Polenta Platter with Vegetable Ragù
A thick bed of golden polenta smothered in a cauliflower, pepper, and greens ragù: my favorite dish to set in the middle of the table for a crowd. Watch the video and grab the free printable recipe card.
Where Homesteaders & Italians Become Intertwined
For some, this is called homesteading. For many Italians, this is simply called eating. How gardens, preserving, local food and shared tables bring the two together.
Italian Wine Cookies — Ciambelline al Vino
Italian Wine Cookies with Olive Oil Printable Recipe | Ciambelline al Vino
I Need You to Meet Ludivine (+ Wine-Poached Pears)
Meet Ludivine, the kitchen queen who reminds us that food is pleasure, plus my Wine-Poached Pears with Bay, Blackberries, and Sweetened Mascarpone, with a free printable recipe card.
Death to Optimization
Back from our September Che Vita trip to Umbria, I’m slowing down, saying no to optimization, and celebrating the ordinary gifts of life. Plus a big photo gallery from our weeks in Italy.
How To Bring Your Kitchen To Life!
Home from three weeks of guiding guests through Umbria, Shaye shares the simple, practical ways she breathes life back into a tired kitchen — from fresh air and a rising loaf to a well-stocked harvest table.
A Month In Between
August is a month in limbo: summer’s bounty still pouring in while school, routines, and autumn wait just around the corner. A few thoughts on finding delight in the in-between seasons of life, plus simple, Italian-inspired ways to savor the middle moments.
The One In Which I Cry (Friends, I Owe You One)
Tomato season, a second trip to Italy on the horizon, and a big brand change: a few honest confessions from my kitchen, plus our new video on making Italian bruschetta and preserving basil for winter.
I Got a New Pep in My Step!
At 40, I’ve got a new pep in my step. On being a beginner again, fumbling through a new language in Italy, and why stepping outside our comfort zone keeps us young at heart.
Are you being "bothered" in the kitchen?
Listening to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential while I wash the dishes got me thinking about the home cook's kitchen, and whether we're being 'bothered' in it.
The Elliott Homestead Is Ending
After sixteen years, The Elliott Homestead is ending and becoming Shaye’s Italian Kitchen. Here’s the story of how it began, why it’s changing, and the beautiful, Italian-inspired road ahead.
Contentment Is Our Medicine
On why I refuse to waste my life being ticked off: choosing contentment, gratitude, and joy in the ordinary, everyday moments of home and family.
My Morning "Routine"
My morning 'routine'... it's not what you think. A peek at how my days really begin at the cottage.
While the Husband’s Away
While the husband’s away, the wife will labor and play: a poolside note from a summer weekend with friends, World Cup games, garden work, and a new video from the kitchen.
Dear Guilty Woman...
A letter to every woman carrying guilt she doesn't need to carry, from someone recovering from the very same thing.
The Contentment Exercise
Three small practices that actually work, even on the hard days, for cultivating contentment right where you are.
This Is Good!
Life hasn’t gotten any smoother lately, yet somehow it has gotten better. Honest thoughts on hard seasons, small kindnesses and hope, plus a new video from my kitchen.
The biggest photographic tour of our garden yet!
Over 60 images of a piece of our hearts: a walk through our early summer cottage garden, weedy spots and all.
For Your Summer Supper Table (+ Three Recipes)
Long summer suppers, a basket of just-picked vegetables, and three recipes from The Cooking Community’s summer table: blistered flatbreads with garlic and oil, sweet pepperonata, and lemon and rosemary roasted chicken thighs.
Sleeping With the Same Man, Washing the Same Dishes
On a faithful, steady, and ordinary life: sleeping with the same man, washing the same dishes, and finding deep, quiet joy in the beautiful repetition of home.