Ciao friends!
Today is launch day for Dinner Last Night. 🥳
I’ve been feeling both relaxed and excited about this project. But when I woke up and saw that
went ahead and published Episode 01 on Spotify, I began to feel something new…Nervous.
My inner critic kicked in…What if no on like’s it? What if I sound dumb? What if it’s too long?
(My oldest daughter did suggest the intro is overkill, and that no one needs to hear about the stye in my eye, or how my whole family was sick…or maybe they do?!)
But trying to hedge every uncertainty and please everyone is no way to live.
And honestly, what feels so damn beautiful about this project is that there’s a higher purpose at stake here: this podcast is a channel for other parent’s amazing stories.
And stories are what bring us together. They unite us around a common cause.
In this case, it’s dinner.
As you listen to these episodes, keep in mind that they were recorded months prior so that we could release them without operating at a breakneck pace. So for example, this intro is set in winter (when my family had the flu).
So without further ado, it is our greatest honor to introduce you to a very special guest in Episode 01 of Dinner Last Night, .
Giulia is a mother, Italian chef, award-winning food blogger, and prolific cookbook author—including Cucina Povera—which we’re giving away to one lucky subscriber (details below!).
Giulia lives in her childhood home in the village of Colle di Val d’Elsa in the Tuscan countryside, where she raises her family and runs her cooking school. Her writing, recipes, and cooking classes through her Substack—Letters from Tuscany—beautifully capture her rhythms of food, family, and seasonal living.
As first-generation Americans raised by an Italian mother, Dimity and I were especially excited to hear Giulia’s take on family dinner and tradition.
Plus, her mamma is an identical twin!
Here are just a few of our favorite takeaways…
🫢 Something that surprised us:
Giulia gave us full permission to let go of guilt about not preparing the perfect meal from scratch—even in Italy. She buys frozen veggies for Minestrone (stay tuned for a recipe next week) and pre-prepped meat from the butcher, like chicken cutlets and burger patties.
Wait—burgers in Tuscany? We imagined a loaded American-style burger, but Giulia set us straight. Her daughter prefers it plain: “just the burger on its own, dressed with olive oil and salt. Bread and burger. Full stop.”
We laughed out loud—and related completely. Our kids are only just beginning to consider pickles and mustard.
😍 Something that we loved:
Giulia’s approach to feeding her daughter was so refreshing. Instead of using words like “picky,” she gently nurtures her curiosity in the kitchen, never pressuring her to be more adventurous than she’s ready for.
She also shared one of her favorite ways to get her daughter interested in cooking and eating, by allowing her to use a grown-up tool under her supervision, that masterfully “hides” veggies in the final dish.
This part of the conversation is a worthwhile listen for every parent. As parents, it was a much-needed reminder to release control and lead with joy.
🤔 Something we’re still chewing on:
Giulia believes deeply in eating locally and seasonally—for flavor, nutrition, and a sense of longing and appreciation. But even in Italy, a country prized for seasonal eating, this is no longer the default.
“If you go to a supermarket, you find everything now. Traditions are changing. It’s challenging, even in Italy.”
Giulia dismantled the myth that all Italian food is seasonal and invited us to be more intentional about how and when we choose it, even when it’s not culturally enforced.
This episode is full of Giulia’s practical tips, heartfelt stories, and personal reflections on balancing parenting, business, and home-cooked food, through the lens of an Italian mother and chef.
💝 A Giveaway!
As a thank you for tuning in, we’re giving away:
A copy of Giulia’s cookbook, Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals
A paid, full-access subscription to Letters from Tuscany: Giulia’s newsletter with recipes, live cooking classes, and more.
TO ENTER TO WIN
All you need to do is be a subscriber to this newsletter. Not yet subscribed? Click here to subscribe. Giveaway winner will be alerted by email, 18+, no purchase necessary.
Next week we’ll be sharing a Giulia-inspired recipe, plus resources for buying locally and seasonally where you live.
Thank you for being on this exciting journey with us, as we visit parents’ kitchens around the world!
♡ Buon appetito,
Emma (and Dimity)
🫶 Help Us Share Dinner Last Night
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