome dinner on the table!
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 MoreThis delicious Tuscan style ragu comes to us from Fattoria il Poggio - a farm in Montecarlo that we visited on my last culinary tour of Italy! The team there was amazing and they were so generous to share their small cookbook with me and allow me to share their recipes! Their ragu sauce recipe seemed perfect as we head into these cooler days. It's rich and hearty and perfect over your favorite pasta on a chilly day! It does take a little over an hour to pull together so it's definitely best for a Sunday style dinner!
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 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 MoreSarah Pierson, owner of Culinary Concepts Corp is my special guest in the Cucina this week and she's showing us a quick and easy mushroom sauce for steak (or chicken!). Plus she has great tips for how to cook steak at home! Don't forget to subscribe to my e-mail list to receive discounts on our upcoming hands-on cooking classes!
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 MoreThis is a kitchen staple! Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. And not to impress anyone or make a display. I mean, how to roast a chicken on a Sunday so that you've got meals for the week! How to get dinner on the table without ordering out or buying prepared foods. Knowing how to do this simple thing will go MILES in your kitchen!
Read MoreFellow Health Coach Marissa Costonis join me in the Cucina this week! She came up with this AWESOME veggie lasagna recipe that can literally be tailored to WHATEVER you like or have on hand! And it doesn’t take long to put together - we pretty much do it in real time in the video! WHAT!? Yea, definitely all together in under an hour!
Read MoreMamma D joins us in the Cucina as we kick off 2019 with this classic Italian New Year's dish! Watch how to make cotechino con lenticchie! Lentils are a tradition in Italy for the New Year because their shape looks like coins, representing wealth and abundance for the new year! Happy New Year! Salute!
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 MoreThis show stopping roast is perfect for the holidays! Loaded with flavor from the inside out - it's actually pretty easy to make! AND you can make your stuffing ahead of time PLUS it pulls double duty for things like mushrooms or peppers! Stash any extra in the freezer to use once the holiday leftovers are gone!
Read MorePasta is ALWAYS part of what we fondly refer to as "Italian Thanksgiving"! And these pumpkin gnocchi go perfectly with America's favorite meal!
Read MoreAs always I'm sharing some of my favorite (and friends and family favorites) recipes for Thanksgiving dinner! This dish is a GREAT alternate to mashed potatoes! Low calorie and low carb, mashed turnips make a great substitute. Adding in a few carrots helps sweeten the dish and of course, a few pats of butter never hurt! Want to make them vegan? Use olive or coconut oil instead. And of course you can add in whatever kind of milk you normally use in your house!
Read MoreThis is pumpkin in a WHOLE new light! Savory pork is seasoned with warming Fall spices, then braised in pumpkin puree and stock along with onions, carrots, and kale for a 1 pot winter dish that will fill everyone up and keep 'em happy! Serve with crusty bread for the perfect cold weather dinner!
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