La Cucina di Gigi, Philadelphia, PA (2026)

04/01/2019

Keto California Carrot Cake

Prep time:15 MINS
Cook time:33 MINS
Total time:1 HR

CREAM CHEESE ICING:

16 oz cream cheese - 2 blocks - softened
1 cup butter (Kerrygold) - 1 block - softened
1/2 cup powdered monk fruit sweetener
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp heavy cream

FOR THE CARROT CAKE LAYERS:

5 eggs — large (split)
½ tsp cream of tartar

⅓ cup monk fruit sweetener
2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt
½ cup coconut flour
1 ¾ cup almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup shredded coconut — unsweetened
1 ¼ cup shredded carrots
⅓ shredded walnuts or other nuts (optional)
⅓ cup raisins or cranberries (optional)

2 sticks of butter (Kerrygold) — melted

CARROT CAKE LAYERS:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper or oil pan well
Grease over the parchment and the sides of the pans.
Set aside.

Separate your eggs - whites and yolks.

In the bowl with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks are reached.

In another bowl mixer attachment beat yolks and vanilla medium-high speed, until fluffy.

In a third bowl combine all dry ingredients - coconut flour, almond flour, monk fruit powder, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.

Add the egg yolks and melted butter and mix to combine.

Add the carrots, coconut, optional nuts and dried fruit and stir to combine into a batter.

Fold the egg whites into the batter careful not to break the egg whites too much.

Divide the batter between both pans. Bake for 30-3 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool inside the pans for 10-15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Place one cake layer on a platter. Carefully spread 1/2 of the icing over it. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on top. I left this keto carrot cake naked, but you can spread some frosting on the sides of it if you'd like.

Top with shredded coconut (optional).

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then slice and serve.

Yum!

09/08/2016

There are many ways to make this dish. Many doughs, fillings, fried, baked.... the list goes on and on. This one I tried to recreate as I had them in Italy. The dough is a very flaky pasta dough fried. I wish I could give you measurements - but we don't roll that way in Italy! We are rustic and cook by instinct, smell, taste and sight. :D

Dough
1 cup of oil
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
Enough Flour to make it all come together

Filling
Swiss chard
Garlic
Anchovies
Black Olives
Salt and Pepper
Hot Pepper Flakes

Add oil, water, pinch of salt and enough flour to make the dough come together. Let the dough rest.

Boil the swiss chard for about 10 minutes or until it is very soft. Strain the swiss chard and squeeze out any excess water.

In a hot pan add a little oil, garlic, hot peppers, anchovies and stir. Just before the garlic browns add the olives and swiss chard. Cook for a few minutes so all the flavors meld. Set this aside.

Roll out your dough very thin and cut out circles. Fill the circle of dough with swiss chard mixture and fold over in a half moon. Wet the outer rim to help the dough seal. Crimp with a fork and poke holes with the fork in the top of the half moon.

Fry in a high smoke point oil at 350 degrees farenheit until golden brown. Let cook on a wire rack.

Serve! Delicious!

08/11/2016

Prep is the key here. Everything else comes together very quickly. Listen up!

Chinese Veggies
I used baby bok choy, chinese brocoli, mustard greens and scallions.

Beaten egg
Day old or cooled rice
Ginger
Garlic
Oil
Salt and Pepper
Tamari Sacue

Clean and rough chop all your veggies. Clean and grind garlic and ginger. I have been using a 3x ginger to garic ratio that seems to work. Beat up eggs. One or two depending on how much stir fry you are making.

Heat wok HOT!
Add oil until you see white smoke.
Add garlic and ginger and lightly brown.

Add beaten egg and Immediately add rice.
Stir!

Once coated add veggies.

STIR STIR STIR!

Add salt and pepper to taste and a little Tamari Sauce.

Once the greens are just cooked - you are done! Plate and eat!

08/02/2016

One of the best recipes I learned while in Italy this summer (2016) during my cousin's wedding. Midnight pasta! Spaghetti Aglio E Olio but it was made in this way - like risotto.

EVOO, Garlic, Pepperocini, White Wine, Pasta, Water, Salt and Parsley. You'll need a pot of boiling water - lightly salted. That's it.

First add a good amount of EVOO to a large pan with high sides. Something that the pasta can lay down in easily.

Heat up the oil on mid/high heat and add your sliced garlic and pepperoncini. Just as it starts to brown add in a good amount of white wine. Now - CAUTION! It will splash and you can get burnt. So again - CAUTION!

Let that reduce down and then add your pasta - dry. Like risotto - DO NOT LEAVE THIS DISH! Stir! Constantly. Once the pasta soaks up the liquid ladle some water and continue to stir.

Do this three or four times until the pasta softens and test it. The pasta MUST BE AL DENTE! Think - just after crunchy! Add salt if needed and finish it with some fresh parsley.

Serve and eat immediately!

07/25/2016

First try at this one so I may modify it as I go. The issue here is that the authentic recipe calls for MSG - which I will not use. So I tried something just a little different.

