I drove down from Santa Barbara, California to Orange County for a premiere party for the 2nd Great Food Truck Race that is airing Sunday nights at 9/8c on the Food Network. This second season has special meaning to me because my little sister Nicole is on the Seabirds Food Truck from Costa Mesa, California. They are an all girl vegan food truck serving up delicious organic vegan food and lots of girl power! The team is made up of Seabirds owner/chef Stephanie Morgan, raw vegan chef Raya Belna and my sister Nicole.

The Seabirds Food Truck women (L to R, owner Stephanie Morgan, Caroline, Raya Belna, my sister Nicole Daddona) and I (Cynthia Daddona, last on right) at the CA Premiere of the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race." The men of The Lime Truck are (L to R) Jason Quinn, Jesse Brockman and owner Daniel Shemtob.

Cynthia Daddona (right) with sister Nicole Daddona (member of The Seabirds Food Truck) pose with the truck at the Premiere Party for the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race."

The premiere party took place at the So Cal eco-mall and was hosted by The Lime Truck – another popular California food truck on the series that is from Irvine, California. The Lime Truck’s team is owner Daniel Shemtob, along with Jason Quinn and Jesse Brockman who are known for serving up tasty gourmet food.

Food montage featuring delicious dishes from the Seabirds Food Truck and the Lime Food Truck (both participants in the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race.")

At the premiere we enjoyed sampling the food from the two trucks. From the Seabird Food Truck we had the delicious and organic tomato/watermelon salad with almond feta (dairy free), a vegan quesadilla, grilled asparagus and a vegan and raw food chocolate cupcake that was also gluten-free. It was a decadent delight! My husband also ordered the Lime Truck’s gourmet cuisine, namely, its popular Yum, Yum lamb – ground lamb and 10-hour cooked pork served with guacamole, Cotija cheese and fries that were also quite good.

It was a fun time had by everyone who enjoyed eating the delectables from the two food trucks, meeting the personalities and watching the show together while cheering whenever the Orange County trucks appeared on Great Food Truck Race.

Sisters Cynthia Daddona (RomancingTheTable.com) & illustrator/artist Nicole Daddona (member of the Seabirds Food Truck) pose on the red carpet at the Premiere Party for the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race."

Eating healthy and delicious food is a joyful topic between my sis and I that comes from growing up in an ethnic family who loves to eat! So when Nicole comes to visit us in Santa Barbara it is great fun for me to create recipes with options – that includes Mediterranean for my husband and I and vegan for Nicole. When I returned from my visit to the Mediterranean where they love to savor times at the table, I was inspired to create RomancingTheTable.com which celebrates life, love, food, travel, wisdom and romance. I’m also married to an American-Greek who loves to eat and lucky for him I love cooking and creating happy, delicious and healthy times at the table. Best of all I love having Nicole assist me in the kitchen while we chat about life and celebrate our culinary sister connection. I was so glad to be with her on her special night.

The Great Food Truck Race is an entertaining and fun foodie series that will leave you hungering for more episodes each week. The series began last week and will continue until a winner is selected from the 8 trucks that compete against each other in different cities. The truck with the lowest amount of food sales is eliminated each week and the grand prize winner receives $100,000. The trucks competing this year are The Seabirds Food Truck, The Lime Truck, Café Con Leche, Hodge Podge, Korilla, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Devilicious and Sky’s Gourmet Tacos. You can read more about the trucks on the Food Network website.

So tune in to the Food Network on Sunday nights at 9/8c.

One of my extra romantic and healthy Date Night Mediterranean Meals with my Greek god on the beach in Santa Barbara, California Photo by RomancingtheTable.com

This month is National Mediterranean Diet Month (Med Month!) created by Oldways, a world-renowned source of Mediterranean diet information, “to highlight the healthy Mediterranean Diet and its lifestyle practices.” It is based healthy foods “that have traditionally been consumed by people living in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.”

To me, every month is Med Month! As an American Italian-Greek, married to an American-Greek who loves to eat, I’m often found in the kitchen cooking delicious Mediterranean meals and testing recipes for date nights, my blog, my upcoming book and my website (RomancingTheTable.com). I strongly believe in an Oldways’s quote on how the Mediterranean diet affects your love relationships, “You need to eat well to love well.”

Research that began on the Greek island of Crete after World War II proved that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world. It is often described as the “gold standard for healthy eating” and has been proven to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and increasing brainpower.

Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid along with the Harvard School of Public Health. According to the pyramid, we should eat mostly vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits, herbs, spices, and healthy fats such as olive oil on a regular basis. Seafood should be eaten at least twice a week, poultry, diary, and eggs consumed daily to weekly, and red meats and sweets should be on the menu less often. Being physically active and enjoying meals with others is also an important part of the pyramid and the Mediterranean lifestyle. Below are images of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid along with a Vegetarian Diet Pyramid.

