Welcome

Hello! I’m Marie Pinto Bialek

I’m a Philly girl who learned to cook in our family kitchen, watching my parents bring our Italian heritage to life at every meal. Growing up in an Italian family meant that food was always at the center of everything – those daily cooking lessons are etched into my memory.

These days, my cooking is a lot like Philly itself – where Italian traditions meet local classics, and sometimes you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. (I mean, is there anything more Italian-American than our roast pork?) When I’m not cooking, you’ll find me tending to my sourdough starter or testing yet another batch of bagels – the kitchen’s basically my happy place. My husband’s Utica connections (and a stint in the Midwest) have snuck their way into my recipes too. Don’t be surprised if you see a Detroit-style pizza recipe pop up here soon!

This city’s food scene has shaped everything about how I cook. From late-night soft pretzels to tomato pie that takes me right back to childhood, Philly’s got its fingerprints all over these recipes. We’re spoiled here – from the humblest sandwich shops to our incredible pizza spots, good food is just part of life in this city.