Magic Sprinkle Dust:
2 Tbl Slat (Dry Roasted)
1 Tbl Sugar
1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
1 Tbl Pepper

Salt n Pepper Marinade:
Salt n Pepper
1/2 Beaten Egg
Corn Starch (Just enough to coat)

Finishing Dish:
1 Chilli Pepper
1 Garlic
Ginger (optional)
Chives (optional)
Sping Onion
Onion

First dry roast your salt until just changing color. Set aside to dry. Add this to your sugar, pepper and Chinese 5 Spice. Place into a shaker for later use.

For the chicken add salt, pepper, Chinese 5 Spice, half a beaten egg and coat with corn starch until just coated. Not too much - you want a very light coating.

Fry chicken at 360 degrees F. and set aside.

In a dry wok add sliced garlic, spring onion and chilli peppers. Dry roast until just starting to change color and add your chicken. Add some white wine for flavor. Sprinkly your magic dust on top and plate! It's done!

01/23/2016

Almost 100 years ago my Great Grandfather, Pasquale Falzano was making baking tins in my home town of Civitella Casanova. These tins have been now passed down to me so I was obligated to use them! I decided to make Madeleines since I’ve always wanted to eat them when I’ve seen them in movies or on TV! These are simple and amazing!

Madeleines

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
2/3 cups of Sugar
1 cup of AP Flour
1 tsp of Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Zest of a Lemon
1 Juices from a Lemon

Melt one stick of butter slowly and set aside.

Using a whisk attachment or mixer - mix at a high speed the sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. While this is mixing whisk together the flour and baking powder. Once the batter is pulled in ribbons, use a paddle attachment to mix in the dry ingredients. Once this is mixed pour the melted butter and fold into the batter.

Chill this batter in the fridge or let rest for at least one hour.

Brush the Madeleines molds with butter and dust with flour. Use a small ice cream scooper or teaspoon to place batter inside each mold. Bake at 350 for about 15-17 minutes until there is a halo of brown around the Madeleines. Nearly as soon as you take them out of the oven use a knife to cut around these beautifully domed cookies… and flip them out onto a wire rack to cool.

Dust with powdered sugar…. then eat one. I dare you to eat just one! :D

01/23/2016

Almost 100 years ago my Great Grandfather, Pasquale Falzano was making baking tins in my home town of Civitella Casanova. These tins have been now passed down to me so I was obligated to use them! I decided to make Madeleines since I’ve always wanted to eat them when I’ve seen them in movies or on TV! These are simple and amazing!

Madeleines

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
2/3 cups of Sugar
1 cup of AP Flour
1 tsp of Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Zest of a Lemon
1 Juices from a Lemon

Melt one stick of butter slowly and set aside.

Using a whisk attachment or mixer - mix at a high speed the sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. While this is mixing whisk together the flour and baking powder. Once the batter is pulled in ribbons, use a paddle attachment to mix in the dry ingredients. Once this is mixed pour the melted butter and fold into the batter.

Chill this batter in the fridge or let rest for at least one hour.

Brush the Madeleines molds with butter and dust with flour. Use a small ice cream scooper or teaspoon to place batter inside each mold. Bake at 350 for about 15-17 minutes until there is a halo of brown around the Madeleines. Nearly as soon as you take them out of the oven use a knife to cut around these beautifully domed cookies… and flip them out onto a wire rack to cool.

Dust with powdered sugar…. then eat one. I dare you to eat just one! :D

07/27/2015

Peruvian Chicken

Rotisserie - 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
Broiler - use chicken parts.
I used drum sticks and thighs, bone in and skin on.
4 teaspoons kosher salt
(I’d even go with 3 depending on the amount of chicken)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Mix together into a paste. Smother the chicken with it. Roast or broil until done - about 45 minutes.

Serve with the Green Sauce on the side. Amazing!

07/27/2015

Green Sauce:

3 whole jalapeño chilies, roughly chopped
(remove the ribs and seeds for milder heat)
1 tablespoon aji amarillo pepper paste
(hard to get but really makes this sauce pop)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(just a pinch of each)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place in mixer and blend until liquified.
Done!

01/30/2015

Nonno Tocco's Porchetta

Pork Shoulder - bone in - skin on
Garlic
Bay Leaf
Salt & Pepper

Cut holes every two inches or so and place inside each hole a clove of garlic wrapped in a bay leaf. Do this all the way around the porchetta. Salt and Pepper the porchetta.

Place in the over at 150 degrees F until internal temp reaches 145 degrees F. Take out of the over for 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat over to 500 degrees F and place the porchetta back into the oven for 20 minutes to seriously crisp up that skin. Internal temp should be 160 degrees F. Slice and serve!

You can eat this plain or on bread or however you wish.

Enjoy!

La Cucina di Gigi

04/01/2019

09/08/2016

08/11/2016

08/02/2016

07/25/2016

01/23/2016

01/23/2016

07/27/2015

07/27/2015

01/30/2015

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