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid by Oldwayspt.org

Vegetarian Diet Pyramid by Oldwayspt.org

I’ve found that delicious and healthy Mediterranean meals with quality time at the table definitely contribute to my happy and healthy marriage. Each week, my husband and I take turns planning our weekly date nights (I’m lucky that he can cook, too!) The person whose week it is makes a Mediterranean dinner and chooses an arts and entertainment activity for the night. We occasionally save up and go out to one of our favorite California-Mediterranean restaurants. The ultimate Mediterranean eating experience was when we were in Greece to produce our #1 NY Times About.com culinary travel DVD - A Greek Islands Destination Cooking Class DVD that took place at a top gourmet Greek restaurant. Back home, when we sit at the table we love recreating a Mediterranean atmosphere with a delicious and healthy Mediterranean Meal. To date, my husband Jim and I have been married for five years and if you count the year of our engagement, we’ve had over one year (365 days) worth of date nights in total. That’s a lot of romantic eating! You can do the same by downloading the Date Night Scheduler HERE.

My Grecian Goddess Greek salad that was inspired by the salad we shared on our first dates causing love at first Mediterranean bite!

Oldways also has a Mediterranean Foods Alliance, which I enjoy being one of their culinary advisors. We’ve all teamed up to put together a list of vegetable recipes for Med Month. You can find my info and recipe here, the fourth from the bottom. For more information on National Mediterranean Diet Month by Oldways go here.

I send you Goddess Blessings for your own romantic and healthy Mediterranean date nights! Click here for extra tips on creating a romantic atmosphere for your date night meals. Write me and let me know about your own culinary date nights.

Photo by RomancingTheTable.com

Dark Leafy Greens are an important part of the Mediterranean Diet. Research that began on the Greek Island of Crete in the 1940’s and later included the rest of the Mediterranean, determined that the Mediterranean Diet contributes to living a longer life. My grandfather who migrated from Italy to the US, ate bowls of steamed greens with olive oil and garlic and lived to be 97. My husband Jim’s Greek Yia, Yia (Greek for grandmother) who migrated from Greece to the US lived to be 101 and her sisters that are living are in their 90’s. When you ask them what contributes to living a longer life – they answer Horta! (Dark leafy Greens picked in the fields and eaten daily in Greece and cooked with olive oil and lemon.) This recipe was inspired by meeting the three Yia Yias and eating delicious horta in Greece. Listed first is a classic recipe for greens and the second is one I created with a Mediterranean twist by adding several spices and feta. Click here to see a video filmed in Santa Barbara and Crete that includes how to make my award-winning horta recipe!

Classical Greek Horta

2 lbs of Greens:
Suggestions of Greens to choose from:
Swiss Chard
Kale
Spinach
Dandelion – (Here in the United States, I’ve found that the white or green stemmed dandelions and especially the younger/shorter ones are less bitter than the red stems).

Feel free to combine different greens as well.

(Whenever possible buy organic greens to avoid ingesting the pesticides – if not available soak and rinse greens several times)

1 1/2 cups of water
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt to taste
2 lemons
(optional – 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder)

P r e p a r a t i o n :
Cut the Greens into bite size pieces. Wash several times in bowl with water to remove any soil. If using kale with thick stems tear the leaves off the stems and discard stems.

In a large pot, add water, bring to a boil and add greens. Cover. Boil until stems and leaves are soft depending upon which greens you use. Check after 10 minutes by tasting to see if greens are tender and continue up to 20 minutes. Add more water if needed. Strain water from greens and return to pot. Add juice of two lemons, one turn of olive oil, salt and mix. Let sit for a few minutes in warm pot with flame turned off. Serve on plate or in bowl.

This makes 5 to 6 servings. Make extra since it tastes delicious the next day.

Dandelion Leaves Tip: If you want to make dandelion greens only (a bitter green) – use younger leaves if possible. Whatever length you use, I have found that by cooking dandelion greens in a steamer you reduce bitterness and follow directions to season with lemon, olive oil and salt above while still hot. Dandelion also taste milder when combined with another milder green such as Swiss Chard.

Mediterranean Goddess Greens
(Horta with a Mediterranean Twist)

Photo by RomancingTheTable.com

Eat your cooked greens as much as possible each week and you’ll feel like a healthier goddess. This is also a wonderful recipe to get your loved ones to also eat their greens. The extra ingredients of spices and feta caused my father-in-law who doesn’t like to eat greens to ask for seconds. One mother of two who tried the recipe told me that her children loved making and eating the greens with feta.

