Michele Di Pietro, Georgetown (DC), recently released her first cookbook – SOUPified – a whimsical and fun collection of soup recipes.

Brother Di Pietro is an entrepreneur, chef, culinary consultant, food writer, blogger and creator of Mangia With Michele, the expression of her lifelong passion for Italian ingredients, foods, recipes, culture and traditions.

SOUPified was inspired by recipe favorites, like: eggplant parm, chicken marsala, lasagna, shrimp scampi, philly cheesesteak and more! These classic dishes have been transformed into spoonable, bowl form, while still holding true to their core spirit. She describes the recipes as “comfort food at its finest – hearty compilations of flavor, color and texture, many of which are meals in and of themselves.”

Michele began her career as a certified public accountant at a top New York City firm, but eventually found her true calling as she worked and traveled in Europe, experiencing some of the world’s finest cuisines. She left the financial world for the professional kitchen and discovered her knowledge of numbers and CPA skills came in handy for recipe development and culinary project management. She attended The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill, and is now an award-winning food professional, and the founder of It’s All About The Food, where she consults on culinary strategy and menu development for an eclectic lineup of food businesses.

SOUPified is available on Amazon, and you can follow Michele at @mangiawithmichele or sign up for her mailing list at mangiawithmichele.com.