Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos have been living in their Brooklyn neighborhood for a couple of years now and they have really grown to love it. Their neighbors have welcomed them with open arms and they feel a very strong connection to all of the local shops and restaurants. Now they want to give back the only way they know how -- by cooking for them. They take over one of the neighborhood's restaurants for the day, cook a variety of Tuscan recipes and serve their neighborhood friends a meal. And of course, since they're cooking for the neighborhood, they shop in all of their favorite local shops for ingredients for the big feast.
Gabriele Corcos has his motorcycle passion, but Debi Mazar has always had a thing for fashion. Debi takes Giulia, who inherited her mom's love of fashion, to her friend and fashion designer Zac Posen's studio for a behind-the-scenes tour and a dress fitting. Meanwhile, Gabriele Corcos heads to the Fulton Fish Market to get fresh seafood for dinner. Later that day, Zac comes over to help cook a seafood-inspired Tuscan dinner.
Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar have been asked to cook at the James Beard House in New York. The James Beard Foundation is well known throughout the culinary community for its educational programs, industry awards and scholarships. The James Beard House hosts frequent meals, usually headlined by important figures from the culinary community. Now, Gabriele and Debi have an opportunity to add their names to the prestigious list of guest cooks. It's a huge honor and they're going to create the best possible culinary experience that they can for an intimate group of friends that will get to share the evening with them.
Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar take a day to prepare the family for the possibility of another major disaster, like Hurricane Sandy, in what they call "The Drill." Can the family go the whole day without electricity or any modern conveniences? Can Gabriele and Debi cook dinner for the family without electricity or gas? Can Debi and the girls go a day without the internet? And finally ... what will Robert think of all of this?
For Evelina and Giulia, the best time of year is finally here -- the last day of school. While the girls take it in, Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos have one more afternoon to themselves and they decide to use the time to explore the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. They stop by the Red Hook Winery for some wine tasting and then hit Cacao Prieto to sample and pick up fresh chocolate to use for dessert. Then, they pick up the girls and head home to cook a special meal to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer.
Debi Mazar has a few close friends that always talk about getting together for dinner, but it seldom happens. Debi finally gets together with her best friends, Drena De Niro, Kathrine Narducci and Aida Turturro, all of whom happen to be of Italian-American heritage. They meet up at Debi's house and hit the neighborhood for a little shopping. Meanwhile, Gabriele Corcos visits a local distillery and a neighborhood honey producer to pick up ingredients for a special cocktail for the girls. Then for dinner, it's all hands on deck as everyone takes turns helping Gabriele cook up some delicious Italian recipes.
When they lived in Los Angeles, Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar built a pizza oven in their backyard. The oven gave them many great memories and even more delicious meals! They promised themselves they'd build another pizza oven someday, and while the backyard in Brooklyn is pretty tight, their property in Italy is just begging for a pizza oven. The family heads back to Tuscany and Gabriele is eager to get started. While their oven is being constructed, Debi and Gabriele head to Tuscany's historic central market to pick up ingredients for their first pizzas. And of course, to christen the oven, they have a big party with family and friends to enjoy some homemade pizzas.
Gabriele Corcos dreams of a life on the farm and while she's more of a city girl at heart, Debi Mazar has always supported and encouraged him to pursue his dream. On their property in Italy they have the patch of country land, so all they need are the animals. Debi and Gabriele get their farm started by restoring the old chicken coop and going to a local farm to buy some chickens. Then they cook up a big farm-inspired feast to celebrate.
There is a bocce ball court on Gabriele Corcos' property where Nonna Lola used to play all the time, but since Gabriele moved to the states, the court has fallen apart. Now, he wants to repair it and bring it back to its former glory. When it's ready, he gets the whole family out there, including Nonna Lola, for a big feast and inaugural bocce ball tournament to officially open the court again. Of course, all of the food for the feast will be favorite recipes of Nonna Lola. And for an added treat, Gabriele will take the whole family to the medieval town of Colle di Val d'Elsa, Italy, to learn how to make Lola's favorite cookies, Ricciarelli's, and bring a bunch back for the party.
It's July in Tuscany and it's hot. Debi Mazar, Gabriele Corcos and the girls need a break from the heat, so Gabriele decides to take them to the Mediterranean coastal town of Livorno, Italy. They have some fun in the breezy sea air and get a taste of some fresh, light seafood. Then, they stop at a local restaurant for some traditional cuisine, take in the boardwalk scene and hit the big fish market to buy fresh seafood to take home and cook tomorrow. For dinner, they make a Livorno-inspired meal with Gabriele's signature Tuscan twist.
One of Debi Mazar's favorite places to go in Florence, Italy, is the 400-year-old Pharmacy at the Santa Maria Novella. Part museum, part store selling traditional and modern elixirs, oils, soaps and perfumes, Debi has been going here for years. She and Gabriele Corcos decide to spend the day showing the girls all of the different ways that the herbs from their land can be used to make fun beauty treatments and delicious food. Debi will give Robert and the girls a "spa day" in their kitchen, then Gabriele will cook a dinner using recipes that highlight the same local Tuscan herbs.
Tuscany is full of wild game: deer, rabbit, pheasant and of course, boar. The animals have had a major influence on the traditional food of the region and it's a constant topic of conversation. One of Gabriele Corcos' friends runs a Tuscan safari -- a trip through the wilderness that gives visitors an up-close look at some of that Tuscan wildlife -- so today, he's taking Debi Mazar and the girls on safari. For dinner, they cook some delicious recipes that feature the most celebrated wild game, the mighty boar.
Every good chef needs a good set of tools. When Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos are in Tuscany, Italy, they try to cook with unique Tuscan tools whenever possible. And, like any chef, they're always looking to add to their arsenal. In this episode, they take the kids and Robert to a flea market to hunt for traditional cooking utensils. But first they take them for a picnic at the local zip line adventure park. Back home, after the zip lines and flea market, they'll cook a delicious dinner using the day's finds.