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon of turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1 1/2 cups of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt or salt to taste
2 tablespoons of Olive oil

Use these greens of your choice:

3 bunches of Swiss Chard (regular or red or yellow colored stems)

(2 bunches of Swiss chard and 1 bunch of kale – flat leafed versus curly)

or Spinach (2 pounds)

I find that the Swiss chard alone or Swiss Chard with Flat Leaf kale works well for this recipe. If not available use Spinach.

(Whenever possible buy organic greens to avoid ingesting the pesticides – if not available soak and then rinse greens several times)

1 lemon – juiced

A delicious option: 1/2 cup of Feta cheese crumbled on top of cooked greens while still hot and before serving (use sheep’s milk or sheep-goat mixture for true Greek taste)

To prepare:
Cut the Greens into bite size pieces. Wash several times in bowl with water to remove any soil. If using kale with thick stems tear the leaves off the stems and discard stems. For Swiss chard add stems to pot.

In a large pot add all the spices including garlic powder except for the salt. Stir together and cook and cover over Medium heat for 30 seconds to release the aromas.

Add water, salt and Greens, then olive oil and stir together. Cook on Medium heat until stems and leaves are soft depending upon which greens you use. Check after 10 minutes and stir again. Taste to see if greens are tender and continue cooking up to 20 to 30 minutes. Add more water if needed. Strain water from greens and return to warm pot with burner off. Squeeze lemon juice on greens. Add crumble Feta cheese and toss lightly. This can also be made without the feta for those who prefer dairy-free. Place in serving plate. Taste delicious warm.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

For more recipes, videos, and tips for celebrating Life, Love Food and Travel with a Mediterranean twist, visit www.RomancingTheTable.com.

Additional Bio info:
Cynthia is an award-winning on-camera personality, lifestyle journalist, Author and Mediterranean home cook. Her Romancing the Table®.com blog/website celebrates life, love, food and travel with a Mediterranean twist. She is also the co-producer and host of #1 NY Times About.com culinary travel DVD – A Greek Islands Destination Cooking Class that was filmed in Santorini Greece. Cynthia is an American Greek-Italian who enjoys celebrating her heritage and living in Santa Barbara with her American-Greek husband James, a documentary filmmaker. She is also the author of Diary of A Modern Day Goddess®, – a lighthearted guide to creating a life that nurtures your body, mind and soul. For recipes, podcasts, videos, tips and DVD go to www.RomancingtheTable.com and www.CelebrateGreece.com.

If sharing this recipe please credit recipe to its creator – Cynthia Daddona www.RomancingTheTable.com Thank you!
© C.Daddona 2011

Watch this video filmed in Santa Barbara and Crete that includes how to make my award-winning horta recipe!

Eating a consistent amount of greens – raw and lightly cooked or steamed can help you live a longer life! I now realize this is what contributed to the longevity of my Mediterranean relatives. Greens are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. My Grandfather Benny (originally from Southern Italy and former Greek colony) ate a green salad fresh from his garden and bowls of steamed spinach splashed lavishly with olive oil as often as possible and lived to be 97 years old.

Grandfather Daddona by Dianne Daddona.

My husband’s Greek Yai Yai (grandmother) Jean loved talking about and eating her horta. She lived to be 101 years old. Her sisters eat horta as well and are now in their 90′s. I was thrilled to make my classical horta recipe and my other horta recipe with a twist for Jean and my mother-in-law Helen months before Jean passed away. My father-in-law who doesn’t like eating greens, even enjoyed eating his greens.

Cynthia smiling after talking horta with a Cretan Yia Yia (Grandmother)

Filming a video about the Mediterranean Diet & Lifestyle at Kosta Mare Palace Resort & Spa

What joy I had was when I found out that my greens recipe was selected as 1st place in the 2nd Annual Mediterranean Diet Recipe Contest sponsored by Oldways, a culinary think tank advocating a return to healthy, traditional old ways of eating. Their letter said: “Congratulations. We thoroughly enjoyed making and tasting your Greek Horta recipe!” I gave my greens recipes with some twists of spices and the option of adding feta to a friend of mine who made them at home and she loved them and so did her children.

I am especially thrilled that there was a Greens recipe selected since it celebrates my passion for showing others how eating from the Mediterranean diet can be healthy while also tasting delicious. Most of all I was inspired to create RomancingTheTable.com after visiting the Mediterranean and seeing how they savor times at the table.

UPDATE: This month Oldways is sponsoring Mediterranean Month and we are eating our greens as usual but a bit more this month. Here is a post I wrote about how we are celebrating Med. Month at our house during our date nights.

