Holy Cannoli! Yeah, that about sums it up for me. I spent the first half of 2026 keeping a sweet secret. At the beginning of the year, I had the incredible opportunity to be a guest on Celebrity Chef, Joe Sasto’s Make Mama Proud Show – where he featured our family’s treasured recipe for Sicilian Cannoli. The episode went live July 8, 2026, and I’m thrilled to share it here with my family, friends, and community.
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If you are inclined, please help me spread some love for Joe and his crew by liking, commenting, and sharing his video. 😊
Gratitude Every Day
What an AMAZING experience! Chef Joe and his team are the epitome of excellence – fun, gracious, kind-hearted, and consummate professionals! My heart is full of love and gratitude for the whole team.
I thought it would be fun to share a link to the video and a few candid, behind-the-scenes shots of everything leading up to the time of release. You can watch the show by clicking on the play button above.
Shown below, the first image is a screenshot from my second interview with digital content developer and producer, Neil Padover. The collage that follows is from the day we filmed with Chef Joe, and the July 8th release date teaser.
I’ve always stuck to the traditional way of making our family’s recipe, but I must say, I love the way Chef Joe incorporated sprinkles as a finishing garnish. I may have to start making a few this way every year, too. Such a playful twist on a family tradition!
Finally, if you’re feeling inspired to make cannoli, I’m including links below to my family’s recipes for shells, filling, and a chocolate cherry variation, as well.
- Authentic Sicilian Cannoli Shells
- Authentic Sicilian Cannoli Custard Filling
- Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli
Holy Cannoli! And Then There’s the Unexpected.
I’ve lived enough life to know there’s always a backstory. On the day we filmed, I have more than a few funny moments to round out the experience.
- For starters, I woke up sick the morning we filmed. A low-grade fever and a general sense of being “off” had settled into my body and that feeling continued to build as the day progressed. It was all I could do to control my breathing and stifle a tickle of a cough that was forming. However, we got through the day. After two weeks of coughing and no improvement, my husband urged me to see the doctor. Imagine my surprise when I tested positive for Pertussis (whooping cough)! If you know me, you know that weird and random have a way of finding me. I’m so grateful filming was at the beginning of my illness. I never would have been able to carry a conversation had we filmed even a week or even a month later.
- You won’t see him in the finished video, but my cat, Eli, decided to photo bomb during filming. While staging the background, I moved his food bowls off to the side so they wouldn’t be in the frame. Of course, he woke up from a nap, came downstairs, and parked his fluffy self where the food should be (bottom right corner next to my Mexican pottery goat. Joe rolled with it and we had a short conversation about his dog, Tito, and my cat, Eli.
- My sweet, poor husband! I wanted zero interruptions the day of filming, so I kicked him out of the house. Normally, he would have worked from home that day, but not only did I make him go into the office during a bitterly cold and snowy stretch of winter, I made him hang out in his car in the garage for an hour while we wrapped things up. He’s a good man.
Looking for a New Cookbook?
Check out Joe’s cookbook, Breaking the Rules. It’s a great collection of heart-warming stories about cooking with his mom, his journey as a chef, and the recipes – oh, the recipes! Check it out here.
Disclosure Statement: As an Amazon Affiliate, I make a small commission on the any purchases made through this link.
Thank You for Visiting the Blog!
Thank you for visiting MOstly Bakes! I hope you have enjoyed reading about the backstory behind the recipes that were featured on Chef Joe Stasto’s Make Mama Proud Show.
Feel free to stay a while, peruse the recipes on the blog, and if you’re inclined, I’d like to invite you to sign up for our newsletter and connect on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you again, for visiting, and I look forward to connecting with you there!
Blessings!
