Cats & Pudding with Jennifer Dilandro

Legendary actor Dominic Chianese joins Jennifer on Cats & Pudding for an exclusive conversation about the unforgettable roles, Hollywood legends, and life-changing moments that defined his remarkable career.Chianese reveals how he landed his iconic role as Uncle Junior, shares personal stories about Al Pacino, James Gandolfini, and George C. Scott, and reflects on the lessons that transformed him from an aspiring singer into one of television's most recognizable actors.

He also opens up about his Italian-American roots, growing up in the Bronx, preserving family traditions, and his plans to share his extraordinary life story in an upcoming audiobook.

From The Godfather to The Sopranos, this is a rare, personal look at the man behind two of Hollywood's most iconic productions.

On this episode of Cats & Pudding, meet Jackie Algarin, a nurse practitioner with 30 years of nursing experience who specializes in lymphatic drainage, post-surgical recovery, reconstructive care, and women's wellness.

Jackie shares how her experience in the operating room inspired her to help women recover after breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, tummy tucks, and other procedures. She discusses the importance of properly trained medical professionals performing lymphatic drainage, reducing post-operative swelling, improving mobility, and supporting recovery. The conversation also explores breast cancer awareness and early detection, perimenopause and menopause, hormone changes, sleep problems, intimacy, facial sculpting, PRP treatments, and Jackie's mission to help women over 40 feel confident, healthy, and comfortable in their bodies.

On this episode of Cats & Pudding, host Jennifer welcomes Antonette Gangi, chef, cookbook author, TV personality, and star of Food Network’s 100 Cooks.

Antonette shares the secret behind her viral Italian meatballs, which have generated millions of views, and explains why she drops them straight into simmering sauce instead of frying or baking them.Discover the traditions behind authentic Italian cooking, the family recipes passed down through generations, and how Italian food preserves culture, heritage, and family values. Antonette also discusses her cookbook, Antoinette’s Authentic Italian Cookbook, her experience on Food Network alongside Terry Crews, and her mission to help families prepare healthy, delicious meals for just $25.

From homemade lasagna and Sunday family dinners to budget-friendly recipes, fresh ingredients, and the importance of bringing generations together around the table, this is a heartfelt conversation about food, family, and Italian-American heritage.Find Antonette’s recipes at AntonettesItalianKitchen.com and her cookbook on Amazon.

Subscribe to Cats & Pudding on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for more conversations with fascinating guests.

This week on Cats & Pudding, Jen, Tony Cannoli, Sal and Pep sit down for a hilarious, completely unfiltered conversation packed with wild rock-and-roll stories, crazy tour adventures, celebrity encounters, family stories and social media drama.

From touring with major rock bands and playing guitar with Poison, to crazy backstage stories, outrageous pranks, stalkers, hecklers and unforgettable moments on the road, the crew has plenty of stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

The conversation also gets personal, diving into Italian-American family traditions, immigrant parents, growing up in New York, social media influencers, online trolls and the reality of dealing with internet haters.

And the crew has a big idea: a Cats & Pudding variety show featuring their unique group of personalities, comedy and stories.

Jen welcomes Anthony Pepe of Pep’s Got Answers to Cats and Pudding for a hilarious conversation about Brooklyn roots, social media, family, fatherhood, comedy and following your dreams.

Pep shares how a viral snow-shoveling video helped reignite his social media presence, his journey from Brooklyn to New Jersey, his career as a DJ and elevator constructor, and why he’s now pursuing stand-up comedy.

The conversation also gets into old-school parenting, growing up in New York before smartphones, school trouble, family traditions, friendships and the ever-growing social media community.

Sal Costa joins Cats and Pudding for a wide-ranging and hilarious conversation about rock music, Italian heritage, family, social media, and his unexpected rise as a viral creator.

Costa shares stories from his music career, including signing with Def Jam, touring with major rock acts, working on new music, and even performing onstage with Poison. He also explains how a simple Instagram video about his Italian roots went viral and inspired a new direction in comedy and content creation.

The conversation goes deep into Italian-American culture, preserving heritage, family traditions, community, and Costa's goal of bringing Italians together across the country. He also talks about his life as a husband and father, homeschooling, raising chickens, and balancing family life with music and social media.

Costa opens up about his future plans, his interest in acting and entertainment, and the creative projects he hopes to pursue as his online audience continues to grow. The episode also tackles relationships, marriage, fatherhood, work ethic, masculinity, and changing cultural attitudes.

Momma Jackie joins the podcast for a fun and heartfelt conversation about her Food Network experience, becoming a TikTok sensation, traditional Italian cooking, family, friendship, and the hard work behind social media success. She shares her journey to 100 Cooks, her famous eggplant Parmesan, homemade tomato sauce, and what’s next—including another cookbook.

Alexia DiGiglio-Mancini's You Had Me at Kitchen joins Cats & Pudding for a fun and inspiring conversation about food, family, and following your passion. She shares the story behind her Italian-American cooking brand, her incredible experience competing on Food Network’s 100 Cooks, and the emotional story behind cooking her late father’s favorite dish. From her days as a teen rapper and indie recording artist to becoming a cookbook author, TV personality, and food creator, Lexi explains how every twist and setback ultimately led her to where she is today. Plus, she talks Sunday dinners, Italian traditions, her new cookbook, live TV, and her dream of having her own cooking show.

Jennifer Graziano, creator of Mob Wives, joins the podcast alongside stars Lauren Updike and Jackie Kraft to talk about Married by the Mob, the immersive theatrical experience bringing Italian mob culture, comedy, music, drama and audience interaction together. They discuss the show's evolution, behind-the-scenes chaos, improvisation, authentic New York accents, and what's next for Graziano—including a slate of new TV projects.

Vinnie Medugno joins Cats & Pudding for a fun, candid conversation about freestyle music, radio, friendship, Beatstock, unforgettable club memories, and the songs that became the soundtrack to a generation. From his radio journey to the people and music that have shaped his career, Vinnie shares plenty of laughs, nostalgia, and behind-the-scenes stories.