The Mediterranean diet includes an abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, grains, beans, nuts. There is also an emphasis on fish and replacing butter for extra virgin olive oil, a heart-healthy fat. Meat and dairy are eaten in small amounts. There is also a vegetarian meatless Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Research that began on the Greek Island of Crete after WWII confirmed that the Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world that contributes to longevity. Research then expanded to Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean. Of course exercise and the enjoyment of sharing food around the table contributes to one’s well being as well.

Whenever possible eat seasonally fresh and locally grown food which maximize the health-promoting nutrients, minerals and antioxidants of the foods. I am a big advocate of eating organic and local whenever possible since it supports the farmers, the environment and a healthy and pesticide free body! As an American Greek Italian married to an American Greek who loves to eat food of his heritage — we eat the Mediterranean diet on a consistent basis. Since we live in California, our menu is often an organic California-Mediterranean menu. We like to eat the way our grandmothers and grandfathers ate back in their native land – which would be naturally organic and seasonal. You can often find organic produce at your a local farmers market or CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) program in your area that offers a weekly subscription to a farm’s harvest by checking out localharvest.org.

Check out this video I did as AphFoodite™ – the Greek goddess of food, romance and love – that was filmed in Crete.

What brought us to Crete? My husband Jim and I were delighted when the Pan-Cretan Association of America (through the Greek Trade Office and the Greek National Tourist Organization) invited us on a press trip to the wonderful island of Crete during the summer.

Filming a segment about the Mediterranean Diet & Lifestyle at Kosta Mare Palace Resort & Spa

Cynthia at the Minoan Palace of Knossos

During our visit to Crete, we enjoyed the beauty, romance, culture, history and cuisine of Crete. Back in 2006, we spent part of our honeymoon in Elounda, Crete after being married in a Greek island wedding in Santorini. We were very happy when we returned to Crete and had the opportunity to visit a variety of wonderful new locations. We discovered that Crete has something for everyone – from the finest hotels, located on the magnificent Mediterranean Sea, to the agro-tourism farms/wineries to the archaeological splendors of Knossos Palace and the Herakleion Archaeological Museum.

We particularly enjoyed the hospitality shown to us whether it was from an owner of a hotel, agro-tourism farm, or even a psaro-taverna (fish restaurant).

Cynthia smiling after talking horta with a real Cretan Yiayia.

Click here to see a video filmed in Santa Barbara and Crete that includes my award-winning horta (greens) recipe.

2011 UPDATE: This month is also National Mediterranean Diet Month (Med Month!) created by Oldways, a world-renowned source of Mediterranean diet information, “to highlight the healthy Mediterranean Diet and its lifestyle practices.” It is based healthy foods “that have traditionally been consumed by people living in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.” In celebration of Med Month I have also posted my video on Romantic, Healthy and Delicious Mediterranean Date Nights with recipes.

The quintessential romantic table at Manousakis Winery (Nostos Wines) near Chania.

Agreco Farms, an agro-tourism site.

Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid along with the Harvard School of Public Health. According to the pyramid, we should eat mostly vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits, herbs, spices, and healthy fats such as olive oil on a regular basis. Seafood should be eaten at least twice a week, poultry, diary, and eggs consumed daily to weekly, and red meats and sweets should be on the menu less often. Being physically active and enjoying meals with others is also an important part of the pyramid and the Mediterranean lifestyle.

James and Cynthia enjoying fish, horta, Greek salad and Octopus seaside in Crete.

The basis for having the life we desire begins with appreciating and loving oneself. This creates the good vibrations and healing that will help us manifest our dreams that can include inner joy, happy relationships, abundance, attracting one’s soulmate, creativity and much more. Above is an inspiring & fun video on how I put to use some of the techniques discussed in my book Diary of A Modern Day Goddess to learn how to love myself more and manifest dreams. The idea of having a date with oneself has definitely contributed to my well-being. I wrote about this in my book and also for the LA Times. I love receiving the many comments about how great people feel afterward. One woman said she bought herself orchids as part of her date and one guy said he took himself out to his favorite restaurant. I sent myself flowers and acted surprised when they arrived! And my date was perfect because I had felt like I had known myself my whole life!

Date nights have become a big part of my life and feeling good about oneself. I’ve combined this along with using vision boards to manifest many of my dreams including finding true love. Because of this, I married for the first time at age 44 in a beautiful Greek island wedding. Since then my husband Jim and I have enjoyed a wonderful soul mate relationship with weekly date nights for the past 6 years. And while my husband and I love having wonderful date nights together, I still practice the act of self-nurturing by having dates with myself. This isn’t always easy to schedule but is especially needed when my inner goddess is stressed and wants to rest or play. I do this because I get a happier life, which translates into my husband getting a happier wife!

