About Joanne Schweitzer No Plate Like Home
Hi, I’m Joanne Schweitzer, mom, the recipe-creator, photographer and writer and business owner of No Plate Like Home Italian Family Heritage Recipes. I’m the only child of Italian immigrants who came to the Philadelphia area after their wedding in 1966 in the province of Compania, Italy and were (R.I.P.) Neapolitans.
I come from a big Italian family of excellent home cooks on both sides! I inherited lots of great recipes along with an inherent cooking talent. Let’s just say it’s in my genes.
My German/English husband says my cooking secured his decision to marry me. LOL!! It’s true, he tells people this.
I’m happy to share my passion for authentic Italian and Italian-American cooking with you and TEACH you not only how to cook but, how to reconnect with your Italian heritage and continue the traditions of the Italian culture in a way that’s nostalgic and FUN!
Overall, my recipes are easy-to-make with basic ingredients and are mostly from scratch! I’ll show you how you can make delicious family meals and desserts without using a box mix. My recipes have fewer preservatives and many can be classified as clean eating or close to it.
Here are some of my most popular recipes:
- Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy Recipe (Tomato Sauce)
- Authentic Italian recipes like Meatballs & Tomato Sauce
- Italian-American recipes like my famous Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese or Slow Cooker Italian Rosemary Pulled Pork.
- Southern Italian Easter Pie or pizza rustica is a family favorite.
- American recipes like my ever so popular Loaded Slow Cooker Chili.
- Viral Cocktail recipe: Winter White Cosmo Bonefish Recipe Elderflower + VIDEO and other cocktails.
See my Top 10 Recipes for 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Learning to cook Italian starts with easy recipes with step-by-step instructions and fun-to-watch recipe videos. It may feel a little scary at first but, I’ll show you how. It’s really much simpler than you imagine.
You’ll learn to cook like your Italian grandma (nonna.) Think about those visions you have of your aunts, and nonna in the kitchen cooking for your communion party or making gravy for a typical Sunday dinner. I know I have fond memories of making tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes and canning tomatoes in August with my mom and aunt.
I will INSPIRE and teach you how to cook for your family, which is one of the many reasons I started this blog.
Follow my Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube and Twitter.
About Me -My Story
My first lessons for cooking came from beloved mother, who tragically passed away when I was just 18 yrs old. What made it even worse was that I was estranged from my father at six years old. As I mentioned above, my parents were Italian immigrants. My mom was a very independent, strong-minded woman and taught me to be the same. She was an excellent cook. I sure do miss her home-cooked meals she made for me with love.
I appreciate the family God gave me and my health now more than anything else. It’s all I’d ever wanted since being a little girl in a big house with no siblings. I often visited my Italian aunt, uncle and favorite cousin who was more like a sister to me growing up. They moved back to Italy when I was fourteen, just five years before my mom passed.
Italian Family Heritage Recipes
I grew up eating from-scratch, gourmet level dishes. From Italian Rum Cake and homemade pasta to Authentic Italian meatballs and gravy(aka tomato sauce) and Homemade Wedding Soup, there was always something great to eat!
Homemade Italian Meatballs & Tomato Sauce
The Italian Fried Eggplant below is something my husband and I could eat in one sitting. OMG, it’s that good! My aunt made this recipe and it’s spectacular! I use it to make my Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe.
Italian Fried Eggplant
Here’s my popular since inception Slow Cooker Chili Recipe with Corn + VIDEO. Don’t forget the homemade cornbread. Hungry yet?
Loaded Slow Cooker Chili with Corn
What Else Will You Find On No Plate Like Home?
Less Stress Thanksgiving Planner
Thanksgiving Recipes and Thanksgiving Desserts
Christmas Recipes and Christmas Cookies
10 Tips to Host a Stress-free Holiday Dinner
More About No Plate Like Home Recipes
- I believe in good food! It’s cheaper and better than eating out. There’s no plate like home, there’s no plate like home!
- I mostly cook with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. If you don’t like garlic, you’re probably in the wrong place.. sorry.
- You’ll find my recipes are easy and wholesome meals.
- I rarely use boxed mixes and never use canned soups, etc. It’s not a crime or anything, I just prefer to make my own. I can tell the taste difference between packet taco seasoning and my own.
- I’ll use a Pillsbury crust for pies and quiche. It’s faster and makes less of a mess.
- Cooking mostly from scratch not only tastes better and is higher quality but, it is better for your family. It’s not difficult to learn with practice and great recipes. I don’t go as far to churn my own butter, milk my own cows but, I will make homemade bread from time to time.
- In this blog, you will find easy and delicious, from scratch meals, one pot and 30 min meals, yummy desserts, easy appetizers and tasty cocktails. Some of my recipes are authentic Italian, Italian inspired and Italian-American recipes.
I share my creations to help other busy people provide homemade, great tasting, healthier meals to their families. It makes me warm inside to know that.
When our boys are grown and gone, I want them coming back for big, fun Italian family dinners and mom’s great home cooking…plus my hugs and kisses. It’s all about cooking with love!
How Do You Subscribe to No Plate Like Home?
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Instagram where you’ll find more food photos from restaurants where my family dines and other of my food creations.
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Now that you’ve learned a little about me, thanks for visiting and I hope you’ll SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter and come back soon!
Ciao for now!
~Joanne Schweitzer
Business owner and creator of No Plate Like Home, recipe creator, writer, editor and food photographer
