
Blueberry Tart
A buttery shortbread tart shell filled with fresh blueberries in a light glaze. An elegant and not-too-sweet dessert perfect for a dinner party.

Grilled Chopped Vegetable Salad
Blanched and grilled carrots, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and radicchio chopped over Bibb lettuce with a light lemon vinaigrette. A vibrant, veggie-packed salad with beautiful char marks that makes eating clean feel anything but boring.

Plum Slab Pie
Six pounds of red plums seasoned with almond extract and orange zest fill a food-processor butter crust topped with a woven diagonal lattice and turbinado sugar, baked until golden. This generous slab pie is a stunning way to celebrate peak stone fruit season and feeds a crowd with ease

Aperol Spritz Martini
Aperol and vodka shaken together and strained into a frozen martini glass, finished with a splash of bubbly prosecco. A clever renovation of the classic Italian spritz that swaps the wine glass for a martini glass with added spirit.

Valerie's Brunch Frittata
A vibrant brunch frittata loaded with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh herbs. Finished under the broiler for a golden top and served straight from the skillet.

Valerie's Spumoni
Three layers of gelato featuring chocolate, cherry-Amarena, and pistachio flavors set over a chocolate wafer crust in a loaf pan and frozen overnight. A stunning, tri-colored Italian frozen dessert that brings a touch of the old country to the family table.

Stout and Caramel Milkshakes
Caramel ice cream blended with rich stout beer and topped with whipped cream and malt powder for a decadent, boozy shake

Paper Plane Cocktail
Equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol, and fresh grapefruit juice are shaken together and strained into a coupe glass. This perfectly balanced modern classic cocktail delivers bittersweet, citrusy complexity in a deceptively simple equal-parts formula.

Turkey Roulade with Cranberry-Citrus Stuffing and Cream Gravy
A butterflied turkey breast is pounded flat, filled with cranberry-triple-citrus bread stuffing, rolled and tied, then roasted at two temperatures until golden, with a cream gravy made from the pan drippings. This elegant roulade offers all the flavors of a traditional Thanksgiving turkey in a beautifully sliceable, evenly cooked presentation

Fried Bologna Bites
Thick bologna rounds are pan-fried in butter until caramelized, then served on toast rounds with mustard and tangy quick-pickled squash in a vinegar-dill brine. These crispy, nostalgic bites elevate a Midwestern childhood favorite into a fun party appetizer.

Dominic's Salsa
A simple fresh salsa made with Roma tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro. Dominic's go-to recipe for easy snacking with tortilla chips.

watermelon cocktails
Fresh watermelon blended with lime juice and sugar, strained smooth, and served over ice with optional tequila and orange liqueur. A refreshing summer sipper that works beautifully as both a cocktail and a mocktail.

Grape and Ricotta Galette with Fennel Crust and Red Wine Syrup
A fennel-spiced free-form tart crust filled with ricotta-almond frangipane and topped with red and green grapes, drizzled with a luscious red wine syrup. A rustic, stunning dessert that reimagines the classic fruit galette with unexpected sophistication.

Spicy Arrabiata Penne
A fiery penne pasta tossed in a quick-simmered tomato sauce with garlic and red chile flakes. Finished with fresh basil and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for a bold weeknight dinner.

Bacon Caramel Scuffins with Caramel Clotted Cream
Mini muffin-scone hybrids studded with crispy Applewood bacon and brown sugar, hiding a molten caramel center, served with caramel-swirled clotted cream. A sweet-savory indulgence that proves bacon truly does make everything better.

Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce
A silky vanilla panna cotta set in ramekins and topped with a vibrant mixed berry sauce. This elegant Italian custard dessert is the perfect make-ahead dinner party finale.

Grilled Pound Cake with Grilled Peaches and Cinnamon-Vanilla Syrup
Thick slices of pound cake and ripe peaches grilled until caramelized, drizzled with a homemade cinnamon-vanilla simple syrup and dolloped with whipped cream. A warm, smoky dessert that's the perfect sweet sendoff to summer.

Tomato Salad with Pancetta Crisps
Thick-sliced ripe tomatoes and English cucumber with red onion in a balsamic vinaigrette, crowned with shatteringly crispy baked pancetta. A fresh summer salad given a salty, savory crunch from its Italian bacon topping.

Prosciutto Bruschetta
Toasted sourdough slices rubbed with garlic and topped with thin slices of prosciutto and fresh toppings. A quick Italian appetizer that's simple and elegant.

Pumpkin Love Cake
A spice cake mix is layered with a ricotta-mascarpone filling that magically switches positions during baking, then topped with a pumpkin spice pudding-mascarpone frosting. This easy yet impressive cake captures all the warm spice flavors of fall and makes a delightful alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.