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Let's live deliciously! Here you'll find the very best recipes, travel guides, podcasts, videos, and wellness tips to create a healthy, beautiful joyful life.

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Melissa’s Kitchen Masterlist

Obsessed

Here’s my must-have list of kitchen essentials. Gizmos + gadgets, appliances, pots and pans, cookware, knives, and tabletop faves. For decades I’ve collected all your questions! The ones I get on social media, in DMs, emails and texts, from the blog, when I meet you or in our Secret Facebook Group. So I’ve decided to […]

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Sunday Strategies For Success

Wellness

Most people think of Monday as the first day of the week. But if we look at the story of creation … day 1, aka ground zero for Him was Sunday. Just like a tree needs strong roots to rise up and grow, I need a rock solid game plan to ensure the week ahead […]

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Must-Pack Travel Essentials

Travel

I’ve spent a lot of time in the air and living out of suitcases. Nothing brings me more joy than visiting a foreign country and exploring new and exciting places and trying delicious food. But no matter where I go in the world…There are a few items you will always find in my luggage. Here’s […]

Effortless-entertaining-melissa-mayo
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Effortless Entertaining

Lifestyle

Over the years I have hosted small dinners and events that feed hundreds. I’ve cooked for Oscar winners, billionaires, Hollywood studios, friends and family. But no matter the size of the guest list, a successful party comes down to planning. I’m sharing the exact strategy I use every time I host. And I’m confident that […]

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Top Italy Travel Tips

Travel

“You may have the Universe if I can have Italy” – Giuseppe Verdi Italy is the most gorgeous country in the world to travel to. I guess that is why I decided I wanted to retire there. And over the past decade, I have crisscrossed this country eating my weight in pizza. And I still […]

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A Healthy Body Image

Wellness

I have often seen parents who have a poor relationship with food and body image, pass this onto their kids. This is not the relationship with food we want to create for our children.

This week marks the official start of fall in Italy. The leaves are starting to change colors and people are getting out their warmer coats. It’s also vendemmia. A time when wine producers get ready to harvest the grapes. Stores are decorated with autumn-colored displays and mannequins don cozy scarves, boots and gloves. Living in […]

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. This year to mix it up I am doing a dairy meal inspired by my Italian travels. Wishing you and your family a sweet new year…

Some will say that it is better to not let yourself go on your trip. Watch what you eat, try and keep it clean and close to your normal diet. But that would be no fun at all… That sounds like a vacation from hell to me.

Here’s my must-have list of kitchen essentials. Gizmos + gadgets, appliances, pots and pans, cookware, knives, and tabletop faves. For decades I’ve collected all your questions! The ones I get on social media, in DMs, emails and texts, from the blog, when I meet you or in our Secret Facebook Group. So I’ve decided to […]

melissa-mayo-chef-4th-of july-bbq-braai-holiday-weekend-summer

A huge barbecue signals the official start of the summer. So here is a menu to get the party started. It’s time to fire up the grill and chill the beers.

People have this deathly fear of eating and enjoying their food, and it’s ridiculous. This is an important conversation we need to have because wherever I go, I see this terrible trend sweeping the world today. In my teens and 20s, I was ruled by the number on a scale. I read package labels seeking […]

I’ve eaten my weight in pasta, pizza, bistecca, and gelato many times over. And after all the indulging I’ve arrived at a list of my favorite places to eat and drink in Lucca. Places you can’t miss if you visit. And now I am sharing it with you. You’re so welcome. Gatta Ci Cova  Via […]

It’s taken me over a decade crisscrossing the region to come up with a list of my favorite places to visit and things to do in Lucca. I am also sharing some of the history behind this magical city. One of my favorite things about this city is that you feel as if you have […]

Everything just sounds better in Italian. The Italian language is based on Dante’s poetry so it has a melodic feel to it. But it’s a complex one to master with feminine and masculine nouns. Don’t ask me why the table is male. And verbs changing depending on who you are addressing and the tenses. But […]

I have always said how you eat is just as important as what you eat.

A healthy body needs a healthy mind and soul. Most people incorrectly assume that taking care of themself is selfish! But they are soooo wrong… In fact it’s the total opposite. There is a reason why they tell you in the event of a plane crash to put on your own oxygen mask fist. Cause […]

My foolproof formula for entertaining. Whether you are cooking for 10 or 100 or 1000. In this episode, I share all the tricks and tips I use every single time I have guests over. This game plan will show you how to keep it simple and stress-free.  Inviting friends over should not send you into […]

I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

more about me

Ciao Bella,

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In Italy, they add work and life on to food and wine.

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The Magic of Italy
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Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

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The Magic of Italy
without the planning

Explore

Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

find out more →

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Healthy living is beautiful … That’s why it’s calledLa Dolce Vita”.

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I’m sharing my best recipes, travel guides, and Italian secrets for longevity & aging gracefully. Discover my tips and tricks to become a Rockstar chef, my current obsessions, and tools to embrace joy, find your purpose, and live deliciously!!

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