blog » October 25, 2016 by Donna John

Favorite Family Recipes & Creative Cooking With Erica Kane! by Donna John

Blog
7 years ago
Favorite Family Recipes & Creative Cooking With Erica Kane!

As the temps drop, we turn our attention to sweaters, football and comfort food! We were so excited to have 30Seconds contributor Erica Kane join us for our Twitter chat. Erica is the founder of Jewtalian.com, a lifestyle and recipe-based website for the home cook. Erica's mom is Italian and her dad is Jewish, so her site is a wonderful homage to her family! Read on to discover some of her favorite recipes and cooking tips!

Q: We're excited to chat with you! You previously co-founded Cheeky Chicago. Tell us how Jewtalian came to be.

I'm a journalist and writer at heart and wanted to share my passion for my favorite subject: food and cooking! I've been posting photos of food for years and my friends have always wanted the recipes. This is a great way to share them. My mom is Italian and my dad is Jewish. I grew up with my mom cooking EVERYTHING. So Jewtalian is an homage to them.

Q: What kinds of recipes do you share on Jewtalian (quick, gluten-free, etc.)? Share some of your faves!

Oooh, Jewtalian specializes in all kinds of cuisine, but people seem to love the quick and easy recipes. Many of the gluten-free recipes are also really popular like the chocolate chip cookies and butternut squash soup. Jewtalian is a throwback to my family's culture of Italian food and Jewish recipes. Both cultures boast such great noms. Some of my favorite Jewtalian recipes are soups! I love my butternut squash soup and my bison chili. And my husband’s favorite Jewtalian recipe is my lasagna , which is perfect as the temps go down. 

Q: Do you make all your own recipes? What are your top tips for creative cooking?

When it comes to my recipes, I receive a lot of inspiration from my family and my husband. I also get inspired by recipes I've found over the years and update them with new ingredients. Many times, I take a recipe that looks interesting and make tweaks and edits so it's most palatable for me and the hubs. I used to follow recipes to a T. My husband, a restaurant industry vet, taught me to be more creative. Almost every time I cook, I call my mom to run ideas by her. Should I add more of this, less of that, etc.

Q: Congratulations on the birth of your first baby! What's it like to be a new mom? Any tips?

There are no words to describe the absolute joy of being a new mom, especially not in 140 characters! WOW is a start. Being a new mom is exhilarating, hilarious, joyful, challenging and absolutely amazing.

Tip: take time for yourself. You have to #30SecondMom!

Find joy in it all. Realize how short-lived this phase is. All of the stuff you did before will still be there.

Q: You work fulltime, write a popular blog and are a great mom and wife. How do you balance it all?

Awww, thanks! I'm a FIRM believer in work/life balance. I truly think it's a matter of priorities. My family will come first no matter what. Knowing that makes decision-making very easy. I'm a better mom because I do work I love. And, I'm better at my job because I get to look at the little face of the guy I'm doing it all for.

Q: Halloween is almost here, and then Thanksgiving, etc.! What are your top food tips for the holidays?

For any occasion where there's prep, DO IT IN ADVANCE. I start prepping and freezing 6 weeks before Thanksgiving. I think this advice goes for anything in life: do not wait until the last minute. Start lists, go shopping, do it in baby steps. Classic dishes never go out of style. You don't need to reinvent the wheel for stuffing, roast chicken, etc.

Be sure to visit jewtalian.com for more food and meal ideas, follow @Cheekyerica and visit her 30Seconds page!

Elisa Schmitz
I just can't wait to chat with you, Erica Kane! I've been loving all your recipes and can't wait to learn more from you, chica! xoxo
Christine Jones
I'm obsessed with your recipes and can't wait to hear all of your tips!
Meredith Schneider
I think I've died and gone to heaven! Erica Kane we might be related! ;) LOL! I'm Italian and my husband is Jewish I love cooking dishes from both cultures. Can't wait for tonight's chat! :)
Toni B
I'll take any tips I can get :) See you soon!
Elisa Schmitz
What a great chat, Erica Kane! Loved all your tips and recipes, thanks. And it was great to see Donna John, Holly Budde, Meredith Schneider, Toni B, Chrissy Jones, Kelli Schulte, Adeline Benovil, CosmoFrank, Lori Leal, lorri langmaid, Dr. Shayna Mancuso, Sharon, Erika, Jan Mostrom, and so many more. Love our #30SecondMom community!

join discussion

Please login to comment.

#30Seconds Twitter chat

Chat has ended

who was there

how to participate

Simply click here to go to the #30Seconds hashtag and you will see all of our tweets in the chat! To join the conversation, hit reply to any tweet that interests you.
Make sure to put the #30Seconds hashtag in your tweets so we can see you and respond. Using our hashtag is like being in the same room together! See you at the best night in on Twitter!

related tips

5-Ingredient Pork Chops Recipe With Apples & Onions Is on the Table in 20 Minutes

This Easy Pistachio-Crusted Salmon Recipe Is Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes (Seriously)

4-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Dates Recipe With Fontina Cheese Is Appetizer Perfection

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Dip Recipe: This Healthy Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Dip Tastes Like You're Cheating