Gia's Italian Kitchen's Podcast

Gia's Italian Kitchen
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Food

Remember how you used to have Sunday dinners with family?   Let's talk about Italian food and everything around it.  From interviews with experts to my cooking episodes to little recipes to travel tips...my podcast starts to bring us back to those Sunday dinner memories.  What's next?  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 A private cooking experience, virtually or in-person, is 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 Let's Get Cooking!

  1. Season 4, Episode 21 Trailer

    Episode 4.21 - We are turning pasta night into a LIVE show on stage!

    We’re turning up the heat at Kingston Yard (between Big Grove & Pickle) this fall! Join me on Sunday, Sept 27 at 2pm for a live, on stage pasta making experience that’s fun, flavorful, and totally unforgettable.  VIP tickets are on stage with me!  All in-person tickets will get an Italian treat to eat! Get your tickets here (https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/shop/ols/categories/special-events) I’ll be rolling, shaping, tossing, and saucing fresh pasta right before your eyes — sharing chef secrets, Italian cooking tips, and the kind of kitchen magic that makes homemade pasta absolutely irresistible. Whether you’re a foodie, a home cook, or just someone who loves a great local event, this is your chance to experience Gia’s Italian Kitchen live. Want to be HANDS ON? Get the VIP experience up on stage with me! Limited VIP tickets available! Get them NOW! 🎉 What to Expect • A high energy, interactive cooking demo • Fresh pasta made from scratch — right on stage • Tips you can use at home the same night • Laughs, stories, and Italian kitchen vibes • A delicious, community driven experience at Kingston Yard 📍 Where: Kingston Yard, Cedar Rapids (145 – 3rd St SW) 📅 When: Sunday, June 14 at 2pm CST 🎟️ Tickets: Limited seating — grab yours early (https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/shop/ols/categories/special-events)   VIRUTAL ATTENDANCE - we do have an option to attend virtually, for a reduced ticket price.  A video link will be sent after purchase. Come hungry for inspiration, flavor, and a whole lot of fun. Let’s make some pasta together, Cedar Rapids — see you at Kingston Yard! Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.21 - We are turning pasta night into a LIVE show on stage!

  2. Season 4, Episode 20 Trailer

    Episode 4.20 - short- Escape The Operator Trap. Build a Business that Runs Without You!

    What does it actually take to own a business — and still have a life?  I interviewed author Mike DeJong to find out!  Most entrepreneurs start out with a dream of freedom, but somewhere along the way, the business takes over.    Watch the full interview on my YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/@giasitaliankitchen9079 Today's guest knows that cycle all too well — and he's made it his life's work to help others break out of it. Mike DeJong is a multi-business owner, franchise expert, and turnaround specialist with more than 30 years of experience across multiple industries. He's a keynote speaker, a Platinum Partner with Tony Robbins, and the author of two powerful books — Grow Smart: Your Path to Freedom and Freedom: Mastering the Mindset of Ownership — both written to help entrepreneurs make the critical shift from operator to true owner. Whether you're just starting out or you've been grinding for decades, Mike's message is clear: success should give you your life back — not take it from you. Learn more about GIK: https://giasitaliankitchen.biz Learn more about Mike DeJong: https://mikedejong.com  Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.20 - short- Escape The Operator Trap. Build a Business that Runs Without You!

  3. 6d ago

    Episode 4.19 - Escape The Operator Trap. Build a Business that Runs Without You!

    What does it actually take to own a business — and still have a life?  I interviewed author Mike DeJong to find out!  Most entrepreneurs start out with a dream of freedom, but somewhere along the way, the business takes over.    Watch the full interview on my YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/@giasitaliankitchen9079 Today's guest knows that cycle all too well — and he's made it his life's work to help others break out of it. Mike DeJong is a multi-business owner, franchise expert, and turnaround specialist with more than 30 years of experience across multiple industries. He's a keynote speaker, a Platinum Partner with Tony Robbins, and the author of two powerful books — Grow Smart: Your Path to Freedom and Freedom: Mastering the Mindset of Ownership — both written to help entrepreneurs make the critical shift from operator to true owner. Whether you're just starting out or you've been grinding for decades, Mike's message is clear: success should give you your life back — not take it from you. Learn more about GIK: https://giasitaliankitchen.biz Learn more about Mike DeJong: https://mikedejong.com    Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.19 - Escape The Operator Trap. Build a Business that Runs Without You!

