There she is, Valerie Bertinelli, standing in her kitchen with a wide smile as she adds the final egg to her dough mixture. It’s like she’s talking to you, her old friend, sharing her excitement for baking. "It's coming together nicely," she says, turning to the camera with that familiar warmth. "I love the magic of it! You mix flour, eggs, butter, and sugar, and out comes something truly special." Valerie, at 58, is embracing her new role—not just as an actress, but as a culinary star.

An Unexpected Journey Back to the Kitchen

Valerie's career has been nothing short of impressive. From her early days on One Day at a Time to becoming a household name with Hot in Cleveland, she’s spent decades in front of the camera. But guess what? She’s been cooking even longer. "I’ve been in front of the camera since I was 12 years old," she shares with a laugh, "but I’ve been cooking for much longer." Now, as the host of the Food Network’s Family Food Showdown, Valerie gets to be herself—just Valerie, the woman who loves to cook.

Food and Family: The Heart of Valerie’s Life

Food has always been a central part of Valerie’s life. She reminisces about her childhood, sitting in her aunt Adeline’s basement, watching her Noni create culinary masterpieces like cappelletti in brodo, gnocchi, and fried bread. "I learned to make that when I was six years old, probably," she recalls with a smile. By the time she was ten, Valerie had already mastered her mom’s lasagna and cherry cheesecake. "It was something I absolutely loved—hanging out in the kitchen and watching my mom work her magic," she says.

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Cooking with Her Son: A Bond Over Food

When Valerie became a mom to her son, Wolfgang Van Halen, she found a new way to connect through cooking. "He’d be doing his homework, and I’d be cooking dinner. It was the best way for us to spend time after school," she explains. Valerie admits that she would intentionally choose recipes that required a lot of prep time—like meatloaf or soup—so she could stay close and make sure he finished his algebra. Cooking wasn’t just about the food; it was about creating moments together.