Almost everyone loves Italian food but many don’t know much about the fare beyond your typical pizza and spaghetti so it was great that the Today show demonstrated how to make some authentic Italian dishes.
One meal they prepared was cavetelli with eggs and bacon which looked like a mix between a carbonara and a frittata.   For dessert, they made a bread parfait.  The bread is socked in espresso coffee, chocolate and rum and is then layered in a dessert glass with whipped cream.  It’s a great way to get rid of leftover bread.  It was so quick and easy!

The Today show looked at 10 foods that are supposed to be “healthy” for us but really aren’t.  While the label might send a certain message, all might not be as it seems.   Here are the potential offenders:

Multigrain bread – don’t be fooled by the name.  Always look for something that says 100% whole grain or whole wheat.  Enriched flour might be something you want to avoid.
Reduced-fat peanut butter – regular peanut butter is possibly better because it’s heart healthy fats and the reduced-fat has more sugar.
Energy bars – read the labels because some of those bars contain more than …read more

Alton Brown demonstrated the proper technique for making the perfect crêpe and if you’ve never tried to make them, you might really want to take notes.  Crêpes are often described as being really thin pancakes and I guess that’s a reasonable enough comparison but one of my favorite things about them is that you can roll all sorts of fillings up inside of them. 
They work for dessert, brunch or breakfast (or even as a tasty treat!) so you should definitely consider giving them a try.  It might take a little practice to get them right but it’s totally worth …read more

Paula Deen shared her tips for making a delicious orange coffee cake on the Today show with Al Roker.  I love coffee cake (even though I don’t drink coffee) so it’s always nice to see a new take on this classic treat.  There was a bit of a fiasco in the kitchen when a man was found hiding behind a counter but then things quickly got back on track.
Paula used canned biscuits in her recipe along with sugar, orange zest, nuts and cream cheese.  It looked really simple to make!  I would have never thought of making a cake this …read more

Celebrity chef, Giada De Laurentiis, made some delicious looking meatballs on the Today show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb the other day and I definitely want to try to make these!
Giada’s ingredients list is pretty basic – bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, Romano cheese, salt & pepper and ground chicken.  That’s it!  They also looked easy to make.  She used a melon baller to keep them uniform and to keep from having to get her hands dirty. 

I’ve heard of and enjoyed T-bone beef steaks before but I’ve never heard of the lamb variety.  The Today show took a look at the delicacy.  The chef made a marinade with figs, orange juice and balsamic vinegar.  Tangy!
The lamb was seared in a very hot pan containing canola oil.  The oil choice is important since this type doesn’t have a lot of flavor which allows the tastiness of the lamb to shine through.  The marinade was strained and then it was reduced in a sauce pan as an accompaniment.  It looked delicious!

Kate Gosselin was on the Today show this morning where she talked about her husband Jon Gosselin and his decision to take money out of their joint bank account.  She says that he all but emptied it, leaving her with nothing to pay the bills. 
 
Honestly, I can’t believe this is how this story is going.  The money that was put aside for their eight children has been left untouched but Jon took everything that the couple were supposed to share.  I’m not sure what Jon is thinking but this really is a surprising twist in this ongoing divorce …read more

My family loves it when I make pasta and I’ll admit that I enjoy it too since it’s tasty and easy to make.  Unfortunately, some of the dishes are a little rich but a segment on the Today show demonstrated some ways to lighten up these delicious meals.
Chicken sausage was sautéed with rabé, garlic and milk (instead of a heavy cream) to create a nice sauce which was served over whole wheat fettuccine.  The dish was topped with thyme and Kalamata olives.  That’s it!

/p>

Football season has begun and today, NHL hockey kicks off a new year so it’s a great time to learn how to make some game day snacks.  Today show contributor, Giada De Laurentiis shared some of her easy-to-make recipes.
First, she made prosciutto and mozzarella pinwheels using pizza dough.  It’s a little more effort than pouring some nachos in a bowl but it’s also a little healthier.  She also made some Tuscan mushrooms which are a nice bite-sized treat.  They’ve got to be baked in the oven for 20 minutes but they look like a good alternative to potato skins.  Finally, …read more

I am going to have to admit something.  I have never had an omelet.  I know.  It’s pretty shocking to most of my friends.  It’s not that I don’t like eggs, it’s just that I really like mine fried or scrambled.  Making an omelet takes some finesse and I”m not ashamed to say that I’ve been a little intimidated by it.
Watching this segment on the Today show really took some of the guesswork out of it so I’m thinking about giving it a try.  With the weather getting cooler, I’d like to learn how to make something nice and warm …read more