Small Bites

Restaurants and recipes in Westchester, Rockland and the Lower Hudson Valley. From the staff and contributors to lohud.com and The Journal News.

Maria Reina

Seasonal Chef blogger Maria Reina comes to the world of food as a third career, spending a great portion of her adult life in the field of Human Resources. With her private company Bella Cucina Maria she is a personal chef, caterer and recreational cooking class teacher in Westchester. She's an avid food television watcher and cookbook collector, always looking for a new take on a traditional dish. In her free time she loves hanging out at local farmers, chatting it up with the farmers and doing cooking demos with their seasonal ingredients. In addition to her blog, which is loaded with easy recipes, you can follow her on Facebook (Bella Cucina Maria), Twitter (Bellacucinam) and Pinterest (Bellacucinam).

Recent Posts

Seasonal Chef: Homemade Broth is Really That Easy

Chicken Noodle Soup: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Fighting a Cold with Chicken Noodle Soup and Love

Seasonal Chef: Warmly Reminiscing with a Toas-Tite Iron

Lentils with Chorizo and Sweet Potato: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Ringing in the New Year with Lentils and Chorizo

Seasonal Chef: Christmas Morning Breakfast with Sorrel and Eggs

Eggs with Sorrel and Fingerlings: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Sunchokes are in Season!

Sunchoke, Pear and Hazelnut Soup: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Visiting Brussels Sprouts in an Easy Gratin

Seasonal Chef: Save the Thanksgiving Leftovers!

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Red Kuri Squash in a Salad

Delicata Squash Lasagna Recipe: Seasonal Chef

Mix It Up!: Thanksgiving Tips from Our Pros

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week Sneak Peek: Seasonal Chef Maria Reina Visits The Parlor in Dobbs Ferry

Buttercup Squash Soup: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Spiced Root Vegetable Stew: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Peeking Beneath the Surface for Root Vegetables

Romanesco and Pasta: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Romanesco

Seasonal Chef: Blue Hubbard Squash

Squash Stuffed Pasta: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Fresh Pumpkin Pasta Sauce: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Rouge Vif d’Etampes, Cinderella Pumpkin

Seasonal Chef: It’s Fall and the Winter Squash Are Here!

Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Pasta: Seasonal Chef Recipe

Seasonal Chef: Mixing it up with Mushrooms

Mixed Mushroom Soup: Seasonal Chef Recipe