As a single mother of toddler twins and the owner of a busy catering company I’m obsessed with finding shortcuts to ease the day-to-day pandemonium that is my life. Being a chef you would think I’d have creative solutions to the ever burning question-”What’s for dinner??” Not so much.

By the end of a typical day in Event-ville we’ve cooked for 100 guests, and I can barely keep my eyes open let alone cook for my kids. In these instances I like to do what I’ve termed “Back to Basics”. This entails picking up seasonal produce from my local market and making a go of dinner. Last night I knew our meal was going to be a hit when my son popped a stray cherry tomato from my cutting board into his mouth and exclaimed “More candy Mommy!” Who knew tomatoes could trump Gummi Bears?

Summer Candy Salad
1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
5 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
Small handful of Basil leaves, torn
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Serves 4

The key to a delicious salad is to salt the tomatoes generously as this will bring out the flavors.
For a beautiful look cut the tomatoes into different sizes (some in half;some in quarters)
For extra zing (and protein) add one can of drained cannellini beans.

1. Gently mix all ingredients and serve with crusty bread.

I was lucky to grow up in an Italian family where food was often the highlight of conversation and get-togethers. It was a huge influence on my decision to attend culinary school eight years ago, and even decades later those family gatherings are a constant inspiration in the dishes that I create.

When I was a child, my parents used to take my sister and I to visit our relatives in their tiny hometown in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We’d go kicking and screaming because we spent much of our time sitting around our Aunt Marie’s kitchen table listening to adult banter. The saving grace of these trips was my aunt’s ricotta donuts. She’d make them every morning for us and then pile them high on a platter with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. When I first asked my aunt why her donuts didn’t have holes, she replied in her thick Italian accent, “You wanna hola in youra donut? You go to duncan-a-donuts!” Even today, I can never forget her exact words or how delicious those doughnuts tasted.

Ricotta Donuts

1 pound ricotta

6 tablespoons sugar

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 teaspoons baking powder

6 cups vegetable oil

3 tablespoons sugar (for topping)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix the first six ingredients by hand until blended Form into balls with a tablespoon. Fry until golden brown. Mix together 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and dust on donuts.

Welcome to Tips From a Catering Diva! As Executive Chef and Creative Director of Sweet Basil Catering & Events, much of my cooking is more formal for catered events, but I also enjoy preparing casual dinners at home when friends visit — dishes like a mixed green salad with spiced pecans, seafood linguine, and chocolate souffles are always a hit. Often there’s a group of us sitting around on the floor while catching up, sharing appetizers like tuna tartare and fried chickpeas, along with a great bottle of wine (or three). I’ve wanted to chronicle some of my favorite experiences involving friends, family and food for years, and now it’s time to start.

My twins, Alexandra and Andrew, adore food almost as much as I do. At only 2 ½, they’re curious with healthy appetites. Others are amazed at the wide variety of foods they eat, and also their interest in cooking. A & A like being part of the process and running around the kitchen with me, often sampling each ingredient before it enters the pot.

I hope this blog will encourage you to cook with your kids, your spouse, your parents, and your friends. Sharing delicious food is an important part of any relationship, and always at its best when created with love.