Your Guardian Chef: Laura Giunta Tobin

Buona domenica, This week, I am sharing the ultimate guide to mastering La Vigilia di Natale, the spectacular Italian Christmas Eve dinner. I will guide you through the stress-free strategy that we (in the South of Italy) have used for a lifetime to manage this grand, multi-course banquet. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of preparing a large, authentic Italian seafood feast, this is the resource you need. In my complete guide, you will discover: How Italians Celebrate La Vigilia...

Buona domenica, Today, I want to share two classic fried Southern Italian desserts that are essential for Christmas and Carnival festivities: Authentic Sicilian Cannoli and Neapolitan Struffoli. The common challenge with making fried holiday desserts is the smell of oil that lingers in the house, especially right before guests arrive. I want to show you how I make both of them ahead of time. This advanced preparation ensures the desserts preserve their fresh characteristics: The Neapolitan...

Buona domenica, I hope the initial infusion of the citrus zests went well. Are you ready for Phase Two of our homemade liqueur series? If you missed the first video, you can watch it HERE. This week, the process is quick and easy, ensuring your Limoncello and Curacao remain on schedule for Christmas. We are now reaching the crucial turning point for the citrus liqueurs. This simple step finalizes their base composition and requires them to infuse for another ten days. To join me for the next...

Buona domenica, Today, I’m sharing the definitive Milanese meal: traditional Saffron Risotto alla Milanese paired with Ossobuco alla Milanese. Online recipes often compromise the true flavor for a prettier picture. This pursuit of color and appearance means essential techniques and ingredients are often changed or sacrificed. So, for example: The authentic Ossobuco alla Milanese is a veal or beef shank slow-cooked to perfection with wine and bone marrow stock, with no tomato sauce. If you...

This was a lot of fun! I recently sat down for a conversation with Christina from the It Is a Keeper foodblog, podcast, and YouTube channel to share unique insights into Italian food and what's been "lost in translation" about our cuisine. It was a rare chat filled with facts, core principles, and funny stories that you wouldn't believe. We tackled the misconceptions, the pitfalls of recipes you find online, and the simple principles that truly define authentic Italian cooking—like...

Buona domenica, I want to share a rustic, traditional dish from Tuscany: Maiale al latte, which literally means "pork cooked in milk". You might think that milk is for pudding, but this recipe calls for an entire pork roast to be completely submerged in whole milk. This is the long, gentle, and immersive cooking method called stracotto. I remember eating this every Sunday at my aunt's farm near Grosseto. The whole milk is the key to this dish. The slow, low simmer makes a tougher cut of meat...

Buona Domenica, If you still haven’t decided what gift to buy for Christmas, this is what you need. This week, we begin a new video series dedicated to Homemade Liqueurs: A Beginner’s Course to Creating Signature Gifts. You will be surprised how easy it is. Don’t worry if you have a busy schedule, this week you will require only 30 minutes of your time. The rest is waiting time! This series transforms you from a last-minute gift buyer to a creator of personalized treats, solving your gift...

Buona domenica, This week we are making Italian Baked Chicken Cutlets and Nuggets, a delicious alternative to their fried counterparts. While many know the cotoletta alla Milanese, this is the Sicilian version, cotoletta alla palermitana. This recipe is simple and mess-free, as you do not need a breading station. The breadcrumbs are seasoned with Parmesan and basil, creating a crispy crust full of flavor. You do not need any sauce; a simple fresh salad will be the perfect pairing. Discover...

Buona Domenica, Today, we continue our series on traditional Italian apple and pear desserts, where the fruit, not the cake batter, is the main protagonist. Last week we covered an Italian apple cake with more apples than cake. If you missed it, you can check the email here. This week we shared a French apple tart that was so easy to make, you almost didn’t need to; you can check the email here. We also looked at the Crostata di Mele, a recipe that demonstrates how waiting makes a pie better....