Have you ever been to a food and wine festival? If not, I highly recommend checking one out. They’re an unforgettable experience—filled with delicious bites, incredible sips, and top-notch entertainment. Plus, you’re guaranteed to pick up a few cooking tips and tricks as you taste your way through the event.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Sun Food and Wine Festival at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, where I hosted a live cooking demo and a walk-around tasting alongside some of my favorite chef friends. For the demo, I made my amazing Pork Milanese with Tomato Arugula Salad. The crispy, golden pork paired with the bright, fresh salad creates the perfect balance of flavors and textures—salty, crunchy, and deeply satisfying. It’s a staple in my home and a dish my kids absolutely love, so it’s always in our dinner rotation. You’ll find the recipe below!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect excuse to go all out with your dinner plans. Whether you’re cooking for friends, family, or a special someone, one thing is always a hit: chocolate. And if you're looking to serve a delicious dessert while still sticking to your health goals, this sweet treat is for you! It’s a decadent end to the meal that’s secretly loaded with nutrient-packed, powerhouse ingredients.

In our home, we call it “magic” chocolate mousse. It’s a rich, ultra-smooth, naturally sweet chocolate mousse that’s actually good for you. The secret? Ripe bananas for natural sweetness and ripe avocados for that irresistible creamy texture.

The big game is almost here, and while the action on the field is what we’re tuning in for, let’s talk about another competition—the battle for the best game day appetizer. Nachos are a staple, but this year, let’s shake things up with Italian-style nachos—unexpected, bold, and guaranteed to wow your guests.

I first created this recipe during a nacho showdown on an episode of The Kitchen. My good friend and co-host Jeff Mauro made a Greek version (delicious, by the way), so I knew I had to bring my A-game. As a nod to New York City, I swapped out traditional corn chips for crispy bagel chips as the base. Then, I layered on pepperoni, sausage, and sliced pepperoncini, and finished it off with tomato sauce, mozzarella, grated Pecorino, and fresh basil. The result was a pizza-inspired take on nachos that stole the show and took home the trophy.

Need another Game Day MVP? My signature Ugly Burgers are now available for you to make at home. Check out the information below and get the napkins ready!

Last week was an exciting one! If you missed it, I had an incredible time cooking with the lovely Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show in New York. A huge thank you to Drew and her wonderful team for making it such a fun experience—her show is always a blast.

We started things off with my 5-Minute Greek Breakfast Tostadas, then moved on to dinner with one of my all-time favorites—Bistro Hanger Steak with Caramelized Shallots and Lemon-Parsley Gremolata. You’ll see in the video that cooking delicious meals like these is a breeze when everything’s prepped and ready to go.

This week, it’s all about those Greek Breakfast Tostadas—one of Drew’s new personal favorites! You can watch the segment below and pick up a few of my pro tips while you're at it. Stay tuned for the Bistro Hanger Steak in a future newsletter.

Whether you're a fan of meal prepping or prefer to cook dinner on the fly, falafel is full of flavor and a breeze to make. These vibrant bites are packed with nutrients, offering a hearty dose of fiber and healthy fats from chickpeas and pistachios, and loaded with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices like mint, parsley, cardamom, coriander, and cumin.

Falafel also shines as a crowd-pleaser—serve them as a party appetizer or pair them with quinoa or brown rice for a satisfying main course. Plus, if you’ve got a meat-free guest coming for dinner, this recipe is great to have up your sleeve.

For a quick and delicious lunch, tuck them into a whole-grain pita with pickled onions, crisp Bibb lettuce, and a dollop of the yogurt sauce below. Personally, I also love keeping them on hand as an after-school snack for the kids.

Happy New Year to my Stirring the Pot community!

I want to start by thanking you for all the positive feedback on this new weekly cooking newsletter. I’m excited for the year ahead filled with fresh recipes, time-tested cooking tips, and creative entertaining ideas.

Right now, my cooking focus is on wholesome, feel-good meals—preferably the one-pot kind. This time of year begs for dishes like tortilla soup, ginger chicken soup with ramen, or creamy vegetable-forward butternut squash soup.

One thing that all of the recipes above have in common is a base of good chicken stock. So today, we’re talking about making our own. Some are intimidated by making their own chicken stock, but it’s a new year, so what better time to give it a go? Once you do, I promise you’ll never look back. It’s an incredibly rewarding endeavor, and the result is far more delicious and nourishing than anything you’ll find in stores.

Plus, there’s nothing quite like the cozy aroma of chicken stock simmering on a cold day—it’s pure comfort in the kitchen.

Whether hosting a festive party or enjoying a quiet night in, New Year’s Eve calls for a decadent recipe you can savor all evening long. Personally, I love serving a variety of appetizers on New Year’s Eve —they’re fun, easy to prepare, and people can serve themselves as they’d like.

One of my all-time favorites is French Onion Fondue Dip. Think fondue, but with rich, caramelized onions. Even better, it can be assembled the day before and baked in the oven just before serving. The key? Take your time caramelizing the onions. Forty-five minutes to an hour will give you those deep, golden brown, jammy onions that make all the difference. Pair it with toasted slices of your favorite baguette, and you’ve got an irresistible appetizer everyone will love.

Here’s to an exciting and abundant New Year—enjoy every bite and every moment.

