Italian-American recipes, & more.
Welcome to A Simple Palate!
Here you’ll find some of my favorite Italian and Italian-American recipes, plus a little bit of everything else I love to cook. My hope is that these meals bring your family together the way they’ve always done for mine.
About Bethany
Hey, I’m Bethany 😊 I’m so glad you’re here.
A little bit about me personally…I am the youngest of four kids, born in Bergen County, New Jersey, before my family later moved to Pennsylvania. While most of my years were spent putting down new roots in PA, I was always drawn back to our original roots in Jersey and New York, especially through the food we cooked.
Food played a huge role in my life growing up. My mom and many of my aunts were incredible cooks, and they always brought our family together through the food they made. At a young age I often found myself sitting with the women in my family, watching cooking shows such as Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Giada (to name a few).
I started helping my mom in the kitchen around eight years old, reading her recipes written on envelopes or pieces of old mail, while Frank Sinatra played in the background. Even though I was the baby of the family, I was my mom’s helper, whether that meant helping her in the kitchen or preparing meals for my family when she couldn’t. That’s really where it all began for me.
Italian food was the first cuisine I learned to cook, and you’ll see plenty of that influence here on my blog, along with other favorites I’ve picked up along the way.
I realized early on that food isn’t just about eating-it’s about bringing people together. Some of my favorite memories are from being gathered around the table with my family, sharing these very recipes that were at the center of our time together.
My hope is that these recipes help spark those same kinds of moments with your own family and friends.
From my family, to yours. xo
About the Youtube Channel
After 10 years of blogging and sharing recipes, I finally stepped out from behind the camera and started our YouTube channel in April of 2024. What started as a leap of faith has turned into one of the greatest joys for Drew and me. We’ve been able to connect with so many wonderful people from all over the world through it.
Even though Drew works full-time, he still gives up his days off to help me film. It’s just the two of us, so we wear a lot of hats to make this all come together, but we truly love doing it.
From the beginning, it was important to me that our cooking videos felt approachable. Like something you could actually cook along with. Growing up, I loved watching the classic cooking shows with my mom and aunts, and the heart of that has been a big inspiration for how I wanted our videos to feel. In a fast-paced world, my hope is that these recipes give you a chance to slow down, enjoy the process, and share a meal with the people you love.
We’re always learning and trying to get better, but above all, I genuinely love making these videos. I look forward to each one, and I’m so thankful for your support along the way. 🙂
Fun Facts
I run A Simple Palate with my husband 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 and I couldn't do any of this without him!
Drew and I have an English Springer Spaniel, Hudson (also known as "Huddy") whom we completely adore. If he’s not chasing birds outside, you can find his little snoot sniffing behind each recipe or YouTube video hoping a delicious ingredient falls to the floor (preferably cheese).
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.
I am a former competitive figure skater so cold ice rinks were where I spent most of my childhood. My dad played ice hockey when he was younger, so he was the one who first taught me how to skate. I skated competitively for most of my childhood then continued skating lessons in my 20's. You can still find me lacing up my skates and hitting the ice a few times a week to skate for fun or coach at my local ice rink. :)
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 a common 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.
Where can I find you on social media?
Who does your photography and videos for YouTube?
I handle all the photography and food styling for A Simple Palate, while Drew handles the filming for our YouTube videos. 🙂 Although the editing of our videos is my job!
Can I share your recipes on my own website or social media?
I am always happy when anyone wants to spread the word! However, I kindly request that you refrain from sharing my recipes on websites or other platforms. You are welcome to share my photography with a link credited to the original post! Please do not copy or paste my recipes to your blog, site, or any other platform.
Who designed your website?
My husband, Drew! To find more details, head to our Resources for Food Bloggers page.
Your recipes are the best. That’s because I can tell they are made with love. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.
That’s so kind, Shirley!! I truly appreciate it🥺 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Hi Bethany and Drew,
(despite my mail- addy: I’m atheist: no need to worry;-)
I’m german. Located a bit northwest of Hamburg. Born 1960. My dad was a sailor. Sailed the globe many times. We went to the 1st or 2nd “chinese” restaurant in Hamburg when I was maybe 4 or 5. (They had a child’s seat for my younger brother (3 yrs younger than me)).And we loved those dishes!
In result: I’m cooking a lot of things “asian style”.
If you google for: 1GU-Fahrer, you’ll find a few recipes (and pics I took) on a german cooking site. (I do own a Yamaha RD125LC 1GU motorbike) (My avatar on YT is showing me with that motorbike. PeterDoe2617)
I’ve been learning to forage mushrooms for the last 7-ish yrs. So, today i.e. I’ll be making Kotlety Gryzbowe: polish mushroom cakes. And other stuff. I like to master just one recipe and make variations of it. One recipe for the holiday season: chicken breast, poached in chicken stock. (Here in Germany, they often come as 3 in one package.)
You wanna cook greek joghurt (high in fat. some 10%), honey and ground hazlenut (whatever nuts you have on hand), a pinch of salt, to reduce the water content. Divide by 3: add 3 different curries to the paste. Padded dry, you cover the breasts with the paste and put it in cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Slice it up for the brunch the next day. (This one converted friend from shying away fom “asian” food, many years ago: she had been shy to ever try “asian” cuisine. Here: she was able to just take a little bite. And loved it.
Where can I find quality cheese in northern Michigan?
Or what brands should I order online?
Hey, I just wanted to say that I really love what you and your husband have created. I have yet to be disappointed with a video you guys have put out. Recipes are fantastic and easy to follow. As a father of 6 and a grandfather of 13, I’m always looing for dishes that hit that sweet spot. The most recent video of cheesy Brussel sprouts is a perfect example. I’m from the midwest, so everytime you say “sauce”, I gotta laugh. You may not be Italian, but you have picked up some! hahaha
Thanks again for all your hard work.
Consider monetizing your videos. I’m pretty sure the community would put up with an ad read or a product placement just to watch your videos. Just saying. You make money and we get to keep watching great home cooking ideas!
John, comments like this touch my heart and always come at just the right time. Thank you so much for this! I am so thankful to hear you enjoy what we’re doing, and that’s incredibly kind to support us in encouraging monetizing. We are monetized for ad placement, but paid partnerships has not yet happen as we want to be intentional and genuine in any partnership we ever would do. Sounds like you are blessed with a beautiful and big family. I so appreciate your support!
Hi Bethany, my wife Tanya and I started watching you recently in last month or so. Really enjoy your cooking. I’m making your Mac and cheese for Thanksgiving. We live in Branson Mo. and love cooking so much. My best friend is from Hawaii and lives close by. We are both Huges cooks and talking about starting a cooking YouTube channel called Aloha Y’all. I’m from Tennessee originally and he’s from Oahu
Any way, thanks again for your channel. Love your dishes. Greg and Tan
Hi Greg, I am so glad you and your wife are enjoying the YouTube channel. Hopefully you guys enjoy the mac and cheese for Thanksgiving! And hey, if you want to start a cooking YouTube channel, my advice is always do it. You never know what can happen 🙂 Best wishes to you both!!