Cestari Kitchen

08/18/2026

Eggplant was the last thing out of my grandfather's garden every year, which meant summer was almost over. This week's Cestari TableTalk is built around it, from the article on how differently eggplant behaves when you roast it, fry it, grill it, or cook it slowly, to a tip for picking a good one at the market.

The recipe itself is in this week's video on YouTube and TikTok: stuffed eggplant the way my family made it in Calabria, with stale bread, Pecorino Romano, garlic, and parsley, and no meat at all. There is also a reader discount on the Cestari Garlic Peeler this week.

Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift, so you always have a smart substitute when you are missing an ingredient.

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08/11/2026

Sweet corn season does not last long, so I am making the most of it while it is here. This week's Cestari TableTalk is built around corn, from a quick history of how it got onto American tables to old-fashioned corn fritters with maple syrup, a recipe I have been making since I was a little girl.

Watch how they come together in my short video on YouTube and TikTok, plus a tip for turning the leftover cobs into extra flavor for your next pot of soup. There is also a reader discount on the Cestari Corn Cob Peeler MultiTool Set this week.

Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift, so you always have a smart substitute when you are missing an ingredient.

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🎬 Fresh Corn Fritters | Crispy, Sweet & Perfect for Corn SeasonCo...

08/04/2026

Have you ever cooked with umeboshi? It is a Japanese plum that is salted and fermented until it turns intensely sour, salty, and fruity, and it turns out to be the perfect partner for cool, mild cucumber.

This week's Cestari TableTalk is built around a Japanese cucumber salad dressed with umeboshi paste from our Kitchen Partner, The Umé Reserve. No vinegar, no mayo, just a short list of ingredients and a lot of flavor. Watch how it comes together in my short video on YouTube and TikTok, including which cucumbers stay crisp and why I skip the usual salting step.

Subscribe to Cestari TableTalk for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and a reader discount on the umeboshi. It is free, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift the moment you join.

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07/28/2026

Fennel is easy to walk right past at the market. Raw, it is sharp and a little licorice-like, so it tends to stay in the produce aisle while more familiar vegetables go in the cart.

This week's Cestari TableTalk gives it a second chance. I shared a step-by-step video for a Crispy Roasted Fennel Gratin with sweet Italian sausage and a golden Romano-breadcrumb topping, the kind of easy supper that turns a sharp raw bulb into something sweet and comforting. There is a reader-only discount on the Cestari Serrated Tomato Knife too, which slices raw fennel as cleanly as it does a ripe tomato.

Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift, so you always have a smart substitute when you are missing an ingredient.

Sign up link in the comments.

07/21/2026

If your garden, or a neighbor's garden, is producing more zucchini than you know what to do with, this week's Cestari TableTalk is for you.

We shared a step-by-step video for goat cheese zucchini boats, an easy summer supper with all the comfort of lasagna, along with practical ways to freeze, dehydrate, pickle, and preserve the rest of the harvest for the months ahead. There is a reader-only discount on the Cestari Vegetable Peeler too, for anyone who wants to turn all that squash into quick zucchini ribbons.

Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift, so you always have a smart substitute when you are missing an ingredient.

Sign up link in the comments.

🎬 Summer Zucchini Quick Meal | Easy Goat Cheese Zucchini Boats in 3...

07/14/2026

Most of us make sandwiches on autopilot: a couple of slices of bread, whatever is in the refrigerator, and lunch is ready in five minutes. It is so familiar that we rarely stop to think about it.
This week on Cestari TableTalk, I share practical ways to build a sandwich that actually holds together, from the order you stack it in to how you keep the bread from going soggy. The video also shows a favorite trick, turning everyday bacon into sweet, smoky candied bacon for the best BLT of the summer.
Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift. The sign-up link is in the comments.

07/07/2026

Most of us keep milk in the refrigerator without thinking much about it: a splash for coffee, enough for pancakes, a little for a sauce. Then the week moves quickly, and the carton is still sitting there.
This week on Cestari TableTalk, I share practical ways to use every drop of milk without waste, whether it is fresh, frozen, powdered, or shelf-stable. The video also shows a lovely old Italian technique, simmering the meat in milk to build a tender, hearty ragù for a 45-minute Bolognese.
Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift. The sign-up link is in the comments.

06/30/2026

Some summer nights the kitchen runs hotter than the porch, and nobody wants anything heavy. That is when a good dinner salad earns its keep.
This week on Cestari TableTalk, I show you how to put together a salad that eats like a real dinner. The video walks through an easy antipasto, served family-style so everyone builds the plate they want. Mixed greens carry salami, prosciutto, chickpeas, and creamy mozzarella, with olives, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, and cucumbers, all topped with a fig and balsamic dressing.
Cestari TableTalk is free. Subscribe for the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and reader-only discounts, and I will send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift. The sign-up link is in the comments.

06/23/2026

Ever cooked with cipolline? They are a small, flat Italian onion that cooks down sweet and sour into the best bite on the plate.

This week's dish is built around American Vinegar Works' Quince and Chardonnay Vinegar; the vinegar is the foundation of the whole thing. Watch how it comes together in my short video on YouTube and TikTok.
For the weekly recipes, the cooking videos, and a reader discount on the vinegar, subscribe to Cestari TableTalk. It is free, and I'll send my Smart Swap ingredient-substitution guide as a welcome gift the moment you join. Sign up link in the comments.

06/21/2026

This is what I am trying to do at Cestari - real cooking, by and for real humans

People Inc., the home of Food & Wine and Southern Living, publishes more food content than anyone else. It’s pushing back against the bots with recipes from its culinary hub.