Smallscreen News

Debi Mazar, cooking and marriage, Italian style, Cooking Channel's 'Extra Virgin'

By April MacIntyre Jan 23, 2011, 4:25 GMT

11/20/2010 - Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos - 2010 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute - Arrivals - Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, CA, USA © C2C / Todd Duffey / PR Photos

Cooking Channel has a tasty new series, "Extra Virgin," starring actress Debi Mazar and her Italian husband, Gabriele Corcos, as they bring simple, healthful Italian cuisine to the smallscreen with great instructional video and advice for both the novice to the adept cook.

Together they take you into their home as they dish up authentico Tuscan food. Gabriele is an Italian homeboy, and Debi is straight up Queens, New York.  The couple have two daughters and a rich life that they share with viewers in a special presentation that is part dish, part dishes, and lots of amusing banter.

Mazar made a huge impression on the scene back in "Goodfellas" as Sandy, Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill's mistress-turned-cocaine cutter. Her lines were memorable, Her onscreen work includes films with legendary directors Woody Allen, Michael Mann, Oliver Stone and Joel Schumacher. She also starred in her own television sitcom, "Temporarily Yours." Debi appeared in season 9 of the hit ABC competition series "Dancing with the Stars" and also is a cast regular on the HBO series "Entourage."

"Extra Virgin" takes this unlikely pair who met and fell in love in Italy, as the series, which premiered January 19 on The Cooking Channel, blends their two opposite sensibilities and sense of humor, with delicious results.

Mazar has always been interested in cooking and is well-known among her friends for her fabulous dinner parties, especially after marrying Gabriele and becoming a mother.

Gabriele Corcos was born in Florence, Italy, he was raised in the Olive Country of Fiesole, where his grandmother and mother taught him everything he knows about Tuscan food and traditional farmers’ cuisine.

As a professional percussionist and musician, Gabriele has worked with Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox (The Eurythmics) and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme). Bossa Toscana is his current band, and he also recently led a 13-piece big band, The Gabop Latin Orchestra.

Debi and Gabriele launched the popular online cooking series "Under the Tuscan Gun" in 2007, dedicated to fresh, authentic Tuscan cooking. The online series sparked the idea for their Cooking Channel series.

Here are some of Debi and Gabriele's recipes: LINK

Tune in this Wednesday at 10 PM on The Cooking Channel: