Over the years, customers have often asked me about the recipes I post on the Circle B Ranch website. Why do I choose a particular recipe? How do I find my recipes in the first place? Honestly, it’s a varied process.

Some of my recipes are old family recipes. I am proud of my Italian heritage, and I can think of no better way to show my love for my family and my Italian culture than sharing these traditional recipes with the world. These recipes have been handed down through the generations, and I have chosen to honor the tradition by handing them down to you.

Others I find by watching. I avidly watch cooking shows whenever I get a chance. I can’t help it; cooking is in my blood. Whenever I have the television on, I inevitably find myself lost in The Cooking Channel or engrossed in Food Network. My favorites: Bobby Flay (he handles his food with flair and isn’t afraid to try a new flavor or add an interesting spice), Ina Garten (the queen of simple, quick, easy, and incredibly tasty), and Lidia Bastianich (she is steeped in heritage, reminding me of my childhood and learning to cook with my mother, aunt, and grandmother).

Other recipes come from the internet and magazines. Of these, I try them out for myself before they go any further. I either choose to leave the recipes alone and share them with you because they already have the perfect combination of flavors. Or I work with the recipes first, adapting them to create the perfect taste for me. After I feel the recipe has been perfected, I then post it to share with everyone.

How do I choose my recipes? I look for easy, easy, easy—especially when it comes to breads or baked desserts, since I am honestly not much of a baker. I also look for recipes that will showcase our products. Circle B Ranch raises heritage pork, and John and I are proud to eat our pork products. So I look for dishes that make excellent sides to or toppings for our chops. I keep an eye out for recipes that can highlight the taste of our bacon, sausage or pork. I find recipes that can readily include my sauces. By incorporating our products you as the consumer can see how easy it is to adapt recipes and use all the different products that Circle B Ranch sells. Thank you for reading my story!!