The Italian Paradox: Fit to Fat in a Generation

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Everyone has heard of the French Paradox. French people have very low rates of heart disease despite covering every meal in tonnes of butter, preferring only the fattiest liver paté and washing each meal down with a good measure of rich red wine. Frustratingly for the fairer sex of other nations, and according to the title of Mireille Guiliano’s # 1 best seller, French Women also Don’t Get Fat, despite enjoying this medley of richness that makes our arteries shudder at the mere thought of it. Continue Reading…

Attention: Coffee Lovers

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Caffeine lovers get ready, it’s finally here. The U.S. Barista Championship or USBC, the battle to the death for baristas nationwide. The USBC is the official United States competition designed to highlight the craft of the barista and takes place today, April 19-22, 2012 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

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“Do Something Reel” – Join Debi and Whole Foods in Austin TX, Apr. 22nd 2012

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Lights! Camera! Action! This month Whole Foods Market is excited to kick off the online Do Something Reel™ Film Festival, a collection of provocative, character-driven films that focus on food, environmental issues and everyday people with a vision of making a world of difference. For the first time these documentaries will be available to purchase and stream online for a limited time on the festival’s website.  Continue Reading…

Advocating Food Choice for Hungry Americans

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Since it is National Nutrition Month, I have an informal survey for you: what do you think of as nutritious?  My guess is that you’re probably thinking of vegetables, whole grains, or lean chicken. I bet dollars to donuts that nobody thought, “a meal.”  For the nearly 49 million Americans who struggle with hunger, simply attaining an adequate diet to sustain themselves and their families is enough of a worry. Continue Reading…

SoBe Wine and Food Festival: Swine & Wine

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Sunday afternoon, my wife and I went to one of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival events. We attended Swine & Wine, an event at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables hosted by none other than Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar. I asked Gabriele if he could help me get media passes a few weeks ago and he totally came through for me. Thanks again, G. The best part of the afternoon was the giant hug I got when I introduced myself! And I’m sure I have one of the only autographed menus around. Continue Reading…

Ti Amo – A Valentine’s Day E-Cards Application

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The first time I read, and paid any attention to a love declaration written on a wall was on  a walk in Tuscany, near the marshlands. Under a bridge, in huge black letters a drooling heart had decided to share  his sweet pain with the universe… and the loved one:”ogni tua parola e’ una goccia di amore che voglio bere”. Which, when translated to English means, “each of your words is a drop of love I want to drink”. Continue Reading…

Extra Virgin Wins “Best Home Chef in a TV Series” at The Taste Awards

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When Debi and I started posting our Tuscan family recipes on Youtube about 5 years ago we never thought about “What Could Happen”. It has always been a labor of love and joy, a way to keep our family traditions alive, a game to do with our daughters and a creative outlet… a delicious one!

Then the Cooking Channel came around, and thanks to the vision of Bruce Seidel, at the time VP of programming at the Network, our home project was turned into a real TV show, with all the bells, the whistles and the added production value that it needed. Debi and I had the fantastic opportunity to shoot 26 episodes in the past couple of years; we have learned a lot, we have grown, we have developed so many new fantastic recipes, and we finally got to share it all with a wider audience. Continue Reading…

Introducing, PEACE AND PASTA!

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It’s funny what can inspire an idea. Sometimes it’s pure chance. A conversation. A picture. A sequence of unrelated events. Each potentially random, and each perfectly capable of coming together, making sense and planting the seed for something good to grow. Other times, it can be out of necessity. Sometimes, it’s a combination of both. When it comes to the reason behind the Peace and Pasta Apparel Line, I would say it is an equal amount of luck, dedication and your help. Many designs are in fact the direct result of social media interaction; I went straight into twitter and bluntly asked for help. And help came.

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Come celebrate with us at the New York City Wine and Food Festival

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In a little less than 2 weeks Debi and I will be in NYC, attending the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival.

This spectacular weekend of culinary events will satiate any hunger and satisfy the most demanding palates, and we are excited and honored to be part of it. It will be a very intense and action packed three days, and tickets are being sold real fast. If you care to join us and attend our culinary demonstration (it will be all about Porcini Mushrooms), or if you like Caviar and would like to celebrate and party on a Manhattan rooftop, please check out the following links and make sure you secure tickets for you, your friends, and your grandmother!

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