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

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.

@cheekyerica I love that you EMBRACE your heritage to create recipes! #30secondmom

— Toni B (@rychepet) October 27, 2016

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. 

What's 4 #dinner? How about the best ever #lasagna #soup? @Cheekyerica shares her #recipe! #30SecondMom #food https://t.co/2l50ahyvpk

— Donna John (@donnas92) October 27, 2016

@IcoachEQ @30secondmom @cheekyerica yes! My favorite is soup served in a bread bowl! #30SecondMom

— CosmoFrank (@cosmoravirie) October 27, 2016

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.

@Merber38 @30secondmom @cheekyerica I unwind cooking dinner. therapy is a good way to see it #30secondmom

— Holly @Tweenspot (@tweenspot) October 27, 2016

@rychepet I understand! Try following recipes & then when yr done, write down what u think would make it better for next time! #30SecondMom

— Erica Kane (@cheekyerica) October 27, 2016

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.

. @Cheekyerica shows you how to make the best #glutenfree #chocolate chip #cookies ever! #30SecondMom #recipe #food https://t.co/UM9sQ1CB4P

— Donna John (@donnas92) October 27, 2016

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.

This busy #momof4 loves homemade quick & easy! #Cooking & #baking is like my therapy. 😜#30SecondMom https://t.co/BKUimBIyJa

— Meredith Schneider (@Merber38) October 27, 2016

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.

Thanks for all the great tips @cheekyerica! Love your #creativity and am excited to try your #recipes! #30secondmom

— Kelli Schulte (@IcoachEQ) October 27, 2016

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