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LA BELLA VITA

The Art of Italian Living

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About Me

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Once upon a time there was a little girl who fell in love with food. She was enchanted by the Italian and Lebanese delicacies her mother and father lovingly prepared at home and fascinated with the way simple ingredients were transformed — by a kind of magical alchemy — into extraordinary flavors, textures and visual delights. The girl wanted not only to taste this amazing food, she wanted to learn how to make it for herself.  From that moment on, this became her secret passion in life.

The girl grew up and went off to art college where she used her whimsical fantasy to draw, paint and photograph. Soon she became an Art Director at a fancy advertising agency creating charmed campaigns for big clients who rewarded her with lots of professional accolades and financial success. But the girl wasn’t happy. Something was missing in her life. All the material things she could buy didn’t matter to her any more. She craved a more delicious life with genuine quality, not quantity, and like-minded people to enjoy it with — the kind she had growing up in her family home. She had fallen under a spell that beckoned her from afar…

So the girl, now a young lady, did a very daring thing. She quit her job, bid farewell to her family and set off all alone on a journey to the far away land her grandparents came from called Italy. There she hoped to find her one true love. And she did! Everyone in Italy was just like her — they adored food and ate, cooked and talked about it all the time. The good people of the kingdom welcomed the young lady back to her ancestral homeland and taught her to live “la bella vita” — the Italian good life — and how to make one of her very own.

Every day for 20 years, the young lady watched, listened, and learned from the very best teachers in Italy then cooked, cooked, cooked to her heart’s content. She got married, had two beautiful children and created the quality lifestyle she dreamed of… only better!

Then one day the lady decided it was time to go back to the United States, so she packed up her Italian family and moved to California. Soon after she arrived, the good people of San Francisco heard about her cooking skills and asked her to prepare elaborate feasts for their royal courts. Then they begged her to share with them the secrets of Italian cooking. Before long, many customers and students appeared on her doorstep and she was even invited to cook on television. They dubbed her “The Italian Chef” and she was recognized as an authority on the food she secretly dedicated her life to so long ago.

Now she wanted to share her fairy tale with even more people so, using the magical powers bestowed upon her, she conjured up a cooking blog with recipes, stories and photos to teach people across the land how to create a delicious lifestyle and inspire them to live la bella vita happily ever after… just like she did once a upon a time.

~ Only the beginning….

Chef-Deborah-Dal-Fovo-in-the-kitchen

IN A NUTSHELL:

Ciao, I’m private chef and Italian cooking instructor Deborah Dal Fovo.
You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing sumptuous meals for my clients or creating new recipes and menus to teach students. I love taking photos of my food and all the photos on this website are mine unless otherwise noted. My recipes and cooking videos have been featured on TV shows like View from the Bay, Good Cooking with Bruce Aidells, Cooking for the Clueless, and I teach at many cooking schools in the U.S. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me kicking up my heels dancing the West Coast Swing, hanging out in Italy soaking up inspiration for my work or enjoying “la bella vita” with my two wonderful children in California.
For business inquiries, please contact me at info@deborahdalfovo.com

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Italian “Polpette di Lesso” ~ or meatballs mad Italian “Polpette di Lesso” ~ or meatballs made with boiled meats instead of raw ~ are an ingeniously way to repurpose meats leftover from homemade broth making that are usually discarded. I prepared these flattened meatballs with the boiled chicken and beef from the broth I made for my recent Classic Italian Soups class. Chopped finely and mixed with mashed boiled potato, bread, milk and bound with egg and Parmigiano, the meatballs/patties are formed, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until deep golden and crisp on the outside and soft and savory on the inside. Served as is or to dip in a zesty tomato sauce, these are often served with a pre-dinner glass of wine or ~ as per their origin during lean times ~ a poor man’s protein-rich second course. 

Italians are famous for “l’arte di arrangiarsi” (the art of making do) and know how to stretch ingredients to produce multiple meals. It’s an art that was born out of necessity and perfected by savvy, creative cooks 💚. 

See the procedure in my IG Stories/Highlights.

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#polpette#meatballs#polpettedilesso#italiansdoeatbetter#recycle#leftovers
Started 2021 on a healthy note by teaching my “C Started 2021 on a healthy note by teaching my “Classic Italian Soups” class yesterday online. That left me with not one, but three delicious and nutritious soups* to savor all week. Talk about a health win-win. In Italy, a popular rhyme goes: "per campare quanta vuoi, zuppa prima e zuppa poi”, meaning if you want to live a long life, eat soup first and again later. I agree and especially when made with homemade broth (that contains lots of miraculous nutrients), organic vegetables, and Parmigiana Reggiano (an Italian superfood). So, give your body the love it deserves ~ in a bowl and eaten with a spoon 🥣. 

