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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.
Chocolate chip cookies are always a winner but when you stuff them with Oreos you hit it out of the ballpark. There is not a kid alive that won’t go gaga for this recipe. Jade literally begs me to make these for her friends. And around the holidays we get different colored Oreos. Orange for Halloween […]
This Citrus Avocado Salad with a mustardy vinaigrette is my go-to wintry salad that’s fresh, easy, and delicious. Winter in California means I don’t have access to all the gorgeous tropical summer fruits. Just tons of apples, grapes, and citrus fruit. But that doesn’t mean you need to settle for a boring old salad. I picked […]
Mielie Meal is a staple food in South Africa and I’m serving it with boerewors, a traditional Dutch sausage. Mielie pap is white in color and it’s very similar to polenta. It’s used to make pap (pronounced pup), which is served at all South African braais (barbeques) with onion and tomato gravy. You can make the […]
Sipping your way across Paarl is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the South African Winelands. Years ago I had this salad at a vineyard located in the town of Paarl, in the Western Cape. It sits at the base of the Drakenstein Mountains. These Red Wine Poached Pears create a beautiful […]
What comes to mind when you think of Purim???? Costumes, the megillah, gift baskets, and of course, those delectable three-cornered pastries, hamantaschen. Our hero, Queen Esther saved the Jews from the evil villain Haman, so the cookies are shaped to look like Haman’s triangular hat. These delicious little treats are stuffed with a variety […]
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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