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The MM Blog
Let's live deliciously! Here you'll find the very best recipes, travel guides, podcasts, videos, and wellness tips to create a healthy, beautiful joyful life.
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Here’s my must-have list of kitchen essentials. Gizmos + gadgets, appliances, pots and pans, cookware, knives, and tabletop faves. For decades I’ve collected all your questions! The ones I get on social media, in DMs, emails and texts, from the blog, when I meet you or in our Secret Facebook Group. So I’ve decided to […]
Most people think of Monday as the first day of the week. But if we look at the story of creation … day 1, aka ground zero for Him was Sunday. Just like a tree needs strong roots to rise up and grow, I need a rock solid game plan to ensure the week ahead […]
I’ve spent a lot of time in the air and living out of suitcases. Nothing brings me more joy than visiting a foreign country and exploring new and exciting places and trying delicious food. But no matter where I go in the world…There are a few items you will always find in my luggage. Here’s […]
Over the years I have hosted small dinners and events that feed hundreds. I’ve cooked for Oscar winners, billionaires, Hollywood studios, friends and family. But no matter the size of the guest list, a successful party comes down to planning. I’m sharing the exact strategy I use every time I host. And I’m confident that […]
“You may have the Universe if I can have Italy” – Giuseppe Verdi Italy is the most gorgeous country in the world to travel to. I guess that is why I decided I wanted to retire there. And over the past decade, I have crisscrossed this country eating my weight in pizza. And I still […]
I have often seen parents who have a poor relationship with food and body image, pass this onto their kids. This is not the relationship with food we want to create for our children.
I have tried many different challah recipes over the years and time and time again, this one has risen to the top. It’s from the Chabad of Brentwood. My family has voted it, the hands-down WINNER. Yipeeeeee……In fact I get shouted, at if I try anything new. It’s got just the right amount of sugar and […]
This apple, pear, fig, prunes, peach, and apricot Compote is about to be your new (and healthy) BFF. Growing up in South Africa it seemed like prunes just magically appeared around Passover time. I could never understand why. I mean they were thrown into Tzimmes and stewed to be eaten as a dessert. As I […]
I’m kind of a grilled veggie fanatic. Especially when they are cooked on an outdoor grill. It might be because I was raised on braaivleis (South African BBQ). I don’t think it’s possible to replicate the taste of the char if you use your oven. These veggies make an awesome mezze appetizer platter. And the […]
One of the things that really separates an okay salad, from an amazing salad is the dressing. A brilliant vinaigrette can transform even a simple bowl of lettuce into a Michelin star dish. I detest store-bought dressings. And not just because they taste bad. You’d be amazed at how unhealthy they are. They are loaded […]
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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Wanna know the tried and tested go-tos a globetrotter and chef can’t live without? Here’s my must-have gizmos, gadgets, and essentials—all my favorite things I swear by. Plus, what I’m reading, wearing, and packing for my next trip.
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