Remember, my dear goddesses, self-love is the basis for having a good relationship with yourself and others. So take yourself out on a date and/or make yourself a vision board and let me know what happens! (Send pictures!)

The menu is lemon chicken, rice with spinach, Grecian goddess salad and Greek yogurt with berries and mint.

One of the definitions of romantic is “imaginative.” So use your imagination to create wonderful times at the table, whether you’re eating solo or with a loved one for date night. You can tap into a romantic state of mind at the table and in your life by appealing to the senses. Use colors that appeal to you in your clothes, table décor, food and home. Be inspired by what you read, watch and listen to. Attend a great movie, restaurant and cultural events – many which are reasonably priced. Take turns creating romantic meals for each other at home. Eating together can be an intimate act that opens the heart. And a very loving way to a woman and man’s heart is through the stomach – via food. Celebrate the joy of life! Play soothing music while you eat and, most of all, consciously use positive words at the table when thinking to yourself or speaking to those you love – an important factor for romance and good digestion!

Single people often ask me how to attract romance and true love into their life. I remind them that romance and love begin with you! The way you treat yourself and kindly love yourself determines the quality of your life, your health and the people, experiences and mate you will draw to yourself. My book, Diary of A Modern-Day Goddess, asks, “Why not have a love affair with yourself?” Say nice things to yourself, make yourself a nice meal and, yes, you can even take yourself out on a date! Go somewhere special or create a special date for yourself at home. Send yourself flowers and act surprised when they arrive! Enjoy a delicious meal at home eaten on your good dishes!

I used to have regular date nights with myself even when I was single and lit candles in special candlesticks I bought for the occasion. I used my date nights as a time to appreciate and accept myself and to think about the qualities I wanted in my future mate. I would also visualize our dinner date nights using the same candlesticks. It worked, because I eventually found true love and married my husband Jim who has the qualities I wanted. Today, we light the candles in the candlesticks on our table as part of our date nights at home.

To me, a romantic table includes loving words, a sensual atmosphere and a meal fit for gods and goddesses. Check out my Goddess and Date night kits that include 2 ivy crown(s), a date night scheduler, a recipe and What I Love About You” Appreciation Cards to enhance your date nights. For singles and couples, there is my Modern Day Goddess kit that includes a crown, my book, goddess certificate and my Mediterranean Culinary Goddess kit that includes my Greek Islands Destination Cooking Class DVD, a recipe and certificate.

When I did research as to what creates a happy marriage, one of the main things was spending consistent quality time together. My husband Jim and I make sure to have quality table time together by sharing meals. With two home-based businesses, life can be very busy. So I created a date night scheduler we use and you can too. On Sundays, Jim and we look at our schedule to plan a romantic date night meal for Saturday evening and also one night during the week to watch our favorite TV show. You can choose another night if Saturday isn’t available. For couples with families have a romantic home date night after the kids go to sleep. We each take turns creating affordable romantic dates, which means home-cooked meals, made with love, are on the top of our list. This allows us to save up for special events and occasions when we want to go out to a nice restaurant or buy tickets to an event. Good health is important to us, so we also eat organic whenever possible and from our favorite California & Mediterranean cuisines. I’ve created some recipes on my site you can use for your date night meals that are healthy and delicious.

I’ve also created an acronym to help you with your date nights – using the word DATE:
D – Dinner: Make it or make a reservation.
A – Atmosphere: Create it with home candles, soothing music, a flower, some color on the table.
T – Take turns to create romantic date nights and meals. Discuss the choices.
E – Enthusiasm: Show it at the table with your efforts and words of appreciation.

Remember, food and quality spent around the table creates a sacred connection to those you love! So live joyfully, love deeply and eat healthy – to assure many more happy & loving times! If this has helped you, I’d love to hear about your happy and romantic times at the table. Feel free to write to me at Cynthia@moderndaygoddess.com.

Greek Salad

Here is the recipe for a quick and delicious Greek Village Salad. It is one of the staples of a healthy Mediterranean Greek diet, which research has shown contributes to living a healthier and longer life. I just love the sweet crunch of the red peppers, the refreshing cucumbers, the succulent vine ripe tomatoes, the creamy, crumbly feta cheese and the Mediterranean sun-kissed Kalamata olives. For dressing I use lemon, extra virgin olive oil, oregano and garlic salt to taste. If available, I prefer to use sheep’s milk feta which is softer. If not, then try goat milk feta. In Greece, most feta is a combination of sheep and goats’s milk. The growing popularity of Greek Salads in US restaurants is actually an American variation which includes lettuce. This recipe is for a traditional “Horiatiki Salata” (Village Salad), most common in Greece, which does not include lettuce.

