Maryana Lucia Vestic is a New England-based freelance writer specializing in food/cooking/recipes, lifestyle, wellness, and product guides.
35 Creative Gifts For People Who Like To Cook
There’s almost no end to the fun and creative gifts you can give someone who loves to cook!
Our guide to 35 creative gifts for people who like to cook covers all the bases. Basics like a farmhouse skillet and “fiddle” bread knife will complete anyone’s kitchen. Or you can help them venture into a new culinary sphere with a sushi making kit, pasta art kit, or a dumpling maker.
#1 Meat Lovers Unite – Maple Wood Carving Board
Maple Wood Carving Board with Spikes
Those who love presenting a roast...
No Dutch Oven? No Problem! These Are The Best Substitutes For a Dutch Oven
A traditional Dutch oven is a heavy enameled cast iron or ceramic pot with a lid, a flat bottom, and a round or oval shape. Dutch ovens can be used on the stovetop or in the oven. Since they retain heat and moisture so well, they cook stews, chilis, and baked goods from all directions, yielding quick and even results.
If your Dutch oven has seen better days or you don’t have a Dutch oven on hand, don’t stress. Many Dutch oven substitutes include cookware like pots, pans, and kitchen appliance...
Spinach Ravioli with Ricotta & Herb-Butter Sauce
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This Spinach Ravioli With Ricotta & Herb Butter Sauce is one of the most luxurious ravioli recipes you’ll encounter. If you’ve never dreamed of fresh homemade ravioli pillows filled with creamy ricotta and spinach – you will after you try these!
With this recipe, the spinach becomes part of the pasta dough itself. The mouthwatering ricotta filling has a unique mixture of parmesan cheese and warm nutmeg. This Spinach Ravioli is the perfect example of Italian comfort...
25 Authentic Irish Foods To Make Your St. Patrick's Day Extra Festive
St. Patrick's Day is filled with everything green — from green beer and shamrock shakes to "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" T-shirts. We typically like to prepare a dinner of corned beef and cabbage, but did you know Irish immigrants originally bought meat from kosher butchers? So what we call corned beef is actually a Jewish tradition and very different from Irish meat dishes.
How are you to know what's authentically Irish these days? After all, you can even find "Irish nachos" in a pub, but they're mos...
16 Cupid-Approved Valentine’s Day Recipes for a Lovely Night In
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The shared love of food is a bond to take seriously! Whether you are hoping to surprise your partner with your chef skills this February 14th, or planning to spend some quality time cooking together, a romantic dinner in can be even more memorable than a fancy night out.
Here’s our chef-curated collection of Valentine’s Day recipes designed to impress. Th...
20 Festive St. Patrick's Day Cocktails That Definitely Count as Wearing Green
When St. Patrick's Day draws near, it's impossible to miss the color green — it's everywhere you look. Green appears on banners and T-shirts, and in many glasses of St. Paddy's Day beer. You can whip up green beer at home or decide to stay loyal to Guinness stout year after year. Isn't it time you found new ways of adding green to the most delicious St. Patrick's Day cocktails?
If you're at a loss over finding new cocktails that honor the color green, don't worry. With our list of 20 St. Patr...
Limoncello Tiramisu
This Limoncello Tiramisu is a fresh take on a sweet Italian classic. Layers of lemony mascarpone and limoncello-soaked ladyfingers stand in for the traditional coffee and cocoa. Infuse one of Italy’s most treasured desserts with the brightness only lemon (and limoncello) could offer.
Limoncello Tiramisu looks and tastes like sunshine as a no-bake recipe with quick preparation. It’s all thanks to an egg custard zabaglione inspired by Lidia Bastianich which is used instead of lemon curd.
It’s t...
How to Make Homemade Irish Cream for St. Patrick's Day
Certain times of the year call for one very special ingredient — Bailey's Irish cream. In addition to its popularity around Christmas, Baileys is also front and center once St. Patrick's Day comes into view. From Irish cocktails to desserts, there's no denying how important Irish cream is. What do you do when you're out of Baileys and simply can't celebrate St. Paddy's Day without it?
While Baileys' flavors seem irreplaceable, it's possible to create a comparable Irish cream at home. You can ...
Creamy Rasta Pasta with Jerk Chicken
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Rasta Pasta is a surprising but wonderful Italian-Caribbean mashup dish. Flavorful bell peppers and Jamaican jerk spice are nestled into a creamy pasta. The vibrant red, green, and yellow colors of Rasta Pasta originally reminded chefs of the Rastafarian culture in Jamaica.
When you make this recipe for Rasta Pasta, you’ll discover a simple weeknight dinner dish with a few key ingredients. It works well on its own or paired with jerk chicken or sh...
These 25 Tasty St Patrick’s Day Dessert Recipes Are Leprechaun-Approved
Whether you're Irish or wish you were, most of us love getting festive once a year in honor of St. Patrick's Day. You may call upon the most traditional Irish American dinner recipes, from corned beef and cabbage to mashed potatoes. Once you finish your St. Paddy's Day dinner and have had all the green beer you can drink, what's for dessert?
Take a deep dive with us into St. Patrick's Day desserts with everyone in mind. You might be on the lookout for authentic Irish desserts such as soda bre...
These 25 Desserts for Two Are the Perfect Way to Spend a Cozy Valentine's Day
Before you can say winter blues, Valentine's Day arrives to add some love and romance to our lives. Some of us prefer cooking with our special someone at home over spending Valentine's Day out and about. The best part of Valentine's Day dinner at home is sharing an intimate dessert for two with someone you love.
Once you're set to celebrate Cupid's big day at home, you might still need help finding the perfect dessert. While plenty of decadent Valentine's Day desserts are out there, not as ma...
The 10 Best Red Wine Substitutes For Cooking When You Don't Have a Bottle on Hand
Red wine is an essential ingredient that adds a burst of warmth to many recipes. It's an important aspect of building flavor in beef stews, tomato sauces, or poached pears for dessert. You may not always have a bottle of Cabernet lying around, especially if you're not a wine drinker. If you've gathered and measured your ingredients only to discover you're out of red wine, what's next? Do you throw everything away and order pizza instead? Lucky for you, you don't have to (unless you really wan...
Is the Pioneer Woman Cookware Safe to Use? Consumers Weigh In
The Pioneer Woman collection of cookware first debuted in Walmart stores across the U.S. in September 2015. It included everything from a Dutch oven and pre-seasoned cast iron set to multiple aluminum cookware collections. Her dish set designs attracted plenty of customers who wanted their kitchen to feel as warm and welcoming as Ree Drummond's Oklahoma kitchen.
It's been over eight years since the popular cookware pieces were sold at Walmart. Wouldn't you love to know how well they're faring...
25 Valentine’s Day Dinner Recipes for a Romantic Meal for Two
This Valentine's Day, you may decide to avoid winter weather and big crowds by making dinner for two at home. It's a low-key way to honor Cupid's holiday while steering clear of the stress that goes along with eating out. Few experiences say "Be My Valentine" like a home-cooked meal made with love and care. A homemade meal offers you more time to focus on your special someone, which is what Valentine's Day is all about!
The only worry you might still have is what you're going to make your Val...
20 Valentine's Day Cocktails to Enjoy With Your Other Half – Or Your Besties
Once New Year's celebrations fade away, we all try our best to avoid having too many cocktails in January. By February, chances are we're craving something festive to celebrate Cupid on Valentine's Day. This may mean something sweet, extra chocolatey or exotic in color or taste. So how can you wow significant others, friends or yourself when it comes time for tempting Valentine's Day cocktails?
You'll find answers to this question right here, as we're sharing some of the best recipes for uniq...