I’ve found that there are two types of people in the world: those that eat all things beets & those that can do without. Can you guess which one I am? If you aren’t sure which bucket you fall in, please keep reading.

Not only are beets naturally sweet & hearty making them a great addition to salads & juices, they are also high in nutrients. In fact, beets are loaded with antioxidants, which gives them their rich red color.

If you are trying to add more vegetables to your diet, this Italian Beet Salad is an easy option. That’s because it requires a very short list of ingredients & can be prepared within 30 minutes – great for a weeknight side dish.

Am I the only person who uses Sunday afternoons for weekly food prepping? Or, at least to get me through the following few days? Doubtful. I know there are more of you out there like me…the type of people that take great pride in being uber planful – especially when it comes to food prepping.

I have certain Sunday evening “go-to” meals that I know will turn into Monday, Tuesday & maybe even Wednesday lunches. Most of the time, these are pasta dishes, but Riso al Tonno (Rice Salad with Tuna) is another great alternative. That’s because it’s tasty, light & easy to cook in volume.

It would be wrong to start a blog predominately featuring Italian cuisine & not talk about burrata.

What is it? Burrata is an Italian buffalo milk cheese. The outer shell is firm mozzarella, while the interior is creamy stracciatella. The word literally translates into “buttered,” if that gives you an idea of the indulgence that we are talking about. Although it may look like a ball of fresh mozzarella, the two are not to be confused.

Maybe you’ve noticed a recent surge in all things burrata on Instagram? In restaurants? At the grocery store? That’s because we’ve finally discovered something that the Italians have had all along – creamy heaven on a dish.

Okay, hear me out. Lentils might sound boring – I get it. But, they have so many redeeming qualities. For starters, they cook a lot faster than other beans making them a weeknight savior. They don’t even require overnight soaking – phew. If that’s not enough, lentils are low in calories, high in fiber & protein and have very little fat.

These nutrient packed legumes are not to be put on the back burner (figuratively speaking). With the right love and attention, they can become your new favorite main course.

Creating your own recipe is hard. Not only do you need to consider ingredients, but also cooking time, measurements, serving size…you get the point. This is not one of my strengths. In fact, most of the things I cook are either dishes I grew up eating OR recipes from cookbooks.

Sometimes you just have to consult the professionals. Eventually, though, you’ll start tweaking those recipes to make them your own. You’ll start to realize what flavors you like & what blends well together. You’ll start to create.

I typically skim through my favorite cookbooks to find inspiration for weekly meals. In fact, I rarely write out my grocery shopping list without doing just that. So, I share with you my top cookbooks to help you find whatever food inspiration you might be looking for.

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Would you rather…never be able to eat your favorite food for the rest of your life OR only be able to eat your favorite food, but nothing else? I struggle with this question as a food lover, but my final answer is the latter. And, that food of choice…that would have to be Nonna’s Chickpea Soup (Brodo di Ceci).

If you aren’t on the chickpea train yet, then more chickpeas for me. Let me give you some background here as you might be surprised to hear that chickpea soup, of all things, is my favorite food.

To say my Nonna (Italian for “grandmother”) spoiled me is an understatement. She would always ask me, “what would you like me to cook tonight, amore” in her thick Italian accent. My answer would always be chickpea soup. Then, she’d remind me mid-dinner, “I cooked this just for you, cicci.” Now, she doesn’t even have to ask. If I’m going to Nonna’s for dinner, I know chickpea soup will be on the menu. And, yes, she still calls me “cicci.”

Remember when I said I was a pasta snob? Well, that goes for pizza, too.  Are you surprised?

Sounds simple enough…dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, right? Yes & no. Pizza has become a craft, an art…a cultural movement if you will. The ingredient list might sound simple, but there are tons of  styles & many different theories related to the preparation of this dish. I can’t help but favor the Neapolitan style the most, though.

Naples is a rough place. I’m not saying that the mafia runs the place, but I’m not saying that they don’t. One thing the city has down pat, though, is their pizza. They even have an organization (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) that regulates how it’s made giving only the true pizza Napoletana a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) status. Needless to say, these people take pizza very, very seriously. As do I.

Want to know where to find the best pesto in the world? Book a trip to Liguria (Genova, Cinque Terre, etc.) & taste it first hand. Want to know where to get the next best thing? Your kitchen!

Yes, you can buy pre-made pesto at most grocery stores, but what’s the fun in that? Making it yourself will impress even the pickiest eaters in your life. To top it all off, there’s no “cooking” involved! Okay, so, by “cooking” I mean applying heat. You will have to enter the kitchen for this one & maybe break out an appliance or two. Sorry, folks.

I’ll be the first to admit it…I am a pasta snob. Isn’t that to be expected though in any Italian household? Well I’m here to encourage your pasta snobbiness & share something even better…tomato sauce snobbiness.

Do not be afraid. Homemade tomato sauce is quick (25 min cooking time), simple & much better than anything you’ll find in any jar at the supermarket.

I share this recipe with you as one of my first posts, because a good tomato sauce is the basis of Italian cuisine. I invite you to take this culinary journey with me beginning with one of the first recipes I taught myself – sugo di pomodoro.