Cucinamore, LLC

Cucinamore, LLC IN-HOME ITALIAN PRIVATE CHEF EXPERIENCES- Leesburg, VA and vicinity (up to 40 miles)

Our events are an opportunity to entertain at home in a fun and informal setting, cooking side by side with your Personal Chef, and then enjoying great food with your friends. Lots of fun, and no stress for the host either: our party formula includes shopping for the ingredients, providing cookware, all necessary tools and serving dishes, and leaving minimal after party clean-up behind. A CUCINAMORE cooking party is a great idea for groups, couples, birthday parties, bridal or baby showers, book club special events, team building activities and much more.

It has been a while since I made this Lasagne con Zucca e Porri (with butternut squash and leeks... and some sausage too...
09/25/2026

It has been a while since I made this Lasagne con Zucca e Porri (with butternut squash and leeks... and some sausage too!).

This dish has a deep connection to a chef friend who is no longer with us. It is my personal interpretation and adaptation, of course, but I cannot even say the name of this dish without thinking of him.
With a smile, always, because among the myriad of things we had in common, humor was probably #1 on the list.

Anyway, I have decided to offer it once again to my clients as part of my new seasonal menu. It’s not even officially published yet.
I tested it today, and it has the flavor of memories.
I always put love into my food. Today, there was an extra dose. ❤️

cucinamore.net

Work in progress. Temperature falls a bit and my food immediately reflects that 😊Working on something good today that al...
09/25/2026

Work in progress.
Temperature falls a bit and my food immediately reflects that 😊
Working on something good today that always reminds me of a terrific chef and even better friends who is not with us anymore but whose memory and teaching still inspire me every day.
I'll keep you posted on this one... 🥰

Well, this happened today! 🎉Cucinamore has been selected as a finalist in the Tourism and Hospitality category of the 20...
09/10/2026

Well, this happened today! 🎉

Cucinamore has been selected as a finalist in the Tourism and Hospitality category of the 2026 Loudoun Small Business Awards!

I am proud, grateful, and trying to act very composed about it, while secretly doing a wild happy dance, aching back and all. 😉

If Cucinamore has brought a little taste of Italy into your life and a little joy along the way, we would be grateful for your vote for the People’s Choice Award:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGbd8fqgKzO5HhXMVwejUDXMXncbmHLG91bY1bJJsb3yMm_A/viewform

Voting ends September 17 at 5:00 p.m.

Grazie! ❤

cucinamore.net

Great turnout last night at Olio2go for our homemade pasta workshop organized with Together in Tuscany . As in the usual...
08/28/2026

Great turnout last night at Olio2go for our homemade pasta workshop organized with Together in Tuscany .
As in the usual Cucinamore style, fun was had, food was made and tasted, a thing or two were learned in the process 😉😄
I was happy to see some of my clients but I also got to make new friends! 🍝🇮🇹🥳👫

Side note: that store is a gem! The selection for high quality EVOO (and so much more than that) is unbelievable! Pay them a visit when in Fairfax, but fear not if you rarely go that way: they sell online! 😉

The "superstore" where I stopped this morning to get the fresh eggs for tomorrow's homemade pasta event at Olio2go 😉 Tha...
08/26/2026

The "superstore" where I stopped this morning to get the fresh eggs for tomorrow's homemade pasta event at Olio2go 😉
Thank you to our friends at Home Farm 1760 for raising happy chickens that make the most delicious eggs 🥚🥚🥚
This event has been sold out for a while but I look forward to see both some new and familiar faces, as we have fun making great pasta and tasting it too! 🥰🍝🇮🇹

Fresh herbs are one of the topics I talk about most during my in-home dinners, as they are used far more often than drie...
08/06/2026

Fresh herbs are one of the topics I talk about most during my in-home dinners, as they are used far more often than dried seasonings in Italy.

Not everyone has an herb garden to pick from as needed, so one of the questions I get most often is how to keep fresh herbs fresh for as long as possible.

This is the method I've used for years. It's simple, takes less than a minute, and usually keeps herbs in much better shape than leaving them in the plastic package from the grocery store.

Do you already store your herbs this way, or do you have a different favorite method?