For a total mini Greek vacation play Greek music from “Zorba” and dance your way to the table. Greek music just seems to make mealtime more lively! As you eat your Grecian Goddess Village Salad visualize yourself feeling like a goddess and sitting in a taverna (restaurant) on a beautiful Greek island overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. You can also watch the video I hosted in beautiful Santorini, Greece called A Greek Island’s Destination Cooking Class. It was chosen as #1 NY Times about.com culinary gift.
Go here to order the DVD or watch some clips.     OPA!

A Grecian Goddess Greek Village Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 tomatoes quarted
6 oz feta cheese in cubes 1 medium sized cucumber sliced and quartered
1 sliced red onion (optional)
2 medium sized red peppers sliced
1/2 cup-1 cup Kalamata olives
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle of dried, ground oregano,
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
garlic salt to taste

Method:

Mix bite size sliced ingredients, olives and toss with olive oil, oregano, lemon and garlic salt to taste. Add feta cheese on top and serve.

Please credit this recipe to its creator – Cynthia Daddona:

Cynthia is the author Diary of A Modern Day Goddess® – a guide to creating a life that nurtures your body, mind and soul. She also hosts Romancing the Table® website/vblog which celebrates life, love and food. For recipes, photos, podcasts and videos go to her Romancing the Table.com. To see a clip or order A Greek Island Destination Cooking Class (DVD/video) that Cynthia hosted in Santorini, Greece go to www.RomancingTheTable.com or www.CelebrateGreece.com   If you have any questions or culinary food memories she can be contacted via cynthia@moderndaygoddess.com

Welcome to my blog. My name is Cynthia Daddona. I am a 45 year-old American Italian-Greek newlywed, Mediterranean goddess cook and author of the popular book Diary of A Modern Day Goddess. I live in Santa Barbara, California, which has a Mediterranean and climate and an abundance of healthy produce. My husband James, who is an American-Greek husband James, is a talented producer of Ancient Greek documentaries and a very appreciative taste tester. I enjoy sharing with others what I am passionate about which is exploring and celebrating all things related to nurturing the soul, healthy Mediterranean cooking, recipes, romantic dining, travel destinations, love relationships, epicurean stories and atmospheres that delight the palette, heart and soul. I am delighted to write this blog and use my journalist background, humor and communication skills to convey my love of these topics in an informative, inspiring and entertaining way for my audiences.


Here are answers to some questions you might have:

Explain modern day goddess?
To me a modern day goddess, is a woman in touch with her inner joy and essence and I feel experiencing nurturing and healthy and delicious cuisines is very healing for oneself and your loved ones. My book Diary of A Modern Day Goddess ™ (www.moderndaygoddess.com) is a lighthearted guide to creating a life that nurtures your body, mind and soul. (An amazon.com top seller that is published by HCI, publishers of the successful Chicken Soup for the soul series). www.moderndaygoddess.com

I feel we are all modern day gods and goddesses but may have forgotten due to stress and in today hectic world anything we can do to bring balance back into our lives is will contribute to feeling fulfilled and living a longer life. I view cooking and eating healthy as another way to nurture one’s soul. Throw in some wonderful recipes and atmospheres and we can all feel like gods and goddesses!

Why the title Romancing the Table with Modern Day Goddess Cynthia Daddona?

Food and Romance go hand and hand and I wanted to combine sumptuous recipes, enchanting evenings, great date night dinners with the wisdom I’ve learned from experts and many of my peers in the industry on how to have wonderful, long lasting relationships with those you love.

Why Mediterranean Cuisine?
I enjoy creating recipes that are Mediterranean inspired from the key ingredients to that I like to experiment with are lemon, garlic, olive oil (extra virgin is the best) and a variety of herbs from parsley, basil, mint, spearmint and oregano. Besides having an Italian-Greek heritage, I became even more fascinated with the Mediterranean cuisine, especially the Cretan diet of Vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, potatoes, olive oil, fish and low intake of meat and dairy, when I discovered that it contributed to living longer life. Of course, the Mediterranean lifestyle of naturally organic produce, siestas and simplified living also played a significant role. I also have a wheat-gluten sensitivity and have learned how to cook wheat free in may instances. I am appreciative to the delicious rice pastas and products that are now becoming readily available.

My Mediterranean Travels:
I am also attracted to beautiful Aegean Sea, the romantic tavernas, the delicious cuisines, the wonderful music, culinary aromas, the warmth of the people, the beauty of the architecture, the history and atmospheres that the Mediterranean has to offer. To me the Mediterranean is naturally romantic!

