Recent Posts

Frittata with Fresh Black Truffles

Frittata with Fresh Black Truffles

Wow, was I excited when I walked into Cavalli Caffe for an espresso macchiato on a recent Saturday morning. Piero, the truffle guy from Tuscany, was there and he had truffles, the “Diamonds of the Kitchen”, dug up in Tuscany just 2 days before. He 

Cooking Foraged Chicory in Roma

Cooking Foraged Chicory in Roma

The last time I was in Italy I hooked up with my friend Luca and the crew from his video company, HB Productions. We spent days together shopping and shooting episodes of me cooking in my apartment near the Spanish Steps. Here’s the first of those 

My Family Christmas Menu Suggestions

My Family Christmas Menu Suggestions

Some say that the most important meal this season is the Christmas Eve fish dinner. I’m doing the Neapolitan-inspired Feast of Seven Fishes, La Festa dei Sette Pesci. But you gotta eat after everyone is done opening all their presents Christmas day, right? When I’m 

Christmas Eve Feast of 7 Fish Recipe Roundup

Christmas Eve Feast of 7 Fish Recipe Roundup

I’ll be with family and friends for Christmas. Our Neapolitan family tradition is to prepare a 7-fish Christmas Eve dinner, La Festa dei Sette Pesci. Seven fish unless I’m with the Sicilian branch of the family, then it’s 13! I hope you will be with 

Porchetta War: Who will win?

Porchetta War: Who will win?

I shot a porchetta episode a while ago. It’s a favorite among my friends and family so I had to share my recipe. And the episode got lots of views and tons of positive comments. Then, things suddenly turned nasty. The Italians got involved. They 

WooHoo! 1,000,000 YouTube Views

WooHoo! 1,000,000 YouTube Views

Thanks to all of you who have visited my channel and blog. We just passed one million YouTube views! I love cooking my favorite dishes that I learned from my immigrant Mom & Dad growing up in northern Jersey. And I love cooking at home 

Make A Perfect Antipasti Platter

Make A Perfect Antipasti Platter

An antipasti platter is your culinary canvas. Lay out a couple of your favorite Italian cheeses and salumi (cured meats) that pair well together. Add some veggies for color. Olives maybe? And what about some taralli scattered all around? A feast for the eyes but 

Food Network? Me?

Food Network? Me?

Whadda youse crazy? I can’t compete on Food Network. I don’t like tension in the kitchen. My focus is the food not the drama. And I gotta do things my own way. When inspired I share recipes on my blog. When my producers’ and my stars 

Turkey, Stuffing & Gravy the Italian-American Way

Turkey, Stuffing & Gravy the Italian-American Way

This year I’m making a roasted boneless turkey breast stuffed with spinach and prosciutto. But I’m thinking fondly of my whole succulent roasted turkey and stuffing. Did I make the wrong choice for my Thanksgiving table? Nope, I’ve gotten over my ambivalence. I’m sticking with the 

Cook and Eat a Whole Pig With Gianni

Cook and Eat a Whole Pig With Gianni

We’re doing a special Christmas episode over here in Gianni-land ™ and we want you to be part of it! Remember my classic recipe for porchetta? I made it the way I ate it growing up: Italian-American style! But I got flamed by a bunch of Italian Italians 

Roasted Turkey Breast with Spinach & Prosciutto Stuffing

Roasted Turkey Breast with Spinach & Prosciutto Stuffing

This is part two of our Thanksgiving special. Check out part one here. I’m not in the mood to roast a whole turkey this year so I came up with this easy tasty boneless breast roast that’s ready after about 90 minutes in a hot 

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake

Want a light dessert for your holiday table? I love this ricotta cheesecake with pumpkin as an end to a fall meal. It’s a nice change from the heavier New York cheesecake. Pumpkin ricotta cheesecake is easy to make. It doesn’t have a pastry crust 

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil

This is part one of a 2 part Thanksgiving special. Stay tuned for part two next week. Easy and delicious, mashed potatoes flavored with mellow roasted garlic and extra virgin olive oil, pairs well with meat, fish or poultry. My Mom didn’t call them mashed potatoes, she called 

Spicy Olives Scented with Orange & Garlic

Spicy Olives Scented with Orange & Garlic

The wrinkly black olives you see in the market are oil-cured. They are tender and flavorful. I like to marinate them in olive oill, orange zest and peperoncini. It will take all of 5 minutes to make the marinade. I make a batch and keep 

Squash Blossom Sauced Ravioli from North Beach’s New Italian Homemade Company

Squash Blossom Sauced Ravioli from North Beach’s New Italian Homemade Company

The Italian Homemade Company opened in North Beach on Columbus between Filbert & Greenwich a few days ago. I visited this morning for the first time. It was like stopping by someone’s kitchen in northern Italy. I’m making a light pasta cream sauce with zucchini