  4. Season 4, Episode 18 Trailer

    Episode 4.18 - Italian Citizenship Decision - TOTAL BS!!!!!

    I am so incredibly pissed and I don’t think there is anything I can do about it.   Our citizenship was denied!  This is total BS! Four years of paperwork, legal help, and hope can evaporate in a single court decision. We share the moment we learned our Italian citizenship application was denied, and we do not hold back on how angry and stunned we feel. We filed back in 2022, built our case carefully, and expected to be evaluated under the rules that existed when we applied. Instead, the decision points to the March 2025 law change that tightened generational limits for Italian citizenship by descent, and it lands like the finish line moved while we were already running. We walk through what makes this so maddening: our documents were dated, notarized, and translated with support from lawyers in Italy before the 2025 change. We thought that timing mattered. We also talk about the real-world cost of a jure sanguinis process, from chasing down vital records to paying for certified translations and navigating a system where timelines stretch into years. When a judge applies a newer standard rather than “grandfathering” an older filing, it raises a simple question that anyone can relate to: what is the point of doing everything right if the rules can be applied retroactively? We also reflect on the personal side of dual citizenship and identity. Our family has traveled to Italy multiple times, built memories there, and felt a genuine connection that goes beyond a legal technicality. That does not guarantee a yes, but it makes a sudden no feel even more disconnected. By the end, we are left staring at the same crossroads many applicants face after an Italian court denial: do we appeal, do we start over, or do we walk away? If you have been through an Italian citizenship by descent process, we want to hear your take. Subscribe, share this with someone navigating dual citizenship, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What would you do next in our position? Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.18 - Italian Citizenship Decision - TOTAL BS!!!!!

  5. Season 4, Episode 17 Trailer

    Episode 4.17 - How Gargiulo’s Created Its Signature Penne Pasqualina

    Cannolis, Pasta, Family, and Capone!  I interviewed Chef Matthew Cutolo at Gargiulos Restaurant on Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY about all of these things, and more! Watch the videos on my YT channel: http://www.youtube.com/@giasitaliankitchen9079 There are Italian dishes you can order anywhere, and then there are the plates that only exist because one restaurant decided to do things its own way and never let the standard slip. We zero in on Gargiulo’s Penne Pasqualina, the signature pasta that regulars treat like a landmark: zucchini, onion, fresh tomato, prosciutto, and a sauce people keep trying to decode after the last bite. The backstory goes straight to a pivotal moment in restaurant history. When the catering hall was added in 1983, the kitchen suddenly had to scale from a dining room of roughly 120 guests to cooking for hundreds at a time. That kind of growth can dilute quality fast, so the team brought in Chef Carlo Pamigiano from Italy to teach large-scale execution without losing precision. Out of that pressure and training, Penne Pasqualina was born, and it didn’t just survive the banquet line, it became the dish everyone associates with the restaurant. We also get honest about the question that always starts an argument: what makes the “light cream sauce” light? The answer includes heavy cream, but the real magic is how parmigiano and pasta water pull everything together into a balanced, cohesive bite that still feels rooted in pasta technique. If you care about classic Italian-American cooking, restaurant consistency, and why some recipes should not be reinvented, you’ll want to hear this one. Subscribe for more food history and kitchen craft, share this with a friend who loves old-school Italian restaurants, and leave a review telling us the one dish you’d travel across town for. CHECK OUT CHEF MATTHEW AND GARJIULOS RESTAURANT https://www.instagram.com/matthewcutolo/  https://gargiulos.com/  https://www.facebook.com/gargiulosrestaurant  https://www.facebook.com/chefmatthewcutolo Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.17 - How Gargiulo’s Created Its Signature Penne Pasqualina

  6. Jul 16

    Episode 4.16 - The Cannoli Guy Who Won’t Share The Recipe...Gargiulos, what's that? People will talk!!!!

