Italian-American recipes, & more.

Welcome to A Simple Palate!
Here, you’ll find a variety of my favorite Italian and Italian-American recipes, with a little bit of everything else in between.
Every recipe on A Simple Palate is seasonal, flavorful, and best shared with the most important people in your life. We keep things simple around here. That means accessible ingredients, easy-to-follow instructions, and recipes tested to perfection.
I firmly believe that you can succeed in the kitchen no matter your cooking experience, and I’m here to help you do just that.

About Bethany
Nice to meet you! I’m Bethany Kramer, recipe creator, food stylist, and photographer behind A Simple Palate. I started this blog in 2014 with a bold vision to share my love of good food with others. Fast forward 10 years, 200+ recipes, and a new cooking show on Youtube that my husband Drew and I create together, it’s been quite a journey and I’m loving every minute.
How it started
My love for food and cooking stems from my family’s roots in North Jersey and Long Island, NY. Good food was a pivotal part of my life growing up, as my mom and many of my aunts were incredible cooks and big foodies! Rather than tuning into cartoons, I would watch cooking shows with the women in my family instead. I vividly remember starting to cook alongside my mom when I was eight, reading her handwritten recipes on envelopes and playing Frank Sinatra in the background. Italian cuisine was the first I learned to cook, and you’ll see that reflected here on my blog, with plenty of Italian recipes and then some. As I began to cook more and more I realized at a young age that food was the central piece in bringing the people I loved most together in one room. Some of my most cherished memories with my family have been around a table with heartwarming recipes at the center. My hope is for these recipes to inspire similar moments for you and your family and friends!
My recipes have been featured in Buzzfeed, Shape, Country Living, Oprah Magazine, CNBC, Reader’s Digest, MSN, and countless other sites and publications.
Fun Facts

I'm married to my best friend, Drew. When he's not working as a full time Web Designer, he is A Simple Palate's official taste tester, web developer/designer, film crew for our youtube channel, and tech support. He wears many hats!

We have an English Springer Spaniel, Hudson, whom we adore. If he’s not chasing birds outside, you can find his little snoot sniffing behind each recipe hoping a delicious ingredient falls to the floor.

I've been cooking for as long as I can remember. From being my mom's helper in the kitchen, to cooking full meals for my family by the time I was 12. The kitchen was where I felt purpose.

