Latest Episode of Sharing The Flavor Podcast Now Live!

Our latest podcast episode, "Tiramisu," is now live for your listening pleasure! Andy, Giovanni and I talk about the history of this classic Italian dessert, and Giovanni food-shames both Andy and I about our Italian-adjacent recipes. Best of all, Giovanni shares his luscious recipe for tiramisu, so give it a listen and try not to … Continue reading Latest Episode of Sharing The Flavor Podcast Now Live!

“Holiday Food” Episode of “Sharing The Flavor” Podcast Now Live!

Somewhat belatedly, I'm happy to post the latest episode of my podcast collaboration "Sharing The Flavor," in which Andy, Giovanni and I talk about our favorite Christmas foods, panettone, macaroni and cheese and green chile stew among them; we discuss the varying holiday traditions that take place in Ohio, Italy and New Mexico, and of … Continue reading “Holiday Food” Episode of “Sharing The Flavor” Podcast Now Live!

Taste by Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci is a wonderful actor who has been in some of my favorite films, including Julie and Julia, The Devil Wears Prada, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Witches, Prizzi's Honor, and one of the best foodie films of all time, IMHO, called Big Night. If you call yourself a foodie and you haven't seen … Continue reading Taste by Stanley Tucci

When In Florence by Richard Cortez Day

This is one of those books that I just love, in which several stories tie together a myriad of characters who interweave throughout each other's tales, with one minor character in one story becoming the major player in another...and the best part? It's set in another one of my favorite cities in the world - … Continue reading When In Florence by Richard Cortez Day

Episode 5, Season 2 of “Cooking The Books” Podcast Now Available!

" It's the marvelous month of March, and my latest episode features a wonderful book set in Renaissance Italy that is filled to the joyous brim with luscious food descriptions, a forbidden love, and a secret that brings to mind The DaVinci Code. I am also interviewing the book's author, the wonderful and talented Crystal … Continue reading Episode 5, Season 2 of “Cooking The Books” Podcast Now Available!

The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

Un uomo mediterraneo. Doesn't that have the loveliest ring to it? It translates from the Italian to "a Mediterranean man" but it means so much more than that bland phrase. Un uomo mediterraneo is elegant, dapper, romantic, tips his hat to ladies, dresses immaculately, does not rush through life but rather meanders joyfully, enjoys all … Continue reading The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This is one of those epic books that feature a cast of thousands, exotic locations that span the globe, stories within stories within stories............and Count Dracula. I mean, how can it possibly get better than that? Being a former Goth girl, I still have a fondness for the darker side of things. Vampires, crucifixes, ghosts, … Continue reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My recipe translated into Italian!

Do you remember last year when the author Crystal King asked me to contribute an original recipe to the companion cookbook that was published in conjunction with her novel The Chef's Secret? Well, her book AND a select few of the recipes in the companion cookbook were recently translated into Italian and my recipe was … Continue reading My recipe translated into Italian!

Cooking With Fernet-Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson

This book is hilariously funny, riffing satirically on those chick-lit memoirs from the early 2000s in which a heroine ends up living abroad, usually Italy or France, renovates a house, learns to cook, falls in love, and finds herself, though not necessarily in that order. The book Under The Tuscan Sun is referenced often, but … Continue reading Cooking With Fernet-Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson

Don’t Look Now by Daphne DuMaurier

Having had a long-time love affair with the books of Daphne DuMaurier, I was especially pleased to find a compilation of stories that included Don't Look Now. The story, set in Venice, which is my favorite city on earth, combines creepy supernatural elements with the gorgeous backdrop of La Serennissima. The basic story is a … Continue reading Don’t Look Now by Daphne DuMaurier