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Debi and Gabi take us to Tuscany, Italian farm fare, Extra Virgin on Cooking Channel

By April MacIntyre Mar 26, 2011, 22:40 GMT

Half of Extra Virgin: Debi Mazar - Hollywood, CA, USA © Tommaso Boddi / PR Photos

Travel and cooking pair nicely as Cooking Channel's hip Lucy and Ricky redux, 'Extra Virgin," gives us an upbeat guest seat at the table of actress Debi Mazar and her Italian musician and farm boy husband, Gabriele Corcos.

Weekly, Cooking Channel brings us this light-hearted, charming, family-centric couple who live and breathe what they preach on their blog, "Under the Tuscan Gun."

Gabi is passionate about healthy real food and cooking at home, making it a family affair and getting the kids involved too. In a recent blog post, Gabi is issuing a call to fans of the show to submit stories of their grandparents, the food that kept families together and the recipes that are treasured:

"Because of the success of Extra Virgin I am receiving now a lot of emails about our TV show, the recipes Debi and I prepare, and the sense of family that we have been able to share with you on the silver screen. In all these emails I have found a very important common denominator; the way you connect with your family history through food. The best compliment you can give me is to write me that you “have not tasted anything like this since my grandmother made it for me!”. Well, where is your grandmother today? Is she still in your home country? Is she alive? What about her family? WHO HAS HER RECIPES?"

Gabi even takes on Martha Stewart and her baking cookbooks in a hilarious rant.

The series is winding down its first season, and in the next three episodes we are transported to Tuscany, and Gabi and Debi's quaint farmhouse where Gabi's Italian family waits for them.

Here's the next three episode breakdown, courtesy of Cooking Channel:

Welcome to Tuscany
March 30
The Mazar family is finally in Tuscany. Debi and her daughters, Evelina and Giulia, spend the first morning roaming their country property, picking fresh berries and figs. Their first day brings plenty of family bonding time, with Gabriele's family stopping by for a Ricotta and fresh berry breakfast. After breakfast, Gabriele teaches Debi to drive a stick shift on the streets of Fiesole, but Debi soon realizes that she's not quite cut out for life in the fast lane. Debi still manages to get to town with Robert and her poodle Delores for a sightseeing trip at the ancient roman ruins. For dinner, Gabriele has a few of his Florentine friends over for a meal of pasta with pig cheek (Pasta alla Gricia), porterhouse steak (Tagliata alla Fiorentina), pork sausages, garlic sauteed spinach, and grilled potatoes.

Love, Italian Style
April 13
It's the day before their vow renewal ceremony, and after visiting a medieval castle with their daughters, Debi and Gabriele decide to test cook two of the recipes for tomorrow's reception - a pesto lasagne and a shrimp, farro and watercress salad. While making their homemade pesto with a mortar and pestle, Gabriele's grandmother, Nona Lola, stops by for a visit and is introduced to Delores. Before eating their dinner, Debi and Gabriele venture to their basement to gather olive oil made from the olives on their property. The next morning is finally the big day. The guests arrive and the happy couple walks down the aisle once again. With a menu full of the delicious and traditional flavors of Tuscany, including the pesto lasagne, shrimp, farro and watercress salad, meats, cheeses, and a multitude of all things Tuscan, the party is a success.

Romance and Tiramisu
April 6
With the family settling in to life in Tuscany and the vow renewal ceremony just a few days away, Debi and Gabriele make plans for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Debi spends some quality time with her mother-in-law, Anna Lisa, making her own tiramisu recipe. Everyone at the bachelorette party enjoys the delicious homemade tiramisu and toasts to Debi. Meanwhile, Gabriele cooks up a feast at his best friend Patrizio's Florence apartment. Gabriele's guests join them for a dinner of octopus salad and spaghetti w/ anchovies, garlic, tomato, capers and olives (Spaghetti alla Puttanesca). At the end of their evening, Debi and Gabriele reunite for a romantic evening in the place where they first met, and enjoy Debi's homemade tiramisu.

Recipes from Debi and Gabi: HERE

Best Cake Ever: HERE

Pizza Dough

Farro Salad