Meet Natalia
My name is Natalia Paiva-Neves. I was born in Portugal and came to the US when I was 6. I have loved food and cooking for a long as I can remember. In fact, my mother says I was practically born in a restaurant kitchen.
I have always had a love affair with all things related to food and feel the need to feed people, to feed their soul. I see food differently than others and pride myself on being able to take simple ingredients and transform them into delicious dishes. I truly believe anyone can cook but it is the PERSON cooking who brings feeling and soul to the dish. If you cook with feeling your food will show that.
I have many different cooking styles, but I do tend to go back to my Portuguese roots, which have influenced cuisine all around the world including Africa, Asia, India, and South America. So, if you like fabulous food made a little simpler then you’ve come to the right place.
Delicious Dishes
Natalia shares savory recipes that will have your guests eager to sit around the table.
Creative Cocktails
Natalia shares drink recipes that will turn any get together into an affair to remember.
Travel with Natalia
Join Natalia as she travels around the world exploring foods, culture, and customs.
Entertain with Natalia
Whether it's a casual get together or an elegant affair, Natalia shares entertaining tips that will inspire.
Latest Blog Entries
Picanha with Quinoa Salad
One day Michelle (who works with Natalia at O Dinis Restaurant) came into work with a bag of quinoa in hand that she bought from Whole Foods Market. Michelle wanted Natalia to make her a quinoa salad for dinner. So... Natalia made quinoa salad for Michelle and the...
Mom’s California Orange Cake
Natalia's mom lived in California for many years before moving back to Portugal. While mom was in California she had oranges and lemon trees at her home. Every year when she harvested the oranges and lemons she would package a huge box and ship it to Natalia in...
Hibiscus Tea
Natalia loves hibiscus tea and she is always experimenting with new mocktails and cocktails recipes with it. Hibiscus hot tea is something she drinks a lot of in the winter months just as is. But last summer, when she was craving that tart but floral taste, she...
Lulas Guisadas (Squid Stew)
Natalia loves the fact that here in Rhode Island we have access to fresh squid right from Point Judith, which is where most squid comes from in New England.The Lulas Guisadas dish is very popular in any of the islands in Portugal. Every island has its own specialty on...
Sopa de Caldo Verde
Sopa de Caldo Verde is a very traditional Portuguese soup. Natalia chose to serve Caldo Verde at a special luncheon at O Dinis Restaurant, hosted by East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, welcoming President José Manuel Cabral Dias Bolieiro of the Azores (President of the...
Roasted Pork Belly
Natalia's "Roasted Pork Belly" - is a #Portuguese version of #Porchetta - a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition that Natalia has personally created into her own Portuguese dish - what else would you expect from...
Crab Roll Recipe
In 2016, Natalia traveled with her two sons to Maine for April vacation with her friend Kimberly, who is from Maine, to spend time with Kimberly's family in Maine. On this trip, Kimberly took Natalia and sons Miguel and Tiago to Portland, Maine. During the day in...
One Dish Shrimp Pasta
In this video, Natalia Paiva-Neves brings a super simple to make One Dish Shrimp Pasta which cooks in under 15 minutes. It's a perfect dish for you who has a super limited time to prep your meal or simply is in the rush for the day. Ingredients: 13"x9" baking dish or...
Pickled Onions
For today's recipe, Natalia is sharing a super easy and delicious Pickled Onions recipe that you can pair with pretty much everything you want to! It's also easy to store, Natalia loves to store hers in Mason Jars!!! Ingredients:2 cups red wine vinegar 1 cup red wine...