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!

Do you have any sweet potatoes left?

This delicious and nutritious sweet potato and black-eyed pea stew will warm you up! Try it this week! It's easy! Full recipe on my website:

ð 1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas

ð 4 large sweet potatoes

ð 4 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/recipes-mangia/f/sweet-potato-and-black-eyed-pea-stew

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

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

Paper trails rarely tell a straight story, especially when you gather more than twenty relatives on a single quest for Italian dual citizenship. We open the door to our process—the wins, the stumbles, and the strange moments—so you can see what it really takes to turn family lore into legal status. From old certificates with misspelled names to a notary who balked at a bilingual page, we unpack the real-world hurdles and the practical workarounds that kept us moving.

You’ll hear how we split costs across one application, organized a cross‑generational document hunt, and set up powers of attorney so our legal team could file in Italy. We talk through translations, certifications, and apostilles, plus the little systems that saved us: shared checklists, version control, and a single point of contact. When a church fire erased marriage records, we leaned on affidavits and “no record found” letters to satisfy the lineage trail without inventing facts. The lesson: bureaucracy rewards precision, persistence, and calm.

If you’re mapping your own path to dual citizenship by descent, this story offers a blueprint. Start early, triple‑check every name and date, and expect the unexpected. Find professionals who know the Italian courts, prepare bilingual documentation that’s properly notarized, and keep a clean record of every request and response. We’re closing in on the finish line now, dreaming of the day we step off a plane as citizens with passports in hand. If this journey resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who’s chasing their roots, and tell us your best tip—or your wildest paperwork plot twist—in a review.

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/shop

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!

Time to make some changes to your herb garden….tear the basil out (sad face), bring the rosemary inside, and leave your sage, oregano & thyme outside (in the Midwest)

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/shop

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!

BASILCELLO......WHAT?????
After I cut & harvested my basil to make pesto, I left the plants in the ground and the leaves regenerated themselves!!!
So now what?
Well instead of Limoncello I am trying Basilcello!!! Have you ever heard of this or made it yourself?
Here is phase 1.

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/shop

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!