Living the Gourmet started out as a labor of love by Catherine Pappas to preserve her recipes and family stories for her kids and has grown to become a popular food and lifestyle site covering everything from original recipes and wine pairings to celebrity interviews with top chefs, television personalities, and bestselling authors.

Around the country, we’re traversing the blue, tranquil waters of hidden swimming holes where plunging in invigorating waters are a great way to escape the summer heat. Adventure awaits: grab your bathing suit, a pair of water shoes, and some suntan lotion

This summer, live music and Francis Coppola Diamond Collection canned wine hit the road. We’re celebrating the stage, both on and off, with world class artists, refreshing beverages and streaming our favorite musical festivals around the country.

Summer is here and the great outdoors beckon. Take heed. With ideal weather and optimal stargazing, it’s time to head out for some fresh air. Grab your tent, gas up the RV and lace up your hiking shoes.

While many summer travelers head to larger capital cities, often filled with tourists and long lines, the world’s most rewarding and best-kept secrets are also the most affordable.

Andrew Rea from the popular YouTube series, Binging with Babish, helps us celebrate the adventures of summer with a collection of delicious recipes paired with Diamond Collection wines. In this episode, Andrew prepares a delightfully simple Rainbow Trout paired with Diamond Collection Pinot Grigio.

Andrew Rea from the popular YouTube series, Binging with Babish, helps us celebrate the adventures of summer with a collection of delicious recipes paired with Diamond Collection wines.

Andrew Rea from the popular YouTube series, Binging with Babish, helps us celebrate the adventures of summer with a collection of delicious recipes paired with Diamond Collection wines. In this episode, Andrew prepares campfire-inspired Créme Brûlée you can make in your kitchen paired with Diamond Collection Merlot.

I may be biased, having spent the better part of a decade living in New England, but nothing quite marks the beginning of summer like a blueberry pie

Salad Pizza is one of those crazy things that somehow just works. I know it would be better of me to say that I make the crust from scratch, but it’s just as easy and delicious to pick a ball of dough up at your local grocer (and a lot less messy).

Spring has sprung and the Golden State is getting into the spirit. From Los Angeles to San Francisco and everywhere in between, cruise to these top destinations to experience a range of art, culture, nature, surf and of course, wine.

Sometimes the simplest foods make the most delightful meals. This is certainly the case with this baked salmon

This Rustic Pie comes from Mama Coppola’s recipe book and is a delightful addition to any weekend brunch or holiday celebration.

It’s always nice to have an easy dish in your repertoire that can be served either as a quick meal or as an impressive appetizer to bring to a party.

Don’t let the name fool you – this is not a healthy dish. It is, however, what I would classify as healthy-ish, as in it does use all fresh and whole ingredients. But alas the pound of bacon make it less than truly healthy in my book.

Talk about comfort food. This layered Eggplant Parmesan is perfect for feeding a lot of your favorite people or making for a Sunday dinner and having leftovers all week! It’s extremely easy to make and a fun project for two people in the kitchen.

Tortilla Española is one of my favorite foods. Period. Not to be confused with a tortilla – it’s an egg dish full of olive oil, potatoes and onions. It’s easy, filling and is a complete crowd pleaser at every meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Rainy season can sometimes really drive you crazy. Dark, dreary days followed by long dark evenings – it gets monotonous after a while. For me, it’s important to be able to change it up a little bit for dinners, always, but especially when the weather gets the best of me.

What’s funny about Manhattan Clam Chowder is that it’s origins are actually from Rhode Island, a very easily arguable point in New England.

Some weeks are full of things to do, people to see and places to go. Others are a little bit more low key and potentially in need of a midweek pick me up. That’s where these lamb tacos come in.

I was recently back in my home town of Philadelphia. It’s a great city, full of amazing history, architecture, people (we’re not as mean as they say we are) and food. The food in the city of Philadelphia is absolutely outstanding – from our street food to fine dining, we’ve got something for everyone. I will say that the category that Philadelphia potentially does better than any other city is the sandwich.

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season full of good company, good food, good wine, and of course, plenty of adventures. To compensate for some of the overindulgence we all engage in over the festivities of the season, I thought I might bring to you today some salads (well, salad-like foods) that incorporate ingredients said to bring luck in the New Year.

There’s no better time of the year to indulge in delicious desserts than the holidays. It’s also the best time of year to experiment with things that seem too tough for just a normal dessert.

Sometimes the holiday season feels overwhelming in the best way possible. Merry and bright and full of parties and presents and families. It also feels like there is always a need to bring something to someone or somewhere

It’s that time of year again. The most wonderful time of year! And with the most wonderful time of year comes the most wonderful amount of parties, entertaining and noshing.