Cucina Ciccu

This cake is a showstopper for any occasion. It’s moist and decadent, and you can whip it up in advance. Put it together and let it chill until the next day. Add some fresh berries, powdered sugar, nuts, or sprinkles for a festive touch.

This cold potato soup only uses 2-3 potatoes and easy to make. It needs to be chilled for at least 8 hours, so I usually make it the day before and let it chill overnight. It’s a traditional first course for our Christmas dinners, but it’s wonderful any time you’re having hearty meat or vegan main dish.

Elevate your dinner party with this fabulous starter! The creamy tomato-infused broth is perfectly balanced with white wine, parsley and a splash of lemon. Your choice of seafood can be modified for your preference and with the substitution of 1 for 1 flour, it is gluten-free.

This is a great side dish for fall and winter dinners. It’s especially nice for Thanksgiving or Christmas and is a nourishing side dish for the vegans among your guests.

This impressive, Italian-inspired dessert is naturally gluten-free. It’s really quite simple to make, but it has to chill so there’s no problem making this in the morning, although I would recommend serving it the same day that it’s made. You can change the garnishes to fit the occasion!

This squash recipe, with farro, nuts, celery, and onions, makes a great main dish for a plant-based meal! It’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and egg-free! As the filling is prepared separately, you can make this ahead of time.

This striking dish is a lot easier than it looks. The hardest part is cleaning out the pumpkin. It would make a nice main dish for a vegan or vegetarian dinner as well as a stunning side dish!

These rolls show up on our dinner table for almost any special occasion dinner. The recipe comes from our old, battered copy of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, circa 1982. They have modified their recipe since then, but this one can’t be beat. And you can make several different shapes.