What's for dinner, it's Friday!
This Lemon Dill Salmon or Trout is so easy and delicious!

🍋 Why I always bake my fish instead of frying it
In Gia’s Italian Kitchen, we keep things simple, flavorful, and rooted in real Italian cooking — and that’s exactly why I reach for baked fish every time.
When you bake fish, you let the ingredients do the talking.
No heavy breading. No greasy after‑taste. Just clean, bright flavor that actually tastes like the sea.
✨ Baking keeps those beautiful omega‑3s intact
✨ You get that tender, flaky texture without the oil bath
✨ Your body feels light and energized afterward — not weighed down
Italian cooking is all about letting good ingredients shine.
Baked fish does that beautifully… and your body will thank you for it.

More recipes on my website:
https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

Lemon Dill Trout or Salmon

• 1 lemon
• 1 shallot or yellow onion
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 leeks
• Small bunch fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons salted organic butter
• 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1 whole fillet of wild-caught trout or salmon

Preheat your oven to 450°.

Prepare a large baking sheet (with sides) with parchment paper and add the fish, skin side down. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, warm the butter and EVOO on medium heat.

Dice the shallot and thinly slice the leeks, excluding the dark green woody parts of the leeks. Add to the saucepan and sauté for about 7-8 minutes.

Mince the garlic and add to the saucepan. Sauté for another 5 minutes.

Zest and juice the lemon, then add to the sauce. Turn the heat off but let combine in the saucepan for a couple minutes.

Finely chop the fresh dill and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Pour over the fish. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until desired doneness.

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

You don’t have to be on social media to cook great food, and I’m proving it with a handful of recipes that make weeknights feel a lot less boring. I point you straight to my blog so you can skip the scrolling, grab the links, and see exactly what I’m making with step-by-step recipes and photos.

First up: Caprese pork chops that stay juicy. I share the simple choices that make a big difference, like why bone-in chops help with moisture, how a little chicken broth in the pan keeps things tender, and why pesto plus tomatoes instantly makes the whole plate taste brighter. If you can find burrata, it takes this from basic to special fast, and it’s a great fix if you’re tired of rubbery grocery-store mozzarella.

Then we get into two easy staples that punch way above their effort level: homemade granola and herb-flecked popovers. I talk about reading ingredient labels, why even “healthy” store granola can be full of junk, and how to make a batch that lasts in an airtight container so you’re always five minutes away from a yogurt bowl lunch or after-school snack. The popovers are blender-simple and bake up light, warm, and savory like little dinner rolls with personality.

Finally, I share my new go-to Moroccan chicken, built from a quick spice rub inspired by an American Cancer Society cookbook. Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and garlic bring deep flavor plus antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and you can cook it in a skillet or roast it with root vegetables.

Listen now, grab the recipe links, and if you try one, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more home cooks can find us.

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/recipes-mangia

How about a dinner with friends and family?

Imagine a unique cooking experience where you could be the hero! We will create memories for friends & family through private dinner parties (virtually or in person) & employer teambuilding events via Italian cooking experiences. You select a custom menu, I provide the instruction!

My full menu can be found on my website: https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

BOOK private cooking experience, virtually or in-person, for a fun and unique experience that you will all absolutely love!

• Family across the country? Create memories with the kids and grandchildren to laugh while you cook with me with a virtual class.
• Girlfriends in 6 different states? Craving a virtual cooking experience and happy hour, let’s get cooking!
• Friends or family want a private dinner party in-person?
• I can come to your or provide a local kitchen space

Learn more about us…all of our socials here: https://linktr.ee/giasitaliankitchen

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

Have you looked at the ingredients list lately?
Homemade granola is so easy to make, super nutritious and delicious! If that storebought bag has things you cannot pronounce, probably best to make your own!

Watch my short video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/2AEQtDwac-g

Find more recipes:
https://giasitaliankitchen.biz



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Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

Craving flavor without the scroll fatigue? We’re packing our feed with 30-second kitchen wins that still honor slow-food soul: quick-start marinara with seared chicken thighs, weeknight pasta made in the food processor, and a stovetop espresso ritual that beats drip by a mile. It’s the best of Italian comfort distilled into bite-size clips, with full recipes and stories linked when you’re ready to go deeper.

Want your own cooking experience? Learn how here:

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

We take you behind the camera and into our wider world: a physics-teacher brother pulling off the tablecloth trick, a Tuscan friend named Susanna guiding cannelloni with silky béchamel, and the sweet shock of a golden Pandoro dusted in sugar like fresh snow. Between laughs about Chicago’s notorious Malört and the steady rhythm of sourdough that replaces store-bought loaves, the theme stays the same—good food is a daily practice, a shared language, and a reason to gather.

We also open a thoughtful lane for health and community. Hormone replacement therapy sits on many minds, and we’re asking for real experiences and resources as we weigh estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone choices. Add a big dinner-party spread—roasted vegetable lasagna and limoncello tiramisu for a crowd—and you’ve got a month of cooking that blends practical tips, heartfelt stories, and a few bold flavors you’ll want to try tonight.

Follow us across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, and Pinterest at Gia’s Italian Kitchen to catch every short, recipe, and Italy moment. Then visit https://GiasItalianKitchen.biz for more recipes, classes, and updates on 2026 cook-alongs. If you enjoy the show, tap follow, leave a review, and tell us what recipe you want to see next. Let’s get cooking.

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

A kitchen can be a lifeline when life gets hard. We open the door to a year shaped by service, taste, and community: monthly meals at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, where adults in treatment and their caregivers gather for nutrient-dense, comforting Italian dishes that are easy to repeat on long days. The work is different from a showy cooking class—more heart than spectacle—with a focus on protein, gentle textures, and flavor that stays kind to sensitive palates, all delivered with the warmth of a home-cooked evening.