Make some homemade Italian soup this week and stay safe and healthy! 💚

*soups from my class seen here are: minestrone di verdure, pasta e ceci, and stracciatella.

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#soup#zuppa#italiansoups#eatyoursoup#zuppeitaliane#foodislove
I’m “pazza per pizza” (crazy for pizza 🤪) I’m “pazza per pizza” (crazy for pizza 🤪) and thrilled to host my 3rd “Neapolitan Pizza at Home” online cooking class on Saturday, January 23 ❤️. It’s one of my most popular classes and I get great satisfaction seeing photos (and thank you notes) of my students’ results in the days and weeks following class. They simply can’t believe it is so doable to get authentic pizzeria quality results at home. All it takes are basic ingredients (you provide those), good recipes (I provide these), and lots of pizza-making insider knowledge and skills (I teach you these). 

So...if you’re crazy for pizza, join me on Jan. 23 and learn how to turn your home kitchen into an Italian pizzeria 🇮🇹👌🍕. 
Link in bio for details and tickets. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/italian-chef-inc-30242848340

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#onlinecookingclasses#italiancookingclass#pizza#pizzeria#pizzaiolo#neapolitanpizza#pizzamargherita#pizzarecipe#reels#cookingvideo#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#nytcooking
Join me this Sunday, January 17 for my online cook Join me this Sunday, January 17 for my online cooking class “Classic Italian Soups” when I will teach you how to make 3 iconic zuppe italiane to nurture your body + soul all winter long.
🥣
First on the menu is Minestrone di Verdure, the “big” pot of mixed vegetable soup that is a rich cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and delicious + nutritious one-pot wonder of goodness. Minestrone changes with seasonal vegetable offerings and is very versatile with additions of rice, pasta, and day-old bread. Never boring, it’s the one soup recipe you should have in your cold weather cooking repertoire. 
🥣
There are more beloved soups on the class menu, as well as homemade broth making tips, so click on the link in bio to participate and I’ll show you how to cook up some Italian this winter 💚. See you on Sunday!

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/italian-chef-inc-30242848340

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#soup#soupmaking#recipes#zuppe#minestrone#vegetablesoup#vegetarian#vegan#eatyourvegetables#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#eater#learntocook#healthyliving
Soup’s on🥣! Join me on Sunday, January 17 for Soup’s on🥣! Join me on Sunday, January 17 for my online cooking class “Classic Italian Soups” when we will cook up 3 beloved Zuppe Italiane that are absolute musts in your winter cooking repertoire. These comforting classics are healthy, hearty, and nutrient rich with variations that stretch into multiple meals and all #vegetarian friendly. 

Start 2021 on a clean, conscious-eating path with delicious and nutritious classic Italian soups that are just what the doctor (and mamma) ordered : ).

Tap the link in my bio for more info and to reserve your spot https://www.eventbrite.com/o/italian-chef-inc-30242848340

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#soup#itsliandoups#classicitaliancooking#soupson#zuppeitaliane#yum
Happy New Cooking Classes! I’m excited to get b Happy New Cooking Classes!

I’m excited to get back into the kitchen after a brief yet restful holiday break and have added lots of delicious online classes to my winter calendar, including all time favorites and brand new topics. 

The winter season kicks off with next Sunday’s “Classic Italian Soups” class on Jan. 17 to warm your hearts and souls during the chilly months. From there it’s pizza, pasta, new Italian Sunday Suppers (home cooked family dinners), Italian Carnevale Sweets (chiacchiere + tortelli oh my!), and a Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner to romance your special someone (or yourself!). 

Hope you will join me and, as always, I look forward to cooking with you. Tap the link in my bio to see all classes and reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/italian-chef-inc-30242848340

❤️ from my kitchen to yours,
Deborah

#italianchef#italiancooking#italianfood#cookitalian#cookingclass#italyincalifornia#deborahcooks#deborahsitaliankitchen#food#foodandwine#food52#nytimescooking#bonappetit#marthastewart#lacucinaitalianausa#homecooking#onlinecookingclasses#onlineclasses#italiancookingclass
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