Christmas is nearly here! I am so looking forward to family time and delicious food, so I’m sharing one of my favorite brunch dishes with you today. For Christmas brunch, I’m making a French classic, Crepes Suzette. Rumor has it that this famed dish was created by accident when a waiter accidentally poured cognac on a crepe dish being served table side, and the pan went up in flames. The result was deeply flavorful and decadent, so much so that the woman who ordered the crepes requested them again. (Her name was Suzette, if you didn’t guess.)

I recommend making the batter and the whipped crème fraîche the day before. That way, you have nothing to do but cook and enjoy with friends and family the next morning. You can even segment the oranges the day before if you’d like. Prepping ahead makes cooking so much more fun!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. From my kitchen to yours, I wish you all the warmest holidays. Cheers to you and your friends and family.

I’m so thrilled to cook with you each week! This free newsletter is your weekly go-to for culinary and entertaining inspiration—delivered fresh from my kitchen straight to your inbox.

Whether I’m cooking at home for my family or developing dishes for a new restaurant or project, this is my way to share what I discover along the way with all of you. Expect bold, flavor-first recipes, pro-level techniques, and useful tips that will transform the way you cook and enjoy food.

To kick things off, I am sharing a simple yet spectacular dish that is always a hit when I put it on any restaurant menu – fried Brussels sprouts with a creamy, tangy dressing and crisp apples to garnish. This holiday-ready side dish is as impressive as it is easy. This is hands down the best way to enjoy Brussels sprouts if you ask me.

For this month's newsletter, we're putting the spotlight on arguably the most important pantry staple: good olive oil. Around six years ago, we were introduced to the Liokareas family and their 5th-generation farm in Lagada, Mani in the Kalamata region of Greece. We had the privilege of visiting the farm and experiencing their olive harvesting process first-hand. We collaborated to bring you what has been a best-seller in our collection for years, plus a cornerstone of our home kitchen as well. A newer addition to the collection are these incredible herb and citrus oils, which are not made with extracts or artificial flavorings that you may see at the grocery store, but rather real citrus peels and fresh herbs are cold-pressed with the olives to infuse the flavor. In our August newsletter are five ways to use these oils, but this only scratches the surface!

Farmer's market season is in full swing, and we can't get enough. Whether traveling or at home, we take every chance we get to peruse local markets. Our summer meals are centered around juicy strawberries, summer squash and endless corn and tomatoes in August. To navigate the farmer's market like a pro, check out our tips in this newsletter.

Catch GZ and his daughter Anna whipping up Bacon BBQ Burgers & a special culinary gift for "dads". All perfect to make at home for Father's Day or any summer gathering!

It’s officially warm weather season and we’re taking any chance we can to dine al fresco! Whether you're headed to the beach, the park or simply dining in your backyard, we have some favorites to share that will make every excursion an extra special experience. So, for our May newsletter, here are two recipes for the summer months that are perfectly packable and even more tasty.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing GZ’s top tips for arranging your own flowers, plus a dessert board how-to for anyone you are celebrating this Mother's Day!

For our March newsletter, we’re sharing these recipes and a few others, plus our top tips for hard-boiling and egg dying. Let’s get into it!

If there’s a time to go the extra mile in the kitchen for your loved ones, it’s Valentine’s Day. So, consider this month’s newsletter a gentle push to give soufflés a go – it’s not as hard as everyone says, especially if you follow our tips for soufflé success below.

People are always asking us what cookware we use most in our kitchen, so for this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing a well-rounded list to stock up on. We only keep items on hand that work well for us in the kitchen and produce great results time and time again. From breakfast before school to weekend dinner parties with friends, our kitchen is a revolving door, so you can be sure this list is well-vetted!

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The race to the 25th is in full swing and our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide is here just in time. A little guidance is nice when tackling your gift list, so we’re taking out the guesswork to make things easier on you. These are some of our favorite and most used items in our household this season, plus, we included the recipe for our Black Pepper Balsamic Sautéed Strawberries, which uses our all-star item this holiday - Balsamic Glaze.

Thanksgiving is just over a week away, and we are fully focused on the SIDES! Everyone already knows what will be served as the main course: turkey, obviously. So, instead of fussing so much over that, we want to arm you with recipes to mix up your own side hustle this year. Even if you are invited to someone else’s table, you can rely on one of the below as a guaranteed showstopper.

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There is nothing quite like a visit to New York City in the fall. Central Park is alive with color, the air is brisk but not too cold, and there are countless classic restaurants that evoke that October state of mind. And, not to mention a bevy of new options such as Tony Fortuna's T Bar, Alfred Portale's Sartiano's, Jonathan Morr's BondST at Hudson Yards and The Tin Building by Jean-Georges, a new food hall extravaganza at The Seaport.

Recently, we packed up the kids and took a trip to Charleston, SouthCarolina. We have always heard about the culinary fanfare, the southern charm and of course, the gracious hospitality, so we finally decided to see it all for ourselves. Truth be told, we feel like we only just scratched the surface and cannot wait to return. Here are a few of our must-see stops if you happen to find yourself in this darling town. 

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For us, one of the best parts of traveling is the food we enjoy along the way. Earlier this summer, our family took a trip to Italy. Every bite was a celebration of local flavors prepared with high-quality, seasonal ingredients and presented simply and elegantly. In this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing a classic recipe for Pesto Genevese inspired by our trip, plus three different ways to use it.

The casual nature of summer entertaining and dining al fresco makes the simplest foods feel festive and occasion worthy. Today we’re sharing a July 4th menu that is classic, full of flavor and fun to make – especially together. Let us know if you give it a try and check out a tutorial of the Almond Cake today on @mzakarian on Instagram. Happy cooking!