    Cannolis, Pasta, Family, and Capone!  I interviewed Chef Matthew Cutolo at Gargiulos Restaurant on Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY about all of these things, and more! Watch the videos on my YT channel: http://www.youtube.com/@giasitaliankitchen9079 A restaurant that opened in 1907 has seen Coney Island rise, dip, and roar back and it’s still serving plates that taste like someone’s Sunday. I’m joined by Chef Matthew Cutolo from Brooklyn’s legendary Gargiulo’s Restaurant, and we get into what it really takes to carry a family food legacy forward without turning it into a museum piece. He shares why they purposely take a short break in early July when Coney Island turns into a full-on madhouse, and how that rhythm keeps both staff and regulars coming back year after year.    We talk through the restaurant’s real timeline, from the original founding to the family purchase in 1965, the huge New York Times moment in 1977, and the catering hall expansion in 1983. Matthew also explains how the Russo family runs the place today with clear roles across the kitchen, dining room, events, marketing, and the numbers, plus the simple tradition that anchors it all: showing up together, every day, like family does.    Then we go straight to the food. Matthew breaks down their signature Pene Pasqualina, why some recipes should barely change, and what “authentic” means when you’re talking Italian food vs Italian American food. We get into chicken parmigiana, his favorite comfort meal at home (yes, Sunday sauce), and the cannoli craft he learned the old-school way: watching, tasting, and nailing the balance between crisp shell and creamy filling. You’ll even get a practical octopus fix, including the key boil step (about 45 to 50 minutes) before grilling.    If you love NYC food history, Brooklyn Italian restaurants, or you just want restaurant wisdom you can use at home, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a fellow food lover, and leave a review so more people can find the show. CHECK OUT CHEF MATTHEW AND GARJIULOS RESTAURANT https://www.instagram.com/matthewcutolo/  https://gargiulos.com/  https://www.facebook.com/gargiulosrestaurant  https://www.facebook.com/chefmatthewcutolo Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.16 - The Cannoli Guy Who Won’t Share The Recipe...Gargiulos, what's that? People will talk!!!!

  7. Season 4, Episode 15 Trailer

    Episode 4.15 - Gargiulo's....what's that?

    Been to NY lately?  How about Coney Island? I am interviewing the 3rd generation Italian Chef Cutolo at Gargiulos Restaurant…holy cow….he was on the Today Show and now he is on MY podcast!!!!    This is going to be so super awesome!!!!! Coming in the next week! Visit our YouTube channel to see dozens of our cooking episodes.Check out our website for delicious recipes, upcoming events, and more!

    Episode 4.15 - Gargiulo's....what's that?

  8. Season 4, Episode 14 Trailer

    Episode 4.14 - Fresh Summer Recipes In Under An Hour

    Your next summer menu doesn’t need to be complicated to feel special. I’m sharing what we’ve been cooking lately at Gia’s Italian Kitchen, starting with a seriously satisfying quinoa salad that’s built for real life: roasted asparagus, spinach, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and a bright Italian vinaigrette that gets extra punch from Dijon mustard. It’s fresh, colorful, and easy to serve for guests, but it also shines as a weeknight dinner when you want something healthy that still tastes like a treat. All the recipes are on my website: https://giasitaliankitchen.biz/recipes-mangia I also walk through my favorite simple trick for raw kale: massage it with olive oil and sea salt and give it time to soften. That one step takes kale from chewy to tender and makes the whole salad feel more balanced. If you want to make it a full meal, I share easy add-ons like roasted chicken or salmon, plus how to prep the quinoa and dressing ahead so you’re not rushing at the last minute. Then we go sweet with gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal cookies that are basically baked “protein ball” energy: banana, honey, vanilla, peanut butter, oats, cinnamon, and eggs. They store beautifully in the fridge for quick snacks, and yes, I admit to an extra swipe of peanut butter on top.  Finally, I put backyard rhubarb to work with a bright pink rhubarb syrup, then turn it into a rhubarb mint mojito idea for the Fourth of July. If you like practical recipes, make-ahead tips, and seasonal cooking that stays fun, subscribe, share this with a fellow home cook, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Craving a private dinner experience with family & friends?  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 spaceLearn 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!

    Episode 4.14 - Fresh Summer Recipes In Under An Hour
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Remember how you used to have Sunday dinners with family?   Let's talk about Italian food and everything around it.  From interviews with experts to my cooking episodes to little recipes to travel tips...my podcast starts to bring us back to those Sunday dinner memories.  What's next?  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 A private cooking experience, virtually or in-person, is 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 Let's Get Cooking!

Information

  • Creator
    Gia's Italian Kitchen
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    190
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Gia's Italian Kitchen's Podcast
  • Show Website
    Gia's Italian Kitchen's Podcast

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