I grew up in an Italian-American family in Staten Island, New York. My Italian roots run deep into my food culture. All of my most cherished memories happened at the dinner table. The food-filled fun would occur almost every weekend and holiday, with EVERYONE from both sides of my extended family, all of whom, brought dishes and stories to share. My parents descend from Southern Italy. My father immigrated from Bagheria, not far from the capital Palermo, in Sicily and my mother was born and raised on a farm in the small town of Rocella Ionica, in Reggia di Calabria. Similar to the cuisine of the deep south of U.S., a lot of the Southern Italian cuisine celebrates “comfort food”.  Melanzane Ripiene, Pitticelle di Zucchine, Melanzane Scapece, Caponatina, Lasagna (with grandma’s famous fried “mini” meatballs), Eggplant Rollatini, and Zeppole are just a few of our family favorites. All of this yumminess is either breaded and fried, pickled or stuffed and/or layered with cheese. Delicious, I know! Lucky for me, I had direct access to all of these family recipes and traditions.   I spent many hours of my childhood rolling hundreds of mini meatballs in grandma’s kitchen.  I can still remember the smell of her house in the summer during tomato jarring season.   

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In 2005 I married the love of my life, Nick Kusturic, a licensed Acupuncture Physician and Herbalist. Being in a relationship with Nick, I learned about preventative medicine, and the importance of the quality of the food we eat. Food IS medicine. This became clearer to me when we decided to have our own family. I wanted to feed our children with the family recipes and traditions I grew up with but without the unhealthy elements. I adapted a lot of grandma’s recipes to create healthy alternatives to these Southern Italian “comfort” foods. For example, instead of deep frying in vegetable or canola oil (which are mostly produced from genetically modified crops and contain increased amounts of oleic acid, linked to heart disease and cancer), I use avocado oil and air fry the meat balls, eggplant and zucchini fritters; instead of breaded/ fried eggplant and ricotta cheese in Eggplant Rollatini, I grill the eggplant and stuff it with a vegan cashew nut ricotta “cheese” recipe that I’ve created. I LOVE the challenge of designing delicious, healthy alternatives to these guilt-ridden foods. These adapted recipes were tried and tested by my family and were introduced to the tea bar menu and at special events at Du20 Holistic Oasis, an alternative medical facility in Delray Beach.

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My passion for food and health led me to complete the Integrated Institution for Nutrition (IIN)’s certification for Health Coaching in 2019. After exploring all the different, un-imaginable diets associated with health and weight loss, I learned there is no “one size fits all” health food/ diet. We are all made up of an infinite number of cells that create our own genetic uniqueness.  What works for one individual may actually harm another. While working under the guidance of a holistic medical practitioner at DU20, I began to introduce meal plans to provide nutritional support and encouraged patients to make small sustainable changes to their daily health habits.  

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Having a “restricted" diet should not mean that you cannot enjoy food. I curate delicious, tasteful menus to meet YOUR health needs that match your taste and palate. Whether you are doing a “cleanse” or need to be on a low FODMAP, gluten free, dairy free, raw, anti-inflammatory, synergistic, or vegan/vegetarian diet, or maybe you just need a little support with meal preparation to suit your busy schedule; I will be there to guide you on your journey to good health with yummy food, AND take away the stress and confusion associated with meal planning. I look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your health goals.