She’s a food writer and recipe developer whose passion for food is unmistakable. So is her creativity, as well as her pursuit of authentic Italian recipes, like her Chicken Marsala that you see above. Her name is Paula Jones. We know her here as bell’alimento, and today, we’ll all get to know her a little better.

Paula, as you probably already know, loves any and all things Italian. She was born in Georgia, but with a father in the military, she had the great opportunity to travel wherever the Air Force sent them. One of those assignments was Italy, and for her it was love at first sight (or love at first landing). After years of living there (she’s fluent in Italian) and subsequent trips to visit, she’s learned quite a bit about authentic Italian cuisine. She shares her recipes with us here at Tasty Kitchen and in her blog, bell’alimento. (Bell’Alimento is Italian for “beautiful food.”)

Her approach to food is anchored in the belief that beautiful food doesn’t need to be complicated. She loves using simple, quality ingredients, which is evident in some of her simple recipes below for common homemade items.

Clockwise from top left:Limoncello, Homemade Vanilla Extract, Lemon Curd, Homemade Ricotta, and Mascarpone.

 
 
 
Paula loves the creativity in cooking. She says the process of preparation, bringing ingredients together, stirring, simmering and cooking that results in something that the entire family can enjoy together is both therapeutic and rewarding. I say that if I had any of the main courses below, even just the eating part would be therapeutic and rewarding. She has more than the typical Chicken Marsala and Chicken Cacciatore in her recipe box. Believe me, she’s got much more.

Clockwise from top left: Pepper Encrusted Steak, Roasted Leg of Lamb, Lobster Risotto, Chicken with Olives, Chicken with Rum, Lamb Stew, and Veal Chops.

 
 
 
She also has the sides and starters to complement any main course. From soups to salads and vegetable sides, any one would make a light meal in itself.

Clockwise from top left: Peas with Pancetta, Polenta Cakes, Tuscan Onion Soup, Spinach Salad with Walnuts and Craisins, Cauliflower au Gratin, and Stuffed Mussels.

 
 
 
Of course, an Italian recipe box wouldn’t be complete with pasta. She’s got an impressive selection there too, ranging from elaborate seafood linguine to a spaghetti dish so simple it only calls for four ingredients.

Clockwise from top left: Fettucine Profumate, Spaghetti Aglio Olio e’ Peperoncino, Seafood Linguine, Pasta alla Norma, and Pasta au Gratin with Vegetables.

 
 
 
Paula also has a wicked sweet tooth. Although her Microplane grater is hands down her favorite kitchen tool (she grates a lot of cheese), her KitchenAid stand mixer is a close second. Which is a good thing, because then we get to enjoy some of the delicious desserts below from her recipe box.

Clockwise from top left: Cannoli, Struffoli (Honey Balls), Lemon Gelato, Crostoli, and Panna Cotta

 
 
 
But do you know what she loves most of all? That one thing that she always has to have on hand? Nutella. In fact, if she were starving and only had 3 minutes to make something, she’d make a Nutella Strawberry Panino. I, for one, am glad she’s a self-proclaimed Nutella-holic. Just … just try to look at the collage below and tell me it doesn’t make you want to grab a jar yourself.

Clockwise from top left: Nutella Creme Brulee, Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies, Chocolate Torte with Nutella Mousse and Raspberries, Chocolate Nutella Molten Lava Cake, and Panna Cotta alla Nutella.

 
I rest my case.

Paula shared a few other interesting personal tidbits about herself, so let’s hear from her directly and get to know more about the awesome lady behind all these wonderful recipes!

 
 
Q: Tell us a little more about yourself.
A: I try to convince my family daily that we need a vacation home in Italy. I am addicted to my cell phone, I love Cinnamon Altoids, and don’t ever leave the house without lip gloss! I have a shoe and bag problem. I am fascinated by all things hot pink (both my laptop and cell phone are hot pink). Something that few people know about me is that I am enamored with the PBR (Professional Bull Riders Association). Gasp. Yes, it’s true. Really. My favorite bull is Chicken On A Chain! I would love to secretly go to the PBR Finals to cover what the cowboys are eatin’, but don’t tell.

 
Q: Do you have any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: My mom and grandma were huge cooking inspirations. I learned what a pinch, a smidge, a dash and a little bit were from them!

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: Spaghetti alla Carbonara any day of the week.

 
Q: Do you have a memorable kitchen flop?
A: Well, I try to put those out of my mind, but my family assures me there have been some. Most recently, it was a fish dish that they made me promise not to ever make again.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Making gravy. I just can’t do it, much to the dismay of my very southern mother.

 
Q: Is there something that you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: Pesto, and now jelly! I have recently started canning and am hooked! Who knew it was this easy? Clearly my grandmother’s generation was on to something. Next up, I’ll be tackling canning tomatoes from my garden.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Don’t be afraid to experiment! Some of the best meals are accidental.

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Thanks, Paula! And now, I’m off to Google “Chicken On A Chain.”

