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I'm Melissa!

A Food Network chef + mama obsessed with travel, and mouth watering food. I also own a gorgeous cooking school in Italy. My mission? To share the secrets of La Dolce Vita so you can create a healthy, beautiful, delicious life filled with joy!

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Hi darling, it’s been a while since I introduced myself to you and we have some new friends in our family so I thought I would share some stuff you probably don’t know about me.

1) I am petrified of heights. The closest I have come to confronting them is walking around the Skywalk in New Zealand, but I am thinking of skydiving even though it scares me silly.

2) I am an OCD neatness freak and cannot relax if my space is not clean and my clothes are not color-coordinated. And over the past 20 years living in LA, I have never let anyone wash mine or my family’s laundry. Crazzeeeee.

3) I find it impossible to travel light. It doesn’t matter if I am going for 2 days or 2 months, I have to pack everything including the kitchen sink. Saul has just given up.

4) My late mom used to own a bookstore, so I love to read. Comedies, inspirational stuff, easy beach reads, and murder mysteries. I would rather hang out with a good book than do pretty much anything.

5) As a kid I was a chronic asthmatic, so I was unable to do any sort of sports or running. So swimming was the only thing I could do without ending up in the ER.

6) I only met one of my grandparents. The rest had passed before I was born. My parents didn’t know much about their past in Eastern Europe, so I made up my own stories.

7) I was an identical twin girl but my sister was stillborn and I feel as if I was charged with sharing enough light for both of us.

8) My friends in Italy have nicknamed me tartaruga, because they think my abs look like a turtle.

9) I hated being pregnant. I gained 55 lbs and was miserable and hideous with back acne. But I am so glad I had my beautiful Jady Lady who is my life.

10) The first person to break my heart was a Saul. Every day I prayed to God to let me marry Saul. I met my Saul at a Passover Seder and God had given me a choice between 2 Sauls. See He does hear your prayers.

So that’s a little bit about me. And I picked this photo cause I am also Taurus the bull. Stubborn but loyal to a fault. Tell me a little bit about you so I can get to know you better and thank you for being in my tribe.

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I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

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Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

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The Magic of Italy
without the planning

Explore

Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

find out more →

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