There’s something about the start of a new year that makes people want to push themselves to be better. More creative. More adventurous.

We’re all guilty of cooking our favorite dishes over and over again; rarely mixing things up or trying anything new. So we’re kicking off this year with our new series, ‘Five Ingredients to Try!' We’ll explore five authentic Italian ingredients that might not normally make it into too many of your dishes. We’ll teach you where each one is from, how it’s made and offer some cooking tips and ways to integrate them into your favorite dishes.

Have fun! Get adventurous! Try something new. Make this year the year you give anchovies a go or experiment with peppers. Life is short and cooking is one of the greatest joys…so welcome a culinary experience and give these fun, flavorful ingredients a try. Buona Fortuna!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the updates and posts!