Food Blog Spotlight : How to Cook Italian : Easy Recipes from CiaoFlorentina

Many people love Italian food. Although my late husband said he didn't. Even though he watched and sometimes recorded the cooking shows of Lidia Bastianich. When we subscribed to cable TV, he rarely missed an episode of Giada De Laurentiis. (O.o)

Image Credit:  Italian Food Map, Food Regions of Italy, by Nancy Nikko

I heart most things Italian, with food being at the top of my list. There are so many Italian food bloggers out there. In fact, my third post for this blog shone the spotlight on one of my favorite blogs: JovinaCooks Italian.

Here is another one of my favorite food blogs: Easy Italian Recipes – CiaoFlorentina.  Cooking advice is provided, and many recipes are gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian. A few selected posts appear below to ignite your curiosity to know more and whet your appetite for some tasty Italian cuisine.

Chocolate Covered Oranges with Red Pepper Flakes * Christmas Recipes

The ultimate Chocolate Covered Oranges: tangerine and orange slices dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with red pepper flakes for a nice kick. It is that time of year ago when our orange trees are so loaded the branches started breaking. Which means there are oranges and tangerines all over our kitchen.

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Replace potato chips with a healthier alternative. How to Make Brussel Sprout Chips (Crispy) *

Crispy and light baked Brussel sprout chips with just a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Easy to make and loved by all! Who is as excited as me about fall and baking trays upon trays of these Brussel sprout chips?

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Vegetarian Calzone Recipe *

Italian vegetarian calzone, pizza pockets stuffed with veggies and cheese, and grilled in a cast iron skillet, a vegetarian's dream! First of all, you absolutely gotta make this vegetarian calzone, you guys! I had them for breakfast ,and I'm not even ashamed to admit it.

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Six (6)Trendy Recipes For a Quick Weeknight Dinner | Have Fun with ChatGPT

I used to watch cooking shows for meal ideas.  But today I experimented with the Free ChatGPT tool, and it generated six (6) easy recipes.  I am very pleased with the results.  Hope my blog visitors are too!  

(P.S. You might want to write them down.  Most things are digital these days, but sometimes technology doesn't work.  Also, you could give them to a friend who decided to go off the grid.  LOL.  Always think old school. 😊)

Recipe Cards

🥢 (1) Gochujang Butter Noodles

I watched a Korean drama series, and the chef said gochujang was her special secret ingredient.  She carried a tube of it in her pocket.  I couldn't believe this was the first recipe that popped out!

A huge trend thanks to Korean-inspired comfort food.

• Toss spaghetti with butter, garlic, a spoon of gochujang, soy sauce, and a splash of pasta water
• Finish with parmesan and scallions
• Optional: add shrimp or crispy mushrooms

👉 Ready in ~20 minutes, deeply savory with a spicy kick

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🌮 (2) Smash Burger Tacos

I live in Texas.  There's no such thing as a bad taco!

DID YOU KNOW a taco once traveled to space?

• Astronaut José M. Hernández brought tortillas to space because tacos are easier to eat in zero gravity than bread. Bread crumbs float everywhere, but tortillas stay intact, so NASA started using them for meals on the Space Shuttle. You could say tacos are astronaut‑approved food (like Tang).

A mashup that went viral for a reason

• Press seasoned ground beef directly onto a tortilla
• Cook the beef side down in a hot pan
• Flip, add cheese, then top with lettuce, pickles, and sauce

👉 Fast, crispy, and way less effort than full burgers

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🍜 (3) Coconut Curry Ramen

OK! I'm very pleased with this recipe because there was a Chinese restaurant I frequented, and one of my favorite dishes was the "Coconut Curry Shrimp".  Just add shrimp to this recipe.  I would leave the soft-boiled egg.  But that's just me.

A glow-up version of instant noodles

• Simmer instant ramen (ditch the packet or use half)
• Add coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, and ginger
• Toss in spinach and a soft-boiled egg

👉 Comfort food that feels elevated but takes ~15 minutes

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🥗 (4) Green Goddess Grain Bowl

This one is for people looking for quinoa recipes.  I confess. My local grocery has ready-made quinoa dishes, so I never bothered to make my own.

Bright, herby, and very “wellness-core.”

• Base: quinoa or rice
• Add roasted veggies + avocado
• Blend herbs, yogurt, lemon, and olive oil for dressing

👉 Light but filling, great if you want something fresh

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🍗 (5) Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets

Heat and honey?  Say no more.  I'm all in!

