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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 love those do-ahead dishes. That way when I entertain, I can enjoy my guests instead of spending my time in the kitchen cooking. I am also a fan of serving fish at room temperature. Especially during those hot summer days that California enjoys almost year-round. You can also serve it warm if you like. […]
This fruity Caprese salad is PERFECTION. You are going to be obsessed with this spin on an old Italian classic. The tropical fruit makes this the perfect summertime salad for warm lazy days by the pool. It’s loaded with grapefruit, beets, melons, and crunchy walnuts it’s so refreshing. And the passion fruit seeds smother […]
You cannot celebrate Pesach without Matzo Ball Soup. It’s part of our tradition. It’s in our blood and no holiday seder would be complete without Chicken Soup and Kneidlach. The trick to making the perfect, light, and fluffy matzo ball is cooking them in a very large pot so they have enough room to swell. […]
Grilled salmon with basil, blistered tomatoes, olives, fennel, and caramelized onions. This is one of those epic dishes. And one of my favorite ways to do salmon. It’s inspired by Mexico’s Veracruzana and Italy’s Puttanesca sauces but I’ve tweaked it to make it my own. You can serve it warm as a main meal or […]
It’s that time of the year where Jewish people celebrate our New Year. Dipping the apple in the honey is a tradition but what simcha would be complete without brisket? Growing up I looked forward to my mom’s Tzimas, which is a sweet brisket roasted with syrupy carrots and golden brown potato pudding. It was […]
It’s the 4th of July and that means it’s time to fire up the grill and have a barbeque with friends and family. Most Americans throw hamburgers, hotdogs, and corn on the grill… but then I am not most Americans. I was raised in South African on braaivleis (barbecued meat) and boerewors (spicy sausage) served […]
In the early 20th century, the Italian Count Camillo Negroni demanded that the bartender strengthen his favorite cocktail, the American by replacing the usual soda water with gin. The bartender added an orange peel instead of a lemon and this classic Italian drink was born in a Florence bar. It is such a popular drink […]
I love taking Italian classics and updating them with a modern, kosher twist. And this gorgeous beauty didn’t disappoint. It’s jam-packed with a trio of juicy summer melons, bresaola (air-dried, salted beef carpaccio), avo, peaches, carrots, peppers, chia seeds, onions, and a gorgeous basil pesto vinaigrette. If you are not kosher you could use prosciutto […]
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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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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