 
Take a peek into the bell’alimento recipe box here at Tasty Kitchen. It’s bulging with mouth-watering recipes that your family is sure to love. Then visit her blog, bell’alimento, for even more of her cooking. Oh, and in her spare time, she also freelances as a contributor for another Paula: Paula Deen.

 
Shaina Olmanson, known to us here at Tasty Kitchen as foodformyfamily, is mother of four who knows a thing or two (or twelve) about cooking from scratch. Growing up very close to both sides of grandparents, she has many fond memories of watching her Yugoslavian-born grandmother work her magic in the kitchen. Her first foray into cooking was at the age of 6, when she used her mom’s cookbook to bake her first cake from scratch, and she hasn’t stopped cooking since.

Shaina is a freelance writer, editor and photographer. She is also an accomplished violinist, having played for 19 years, and she still gives violin lessons. Before starting her own business freelancing from home, she worked for non-profit organizations teaching daily living skills, work instruction, and doing case management with people with disabilities. She says she misses it to this day, which reveals the great generosity in this young woman’s heart. (Which is why it’s no surprise that one of her earlier, popular recipes in her recipe box is a delightful quick bread that she calls Orange Pecan Zucchini Bread for Doorsteps Everywhere.)

Speaking of quick breads, here is another one of her masterpieces: Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread. It’s enough to make me wish for pumpkin season to come sooner.

 
 
 
Speaking more about her love for good old-fashioned cooking from scratch, Shaina explains: “With frugal health nuts for parents, we never ate processed food, fast food, and the like. When held up against my grandma’s food, there was never a comparison.” I think that, when held up against her food as well, there isn’t much of a comparison either.

Clockwise from top left: Ahi Tuna Potstickers, Rum-Glazed Roasted Pecans, Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, Potato Leek Soup, Texas Caviar, Hold the Fish Eggs, and Gruyere and Cheddar Broccoli Soup.

 
 
 
Shaina’s blog, Food for My Family, is packed with recipes, time-saving secrets, budget tips, menu planning, and other valuable resources that any family can use. She has her family’s favorite recipes there too, which include such mouth-watering main course entries as the ones you see below.

Clockwise from top left: Maple-Glazed Steak Salad with Blue Cheese, Lemon Cream Seafood Pasta, Spicy, Sweet and Savory Seared Ahi Tuna, and Smoked BBQ Ribs.

 
 
 
What Shaina enjoys most about cooking is that she gets to feed and teach others, including her children. She loves being able to share what she makes with anyone who will let her. (We’ll let you, Shaina!) Her blog gives her an opportunity to do that in a larger scale, and she confesses that she recently got teary-eyed when a reader commented on her kugelhopf post, thanking her for giving her a piece of her childhood back. You can see the kugelhopf below, along with a few other delectable desserts. They all look so good that I might get teary-eyed myself.

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Gâteau Alice for Young and Old, Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Bread Pudding, Gingered Orange Shortbread, Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, My Grandma’s Brandy Apfelradln, and Kugelhopf, A German Coffee Cake.

 
 
 
There is so much that Shaina has to offer, and we’re happy to introduce her to you. So let’s get right into the interview part and hear even more from foodformyfamily!

 
 
Q: Do you have any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: I have to go back to where my love for cooking started: my grandmother. With everything she’d been through in life, she took great pride in feeding and caring for her family.

 
Q: What are your favorite ingredients?
A: I really like working with vegetables I grow myself. Maybe it’s because I know how much hard work I’ve put in and how many times I’ve sent my kids out to water them, but they don’t compare to anything else I could use in a recipe. It makes me smile every time I can see the progression from seed to plant to fruit to plate.

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: On the savory front, I’d have to go with my Maple-Glazed Steak Salad with Blue Cheese. As far as baking is concerned, there are so many. Any one of my grandma’s recipes would be an obvious choice: kugelhopf, apfelradln, and the cookies. But they are followed closely by quick breads of all sorts: pumpkin streusel, banana chocolate chip, zucchini orange.

 
Q: Is there something that you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: Stocks and broths. I like having control over what is going into the broth, but what really gets me is making something from what would be kitchen scraps and waste.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Sushi rice. I really want to try to make my own sushi, but I’m intimidated by the rice and haven’t tried. I was excited to find out over Easter that my cousin’s wife just signed up for a sushi-making course. I completely intend on benefitting from that after the fact.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: A good pair of stainless tongs. They grab food, turn it over, stir, sauté, grill and more. We use tongs daily in our house, and they’re easy for the kids to use as well.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Cooking is an art. Don’t be afraid to bend the rules and change the ingredients in the recipe. I was so much more satisfied in the kitchen once I allowed myself to do this.

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Thanks for answering our questions, Shaina!

 
Shaina’s recipe box is filled with many great meal ideas and snacks for your family. Her blog, Food for My Family, has a wealth of information, from make-ahead meals, nutrition, going green, menu planning, time-saving tips, and of course, more of her favorite recipes. Her husband Ole mans the grilling section, and even shows you how to make your own smoker. She warmly invites everyone: “Come share our food with us.” It’s an invitation you’ll want to accept.

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