Sweet-spicy is everywhere right now

• Pan-fry thin chicken cutlets
• Drizzle with honey + chili flakes (or hot honey)
• Serve with a quick salad or flatbread

👉 Big flavor, minimal prep

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🫓 (6) Cottage Cheese Flatbread

Flatbread is like the funnest food ever made!  Agree?  Flatbread is so old  ~ How old is it? ~ Archaeologists found a 14,000‑year‑old flatbread in Jordan, baked by hunter‑gatherers 4,000 years before farming even existed.  And of course, different cultures have different names for this food ~ naan, injera, pita, lavash, tortillas.  No matter.  It's all good.

Surprisingly viral and actually practical

• Blend cottage cheese + flour + egg into a dough
• Cook in a pan like a flatbread
• Use for wraps, pizza base, or dipping

As always, thanks for stopping by Food Ways.

Recipe Sharing: The Simple Joys of Italian Sausage

How did I come to know about the simple joys of Italian sausage?  The first time I ever used Italian sausage was when I made stuffing for Thanksgiving. I grew up with my mother using the turkey gizzards, so I thought that was “The Only Way”. When I made the stuffing with Italian sausage, it became the main side dish for our holiday meals. It was a memorable "first food experience".  From that time forward, I can leave out other side dishes for our turkey day meal.  But if I don't make stuffing … I will hear nothing but complaints!

My second simple way to enjoy Italian sausages?  I was in a grocery store one day, and the chef was giving out free samples of a hearty soup he had made. Soup is such a comfort food. The soup was made with dark green veggies, legumes, chicken broth, and sausages.  It was delicious! That became my other simple way of using Italian sausage.

My 3^rd way is a simple sausage, onions, and peppers, over rice.

I never make my own Italian sausage because the store-bought brand is inexpensive and tasty. Although I did watch an Italian cooking show one time and the chef showed how to make your own.

How to Cook Italian Sausage {3 different ways!} - Spend With Pennies

~ What are the 3 ways: Stovetop, Oven, or Grill.

I usually do my sausages in the oven so I don't have to watch them on the stove. I would grill them. But I don't have a grill.

Who likes Italian sausage?  What's your favorite way to eat them?

My #foodie posts. “...looking for easy ideas for entertaining or tasty weeknight dinners, these top Italian sausage recipes will make any meal feel like a zesty #Italian feast....” 20+ Best Italian Sausage Recipes – How to Cook Italian Sausage www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking...

— [ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛʜʏʟ ꜰᴏx ᴀᴋᴀ ᴄᴍᴏɴᴇʏꜱᴘɪɴɴᴇʀ] 💖 (@cmoneyspinner.bsky.social) 2025-09-05T01:28:23.289Z

https://www.tumblr.com/myfoodieluv/793810086276497408/italian-sausage-is-one-of-my-all-time-favorite

https://www.tumblr.com/myfoodieluv/793810810380206080/here-at-delish-we-have-a-rule-of-thumb-on-how-to

Foodie Nuggets: Substitute Turkey for Pork?

Several years ago, I had to make changes to my diet because of my late husband's health condition. There was no way I was going to prepare separate meals: a meal for him and a meal for me and the kids. It was easier to adjust to eating the type of food that was healthiest for my husband to eat. To my surprise making the adjustment was not that difficult. 

Have you ever tried JENNIE-O® turkey products? Jennie-O offers a wide range of turkey products, including whole turkeys, deli meats, sausages, and ground turkey. Jennie-O Turkey Store has been in business since 1940 and is a subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Willmar, Minnesota. Its products are distributed in over 49 countries.

Lots of people love to eat ham or bacon. But these are usually pork meats and there are lots of people with special dietary requirements who can not eat pork!  An important reason for many is that their particular religion forbids this food in their diet. This is a huge diet change for people like me. I really missed the taste of ham or bacon until I discovered turkey ham and turkey bacon.  If you have enjoyed eating ham or bacon but can no longer indulge, then try JENNIE-O® turkey products. The taste is very similar to pork only it really is made from turkey, a healthier poultry choice.

I have been using this pork substitute for over 10 years.

But you don't have to have a special diet. Taste these products and you will love them! I like to cut up the turkey ham in chunks and put the ingredients in my bean soups. Use the turkey bacon for the traditional BLT sandwich (BLT=bacon, lettuce, and tomato).

Visit the official website and find lots and lots of recipes.

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If you can not find these products in your local grocery store, it is sold on Amazon.

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Original source

World Cuisine: Easy Dessert Recipe: Malpua

Do you love experimenting and tasting the food of other countries? Especially the desserts. Yum!

I'm sure I'm not the only foodie out there who loves global flavors. So I'll share this delightful recipe. It's a sweet treat popular in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Malpua is often served at holidays or festivals like Holi and Diwali.

You can find lots of variations of this recipe online. There is malpua served with rose and saffron syrup. There’s Bengali style. There’s banana malpua. There’s Mawa Malpua. (Image below.)

Cooking video: How To Make Malpua - Dessert Recipes



Related Link: How to make mawa - 5 ways of making mawa.

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