I am a former competitive figure skater so cold ice rinks were where I spent most of my teen years. My dad played ice hockey when he was younger, so he played a huge role in getting me and my sister into skating. I skated competitively through my teen years, then continued lessons in my 20's. I now skate for leisure in my free time and also coach at my local ice rink once a week.
My Most Popular Italian Recipes
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are you Italian?
No 🙂 A lot of people may assume I am, but I’m not. My mom was taught by Italian relatives how to cook, and she taught me those recipes while I was growing up. We also love Italian-American food because it’s the traditional cuisine in the NY/NJ area, where we are initially from. I never knew any different. Italian-American dishes were what I grew up knowing and loving.
Are you available for freelance or sponsored work?
Absolutely! Please reach out to me using my contact form. Depending on fit and availability, I would love to work with you.
Where can I find you on social media?
Do you take your own photos? What camera do you use?
Yes, that’s me behind the camera! I love photography and food styling, and have learned so much over the years. You can find all of the info about my current camera setup on our Resources for Food Bloggers and Shop page.
Can I share your recipes on my own website or social media?
All of A Simple Palate content is exclusively mine – all pictures, recipes, texts, unless stated otherwise. You are welcome to share my photography with a link credited to the original post. Kindly, please do not copy or paste my recipes to your blog/site or any other platform. I reserve the right to ask you to remove anything of mine from your site/platform. If you have any questions on sharing my recipes, please ask. Thanks for spreading the word!
Who designed your website?
My husband, Drew – web developer/designer, and official taste tester for A Simple Palate! To find more details, head to our Resources for Food Bloggers page.
Hi, Bethany.
I started building restaurant websites in 1996 in Dallas which explains my email address. I’m now 76 and retired but still enjoy looking at food related websites and food/recipe videos. I came across yours recently and have watched two of your videos so far. I’m subscribed.
Just wanted to let you know your website is very nicely done. I’ve built about 400 websites, mostly restaurant, so I might have learned a little bit along the way. But more importantly, your videos are excellent. It’s obvious you do serious video prep work. Most food video creators do not. Maybe you fully script every word but it doesn’t come across that way, you’re just smooth, at least in the two videos I’ve watched.
That’s all I wanted, just to compliment you on your website and videos. I look forward to following you.
Barry
Hi Barry, that’s so kind! I really appreciate it. Drew (my husband) has done all the website stuff and I’m really thankful for all his hard work. Also, my videos are not scripted. 🙂 I appreciate the kind words and support it really means so much!!
Hi Bethany,
I commented on your delicious meatballs that i made last Sunday, the best ever. I don’t know if you ever heard of a dish called a Joe’s Special, originally created in San Francisco’s North Beach ? It consist of hamburger, chopped spinach, eggs, mushrooms, red onion, my switch from yellow onion, & my secret ingredient, Sweet Italian sausage. I am a native of San Francisco. So, if interested, i would be happy to share this with you so that you can pass it on.
Thank You,
John
Hi John! I did see your comment, and I’m so glad you loved the meatballs! 🙂 I’ve never heard of this but would love to know more about it! Want to pass the recipe on to my email? Bethany@asimplepalate.com 🙂
great receipe site good job
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXbSRoYKTv0
Hi Bethany – I watched quite a few of your videos and I love your cooking. I was not sure by what you meant by Italian-Americsn recipes. I watched a few Italian cooking videos and I learned that it is a thing. I learned that when Italians came from Italy they could not find all the same ingredients for their cooking that they had in Italy, so they substituted ingredients that they could find, hence the term Italian – American cooking started. I am in Toronto Ontario, Canada. We have a lot of Italians here too. I wonder how Canadian -Italian cooking would compare with your dishes. I would think that they would be very similar. I love it when you add Maple Syrup or honey. The Canadian and Greek touches. I learned about the Italian -American concept by watching this channel. https://youtu.be/E8ci-tSGBko?si=Xlhl3Ft7E409irbC This is an Italian lady from Italy trying American – Italian food in the US. I learned a lot from her about what foods we think are Italian, but they are really American Italian. I learned for example that Garlic bread is not Italian.
I see that you have sweet desserts too. Do you have a Tiramisu recipe? I love coffee, but I never had tried Tiramisu. I tried it a couple of years ago from a nice Italian bakery here in Toronto and I loved it. My sister then got Tiramisu from Costco here in Toronto. It was night and day difference. The Costco one was okay, but the one from the Italian bakery was amazing. I would love to see some YouTube videos of your desserts too.
Take Care
Chris Katranis
Thank you so much for the support, Chris! Appreciate it 🙂 I’ve not made a Tiramisu, but potentially in the future! And Glad you’re enjoying the touches of maple syrup and honey. I prefer to use natural sweeteners over regular white sugar, which is why they’re often used in my baking recipes or salad dressings. Thanks again for the support! We’ll be focusing on dessert recipes as we head into the holidays 🙂
Hi Bethany – I watched quite a few of your videos and I love your cooking. I was not sure by what you meant by Italian-Americsn recipes. I watched a few Italian cooking videos and I learned that it is a thing. I learned that ehen Italians came from Italy. They could not find all the same ingredients for their cooking that they had in Italy, so they substituted ingredients that they could find, hence the term Italian – American cooking started. I am in Toronto Ontario, Canada. We have a lot of Italians here too. I wonder how Canadian -Italian cooking would compare with your dishes. I would think that they would be very similar. I love it when you add Maple Syrup or honey. The Canadian and Greek touches. I learned about the Italian -American concept by watching this channel. https://youtu.be/E8ci-tSGBko?si=Xlhl3Ft7E409irbC This is an Italian lady from Italy trying American – Italian food in the US. I learned a lot from her about what foods we think are Italian, but they are really American Italian. I learned for example that Garlic bread is not Italian.
I see that you have sweet desserts too. Do you have a Tiramisu recipe? I love coffee, but I never had tried Tiramisu. I tried it a couple of years ago from a nice Italian bakery here in Toronto and I loved it. My sister then got Tiramisu from Costco here in Toronto. It was night and day difference. The Costco one was okay, but the one from the Italian bakery was amazing. I would love to see some YouTube videos of your desserts too.
Take Care
Chris Katranis
Hi,
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Romans 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
God sent His only begotten Son, the holy perfect Jesus Christ many years ago. Christ had come to earth, born in man flesh, born of the virgin Mary and by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, God and Jesus Christ are one.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus Christ came to earth many years ago, who did many miracles and healings and came to bring restoration. Love, love was the reason why Christ Jesus came and He suffered and died on the cross and He had made the sacrifice to save. Receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and receive eternal life. Jesus Christ is the life. Jesus Christ came back to life and resurrected on the third day and then later on had ascended to Heaven, having victory over death. There is victory through believing and trusting in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Quote by Jesus Christ found at John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”
You would LOVE- The Pasta Grammar – on Youtube
Here is today’s wonderful video – Italian Summer Veg. dishes (July 14)
youtube.com/watch?v=nNqlzBxGuaU
Dearest Bethany and Drew,
I am the chef in our family and have been cooking for over 40 years using a lot of my family’s recipes as well as my husbands. We too enjoy family tradition. My husband loves watching YouTube videos including cooking videos. He is now hooked on your recipes to the point after all these years actually cooking them himself. He has made your sauce many times and most recently we both made your chicken parmesan meatballs together. They were amazing! After 40 years of marriage we are finally cooking together. Thank you.
Pam, this means so much. What a joy to be able to cook together, and make those memories. To know that you’re using some of my recipes out of the sea of people you could choose from means the world. Thank you so much for sharing this! Thrilled you are enjoying the recipes so much💛
Loved the eggplant parmesan recipe you have online tried it yesterday with my wife’s help and eggplant I grew in my garden here in south Georgia. It was yummy and will use again!
I love to hear that, Lamar. Love that you could use your home grown eggplant – its so much better that way:) Thank you for sharing!