Chef 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 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 MoreWith Super Bowl weekend upon us - it's time to up the appetizer game! This is a quick and easy app that anyone can handle! More of a "semi-homemade" dish, quality ingredients are the key here! Funky French brie, topped with sweet fig jam, and wrapped in buttery puff pastry is an awesome appetizer for your Super Bowl party - or any gathering! Give it a shot this weekend!
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 MoreBeth Nydick joins me in the Cucina this week as we make the perfect winter cocktail! Loaded with immunity boosting ingredients, this is what you want to cheers winter with!
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 MoreCheck out how I build the perfect charcuterie board! This is an easy way to entertain guests over the holidays and makes a great dish to bring to a party as well! You can use my exact idea or tailor what you serve to fit any home, party and budget!
Read MoreI'm gearing up for Christmas and sharing one of my FAVORITE cookie recipes with you! These snowball cookies (also called Mexican Wedding Cookies, among other names) are SUPER simple and SO delicious! This is a great recipe for to make with kids too! Who doesn't love rolling balls of dough and then tossing them in a big bowl of sugar!?
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 elegant dessert has a secret - it’s SUPER easy to make! You can make it in advance OR do it right in front of your dinner guests if you’d like to be extra fancy!
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!
Read MoreWith cold weather settling in and the holidays coming up - someone is BOUND to catch a cold. And there's nothing more naturally healing than a bowl of homemade chicken soup! This easy soup is loaded with good for you nutrients AND it can be stored in the fridge or freezer for runny nose emergencies! If you prefer, you can add pasta or cooked rice at the end!
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 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 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 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 More