Now, between you and me, if only parsley would stop acting so dramatic all the time, we wouldn't need these tips, would we? 😉

cucinamore.net

Story from a summer Friday night... (Last night, that is. 😉)A group of 11 women celebrating a milestone birthday with a ...
08/01/2026

Story from a summer Friday night... (Last night, that is. 😉)

A group of 11 women celebrating a milestone birthday with a weekend getaway in beautiful Loudoun County. They came from out of town and stayed in one of the area's lovely short-term rental properties.

The theme of their adventure? The '80s. 🎶 (My kind of people... I remember them well. 😉)

They even had VIP passes for a cover band concert the next day.

The last thing they wanted to think about was cooking for themselves. That's where we come in.

And what could be more fitting than our "Bellissimi Anni '80" menu, a tribute to the flavors of Italy in the 1980s?

Appetizers? Vol-au-vents, of course. Despite the French name, they were practically a requirement at Italian parties back then. 😄

Last night, mine were filled with a light, whipped mascarpone mousse, savory prosciutto, mini cherry tomatoes from the garden, micro basil, and finished with a touch of our herbed olive oil.

They were fun to eat and perfectly on theme.

Next came our Insalata Rucola e Grana and Pasta alla Vodka.

If that doesn't say "Italy in the '80s," I don't know what does.

Meanwhile, the soundtrack in the kitchen was courtesy of the party. We found ourselves humming along to Simple Minds while putting the final touches on dinner. 😊

When it was time for us to leave, dessert (which we don't provide) was being served, the ladies were still celebrating, and the kitchen was spotless.

No cooking. No kitchen cleanup.
Just more time to enjoy the evening together.

That's what we do. We bring Italy to the table, so our guests can focus on making memories.

🎶 "Don't you... forget about me..." 😉

cucinamore.net

I'm honored to have been invited by Olio2Go and Together in Tuscany to serve as the guest chef and lead this special pas...
07/31/2026

I'm honored to have been invited by Olio2Go and Together in Tuscany to serve as the guest chef and lead this special pasta class on August 27 in Fairfax.

I'll be sharing the techniques, traditions, and stories behind authentic homemade tagliatelle, just as I learned them growing up in Italy, as well as a few insights gained through years of experience.

Whether you prefer to roll up your sleeves or simply watch, learn, and enjoy tasting fresh pasta, I think you'll have a great time.

My sincere thanks to Olio2Go and Together in Tuscany for the opportunity to be part of this event.

I'd love to see some familiar faces there!

To reserve your spot, please use the organizers' registration information in the flyer below.

Happy National LasagnE Day! 🇮🇹"Wait... shouldn't that be National Lasagna Day?"Exactly. 😄So how does this grumpy Italian...
07/29/2026

Happy National LasagnE Day! 🇮🇹

"Wait... shouldn't that be National Lasagna Day?"

Exactly. 😄

So how does this grumpy Italian chef celebrate?

By getting one little thing off her chest. 😉

In Italian, both "lasagna" and "lasagne" are correct, but they are used differently.

"Lasagne" (plural) is the traditional name for the finished baked dish because it is made of multiple layers of pasta.

"Lasagna" (singular) officially refers to a single sheet of pasta.

There is one little exception. In parts of Southern Italy, people also use the singular lasagna to refer to the finished dish. Because much of the Italian immigration to the United States came from Southern Italy, lasagna eventually became the standard English name.

Across most of Italy, however, you'll still hear lasagne.

There... I said it. 😄

Now, if you'd like to experience lasagne made the authentic Italian way, next time you book a Cucinamore dinner, choose our Sunday at Nonna's menu.

Because no matter what day of the week it is, when there's lasagne on the table, every meal feels like Sunday at Nonna's. ❤️

https://www.cucinamore.net/menus-ss

Reminder: Father's Day is next Sunday.If you're still looking for gift ideas, I continue to stand by my professional ass...
06/18/2026

Reminder: Father's Day is next Sunday.

If you're still looking for gift ideas, I continue to stand by my professional assessment that giving men a chance to play in the kitchen and produce a giant sheet of fresh pasta is vastly underrated.

It seems to turn fully grown adults into happy children all over again. 😉

Get them a Cucinamore gift card and allow them to plan a playdate with their friends.

You can thank me later.

(Evidence in pic attached ;) )

Gift cards: cucinamore.net/giftcertificate

Address

San Antonio, TX

Telephone

+12105891967

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