My Mediterranean background:
I have an Italian and several years ago discovered my Greek background which might explain my fascination and skill in cooking or dining on Mediterranean inspired cuisine. I was brought up with a father who growing up was very much into healthy eating and a mother and grandmother who never let a single soul in their house go without a good meal. This might explain why my cooking is Mediterranean inspired and often with a healthy twist.
My Greek-Italian heritage comes from my Grandfather, on my father’s side who was from Beneviento (Italy) which is a former Greek colony. The name Daddona traces back to the ancient town of Dodoni (Epirus; NW Greece) as confirmed by Scholars at UCSB.

My husband:
Just like Julia Child became a better cook once she married her husband who enjoyed good food — This has been a big influence on me. My skill in cooking has blossomed over the past two years ever since I began a relationship with my true love at age 42! (If it happened to me at this age, it can also happen to you.) My sweetheart also happens to be a Greek-American and is the best appreciative taste-tester a goddess could ever imagine. There is nothing like an appreciative audience to make the satisfaction of one’s cooking soar even higher. I am also blessed by my Italian mother, my late grandmothers, my grandfather (an Italian with Greek roots) and and my husband’s Greek mother, sisters, grandmother (97!) and Aunt who are great cooks and it has been a joy to teach and inspire one another at ethnic gatherings with delicious food. PS. My husband make it a point to eat a great Greek salad eat everyday and our first party we ever gave together was a Big, Fat, Greek Olympic viewing party that ended up in our local paper when the Olympics where in Greece. We served souvlaki, dolmathes, baklava and Greek salad of course.

A Mediterranean Proposal and Marriage:
My husband and I love all things Mediterranean. When we were on a production trip to film museums for his documentary on Ancient Greece (www.celebrategreece.com) and my experience of taking a destination cooking class with Mama Agata in Ravello Italy (see 3 minute video at (www.moderndaygoddess.com) in the website media lounge)– He proposed on the Almalfi Coast in Positano at a very romantic dinner at Hotel Sirenuse. When it came time to marry we chose a destination wedding for two in Santorini, Greece. It was a traditional Greek village ceremony where the two of us rode on donkey through the small town to the church. We then returned home to celebrate with a traditional reception back in Santa Barbara where
we had a Big Fat Italian-Greek wedding reception. I designed the Italian-Greek menu, decor of Olive Leaves on tables, the centerpieces and even in my bouquet in both countries. I blended Italian and Greek cuisine, music, traditions and relative and our friends for a a wonderful event. There is nothing like watching your wedding guests dance to Zorba the Greek followed by the Italian Tarantella after they eaten homemade baklava and canolinis.

A Greek Island Cooking Class and Greek Island Wedding Documentary:
Everyone enjoyed the romantic video of our romantic wedding in Santorini, Greece that we showed at our reception so much that we have been inspired to turn it into a documentary for destination travelers, diners and future destination brides. I also attended a cooking class highlighting delicious mediterranean cuisine along with some history all served overlooking the beautiful Agean sea. To see a trailer of The Goddess and The G(r)eek™ Greek Island Wedding and to buy a DVD or download a video of the Greek Island Cooking class go to my website http://www.moderndaygoddess.com/ and click on the media lounge. You can also view the videos at http://www.celebrategreece.com/. We recently received great news that the Greek Island Destination Cooking class ranks in the Top Ten in video downloads on amazon.com.

What is your training?
A journalist, author who loves good food. Several years ago, I finally realized I did have some sort of genetic blessing that my grandmothers and mother possessed in their ability abilities to harness their inner goddess cook that know what ingredients may be missing in a dish and how to create delicious meals in the mother and grandmothers in the kitchen. And today, I enjoy sharing my passion for cuisine with my Italian and Greek friends and relatives and friends who share the same passions. I want to share the recipes, stories, Mediterranean travels and inspirations that create and have created my culinary world. I’ve taken cooking classes here in Santa Barbara and in Italy and in Greece. I love taking destination cooking classes that embrace the culture such as Mama Agata’s in Ravello, Italy and Ristorante Selena in Santorini, Greece. I am always on the outlook for great cooking classes that enhance a travel experience so feel free to email with any suggestions.

Throughout high school I worked in an Italian restaurant in Stamford, Connecticut as the bread and cannoli girl where I served the bread and the cannolis. My job was to fill the pastry shells in the back so they would stay fresh. This holiday season my husband and I hosted 23 of his Greek relatives and we enjoyed an Italian-Greek Christmas. Everyone brought a Greek dish and for an Italian-Greek touch for desert we ate kourambiethes, baklavas and for an Italian touch I filled my own canolis with ricotta and mascarpone that were inspired by the ones served at my wedding. My college education is in Broadcasting and Journalism from the Univ. of Florida in Gainesville. Besides being and author, I have a background as stand-up comedian and lifestyle, entertainment and travel TV, radio and print journalist. I’ve won several writing awards and a Telly Award, Most innovative for my past TV hosting-producing work. I wrote my first restaurant review on restaurants in Old Greenwich, CT for The Greenwich Magazine in 1990. I also included my mother’s recipe for Lasagna with a modern day twist in my book Diary of Modern Day Goddess. It was my first published recipe.