From there, we map the 2026 calendar. Private group classes and employer team building remain fully custom and available virtually, designed to bring teams together across cities with menus that travel well and formats that spark connection. Our partners at The Brick Kitchen in Independence, Iowa, host a run of hands-on workshops: Nonna’s marinara, a Tuscan-leaning carbonara, fresh fettuccine, and handmade ravioli, each paired with thoughtful wine tastings. We also team up with Swamp Fox Bookstore for an olive oil–focused night—tasting, live cooking, and the option to bundle a new cookbook—while the Marion Library offers approachable entry points for beginners who want Italian staples without the stress.

Along the way, we celebrate a podcast milestone—10,000 downloads—and outline what’s next: fresh series, interviews, and a new twist we’ll unveil soon. We also share a personal project in motion: a cookbook memoir that weaves childhood cancer survivorship with family recipes from Tuscany and the lessons a grandmother passed down at the stove. If you’re an editor or publisher who loves culinary storytelling with heart, we want to hear from you.

Come for the pasta, stay for the purpose. Grab tickets to upcoming classes, share your 2026 goals with us, and invite a friend who needs a seat at a welcoming table. If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, leave a quick review, and tell us which recipe you want to learn next.

• Donated over 100 hours cooking
• Donated over $200 to Feed Iowa First
• Donated over $300 to Feeding America
• Podcast reached 10,000 downloads

So much to look forward to in 2026:

* Core offerings – private group cooking classes and employer teambuilding events (custom menu and schedule) https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

* Social Media – short cooking videos, tips and recipes sent directly to you https://linktr.ee/giasitaliankitchen

* Hope Lodge – cooking for adult cancer patients and their caregivers, with a focus on nutritional and delicious recipes https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge/iowa-city.html

* Brick Kitchen – advanced cooking classes in Independence, Iowa (tickets are almost gone, get yours NOW) https://www.thebrickkitchenstore.com/upcoming-classes.htm

• Jan/Feb – Carbonara and Marinara from Tuscany
• March – Homemade Pasta
• April – Homemade Ravioli

* Swamp Fox Bookstore – collaborative, ticketed events with cookbook authors https://swampfoxbookstore.com/gia

o Thursday, March 5 – Olive Oil tasting and Charcuterie making

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

My name is Kelley Cole, hear the story unfold,

In the kitchen I shine, got a heart made of gold.

Simmering sauces, olive oil slick,

Italian flavors—now that’s my trick.

From pasta to pizza, risotto on cue,

Every dish I make tastes molto bellissimo too.

So when aromas roll in and the good times roll,

You know it’s cooked with love by Kelley Cole

Learn more about Gia's Italian Kitchen:

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

Watch my short video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/GooOjgsZcBw?feature=share

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

Need a unique Christmas gift? Here’ a gift that stands apart!

Give a cooking experience straight from the heart.

Not something to wrap or hide on a shelf,

But time spent together, shared with someone else.

Friends and family cooking, laughing, and too

A gift full of flavor they’ll always love you for.

This season give more than just something to buy,

Give memories made – one dish at a time!

I will send you a gift certificate that you can give to your friend or family member before Christmas!

Buy now or learn more about virtual and in-person cooking experiences:

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/shop

Watch this short video on my YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/shorts/QfWYDXAylGM?feature=share

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

The kind of soup that makes a snowy day feel like a celebration doesn’t need a dozen steps or a culinary degree. We walk you through our easiest-ever New England clam chowder, adapted from a beloved community cookbook and tuned for modern kitchens, weeknight schedules, and hungry holiday crowds. With a chop-and-simmer method, you skip the sauté, keep cleanup minimal, and still pull off a creamy, briny bowl that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

We start with the classics—clams, clam juice, potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, butter, and flour—then make a few thoughtful tweaks that lift the flavor without weighing it down. Instead of half and half, we balance 2% milk with a splash of chicken broth for a lighter body that stays velvety. For heat, sriracha brings a gentle garlic backbone rather than blunt spice, and we ditch the sugar so the natural sweetness of vegetables and dairy can shine. The result is comfort with character: rich enough to satisfy, bright enough to serve alongside a bigger spread.

Hosting a crowd? Set the pot to low and let everyone help themselves. We share our trick of using a portable induction burner to hold the perfect gentle simmer without running a gas flame all day, whether you’re serving mugs of chowder for lunch or keeping it warm between courses. You’ll hear tips for thick vs. brothy textures, make-ahead options, and easy garnishes—oyster crackers, chopped parsley, a final drizzle of sriracha—that turn a humble pot into a festive centerpiece. Cozy, reliable, and endlessly adaptable, this chowder fits a holiday table just as well as a quiet Tuesday.

Ready to ladle up comfort? Hit play, grab the recipe from our show notes at giasitaliankitchen.biz, and if you enjoy the cook-along style, subscribe, share the episode with a soup-loving friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/recipes-mangia/f/the-best-clam-chowder

How about a dinner with friends and family?

Imagine a unique cooking experience where you could be the hero! We will create memories for friends & family through private dinner parties (virtually or in person) & employer teambuilding events via Italian cooking experiences. You select a custom menu, I provide the instruction!

My full menu can be found on my website: https://giasitaliankitchen.biz

BOOK private cooking experience, virtually or in-person, for a fun and unique experience that you will all absolutely love!

• Family across the country? Create memories with the kids and grandchildren to laugh while you cook with me with a virtual class.
• Girlfriends in 6 different states? Craving a virtual cooking experience and happy hour, let’s get cooking!
• Friends or family want a private dinner party in-person?
• I can come to your or provide a local kitchen space

Learn more about us…all of our socials here: https://linktr.ee/giasitaliankitchen

Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.

Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!