Great American – Women Trudy Jacobson
Trudy Jacobson Presents: Cara DiFalco, An Expert In Italian Cuisine
Cara found professional success in the media industry while still in college and eventually found a way to get her other passion in the mix - cooking.
When people think about Italy and the Italian heritage – food and family is often the first thing that comes to mind.
And Cara DiFalco is no exception.
However, she only embraced cooking as a profession long after being in the media industry. She entered the media field during her days as a student at Rutgers University. The next natural move was to find a career with her degree in broadcast journalism.
“Had you asked me my freshman year what I wanted to do, I was going to be a DJ on the Z100 morning show,” Cara said.
As a sophomore, Cara was asked to support a friend while he auditioned for a role with RUTV, Rutgers University’s official TV channel. However, she ended up auditioning with him for the role and got it.
“We both wound up getting the position with the station, so that was kind of where I started in TV. By the time I was a senior, I was executive producing what was their flagship show, Inside Rutgers, and was interning at WNBC in New York City,” Cara said.
She was a natural.
After graduating college, she wound up in several roles within the media industry and loved the work. But like many other people, she was sidelined during the Covid pandemic, and that’s when everything changed for her.
“When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed from my job in radio. A friend of mine in town who used to run the local gelateria found this ad that was looking for someone to represent their cookware lines. So I went through the auditioning process, which took months, and they loved me. They called me up and said, ‘We’ll pass you on to
our sister station, QVC,'” Cara said. “So I’m the brand ambassador for Cooks Essentials, and it’s a great gig because I get to go on air and share recipes and talk about new products.”
Cara has found that combining her passion for working in the media industry with her love of cooking is possible.
Cara's Cuchina
Her YouTube channel, Cara’s Cuchina, is so well-produced and widespread that it is the only YouTube series nominated for an Emmy. Her channel features mostly recipes and dishes from her Italian heritage. Pastas, cheeses, meats – you name it.
And it is a miracle that she has never had formal chef training.
“When people ask, ‘Did you ever go to culinary school?’ I say, ‘No, I’m a graduate of Nonna’s [grandmother’s] kitchen,” Cara said.
She loves to cook and has embraced her Italian heritage. She often takes people to Italy on a food voyage to help them learn and understand the history of local Italian food.
“That’s the kind of thing I love to take people on because I think we have this one idea of what Italian food is, and it’s really probably more Italian-American food,” Cara said.
She continues to master her craft and will never be satisfied with her level of cooking and media knowledge. She’s too competitive to settle on average.
And if you want to see her passion in real time, visit her YouTube channel, Cara’s Cuchina, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Who is Trudy Jacobson?
Trudy is an entrepreneur and leader. Her path to success and entrepreneurialism started in the trucking industry decades ago. She encountered numerous obstacles in the male-dominated industry- like discrimination. She was even defrauded out of a lot of money by an unscrupulous, opportunistic person. Despite all that, Trudy always fought hard and pushed forward. Once she realized she could do anything, she started her own company and excelled. Now she empowers other women to do the same and to learn from her experience. Trudy now highlights their stories for the world to see in the Great American Women Series. Trudy wants women everywhere to know they can achieve their goals.