Food and Love:
When I am preparing a meal or dining experience I think about what I would like my company or sweetheart to experience. I like to infuse thoughts of love, joy and happy anticipation into the act of cooking or getting ready. I feel positive energy directed in this way is a key ingredient. I also think about the recipe and the many generations of cooks who may have made the recipe in their kitchen. I’ve experienced feeling the love from a meal many times, whether I was eating a meal my grandmother loving made, a chef joyfully cooked or food that was blessed and chanted at a monastery. Research is also showing that food is eaten mindfully, not while watching TV or very quickly, provides us all with a more tasteful, healthier digestion and joyful experience.

As I discuss when I give talks and through the tips on in my book Diary of A Modern Day Goddess, the place to begin is self-love. Nurturing one’s inner spirit, beauty and body, mind and soul. Making healthy and soothing food for oneself is very nurturing. Then sharing it with those you love is another extension of love. I believe in easy, delicious and healthy cuisine and that where I feel Romancing the Table can help.

Romancing the Table:
“Food made and served with love can create something that is beyond the food. It creates a connection to the heart….” An epicurean Modern Day Goddess insight from Cynthia Daddona http://www.moderndaygoddess.com/.

I believe you can romance a table not only with heavenly cuisines but also with one’s inner beauty, joy, expression of love for what you are serving, experiencing, the person or people at your table. It’s also about providing positive energy to a dining experience – which begins within you and your positive intention and love. Then you can dress up the plate, yourself, the atmosphere with location, music, candles, flowers, the table with color and decor, etc. Of course, good conversation, positive acknowledgement of the person, the food, the cook, yourself and the blessings in your life can add to the romance and love of it all.

TV, radio, books, multi-media
On the Red Carpet at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival:
In the course of my career as a journalist, I’ve interviewed over 100 top celebrities and recently had the honor and privilege of interviewing Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis, Melina Kanakaredes (CSI NY) and Michael Constantine (My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding), at the 1st Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, where we talked about Greek films, culture and their favorite Greek food, (clips can be seen at http://www.celebrategreece.com/
and http://www.moderndaygoddess.com/) What a wonderful event.
My film festival interviews were also picked up by about.com (owned by the NYTimes). It has the stars favorite Greek food and recipes. Go to about.com to see the article complete with the site’s recipes. http://greekfood.about.com/od/discovergreekfood/tp/stars_picks.htm

I am also working on a book in which I plan to communciate through several media outlets to express my work – especially radio and TV. I was recently highlighted for an hour on Martha Stewart Living radio on Sirius Radio on a show hosted by Victoria Moran – author of Creating a Charmed Life.
I also host my radio show Romancing the Table: a celebration
of life, love and food on the voiceamerica.com network. (1.3 million listeners) As a first time newlywed in my forties, I explore my passion as a Mediterranean home cook with a passion for romantic date nights.

My past book Diary of A Modern Day Goddess (www.moderndaygoddess.com) is an amazon.com top seller that is available in most book stores and was just released in the UK. It was called “Lighthearted Enlightenment” by the LA Times and offers essays, practical tip on how to feel like a goddess inside and out. As I mentioned above, in this book I included my mother’s lasagna recipe and called it Modern Day Goddess Lasagna on the go – because it could be put together within 30 minutes (and that was written before Rachel Ray’s 30 min. meals became popular). The recipe also has a vegetarian version as well. (That’s for you dad!)

I really enjoy the experience of receiving positive feedback on how my work has made a difference in people’s lives, especially women. My readers and their questions about love, romance, living life in balance and Mediterranean and California cuisine recipes plus their sheer excitement, encouragement and interest in me authoring a blog and book have provided great joy for me. My intention is to provide inspiring and entertaining information, recipes and wisdom about food, romance, cooking and dining. Plus stories that will soothe your soul and delight your taste buds.

How can I get in touch with you? My email is cynthiadaddona@aol.com. My website is My blog address is http://www.romancingthetable.blogspot.com/. Feel free to send me your comments, and stories and I will do my best to respond to everyone. I especially love hearing about a wonderful time you shared with others around the table. Please allow time for me to answer. Thank you for reading my blog. Enjoy!