Par for the Course

Ahh, the Roman kitchen experience can be very exceptional! It's not like going to an Olive Garden on Friday night when you want some want to be Italian food. Look no further than the Memores Domini house in Rochester, MN. I am sorry to tell you that it is not a Rochester restaurant that you can go to. A Memores Domini house is a house where a group of men or women who follow a vocation of total dedication to God while living in the world. My girlfriend and I were invited for dinner on Friday. It was a long awaited invitation. We were in luck because one of our Italian friends was cooking. It was started off with a simple plate of brushcetta. What was great is that it was simple and tasty. There was nothing fancy about it. What I found most interesting was that when the bread was being toasted, he took fresh garlic and scraped it against the bread.

That was our first course. I could have eaten that for the whole meal. Just as I was taking my last bite of tomato, I could see eggs being wiped up and then my eyes started getting really big and I think my stomach started to expand... Anytime that you see eggs being whipped into submission, you should know that you are in for a treat. If you don't know what I am talking about, I am sorry. Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the most amzing dishes that you can have! To look at it, you might think that there is cream in it, but in the original recipe it does not call for cream at all. It is a creamy dish that has egg, panchetta, peccorino cheese and parmigiano-reggiano. There might be a debate between what types of cheese to use, but when isn't there an argument in the culinary world?

Just when I thought dinner was over, there was more... My stomach by this time was really starting to expand and not to mention that there was some wine &salad involved as well. My girlfriend was really enjoying this and it was a great joy for her to experience this exceptional food with friends. 

The meat course began. I am not sure exactly what yowould call this particular dish, but it was beef, pork and sage rolled up and sauted in olive oil and butter. MMMM....

This was one of those great feasts that you have always dreamed of. Its not that there was so much food, but the quality and the craftsmanship of everything. Americans are always on the go and this was an event, a night that I wouldn't forget. Dinner was finished with some fruit and some coffee. You must enjoy what is in front of you with your friends. Your all on this journey together. Ciao! Ciao!


The Leaning Tower of Pizza

Ahh,  the great taste of Pizza. Somewhere between Queen Margherita di Savoia and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, pizza was born! From what I know, pizza is a bread. If you know how to make bread then you are set, if you don’t, start practicing. I don’t think that I could ever get sick of pizza. As my girlfriend said the other day, “there are so many great varieties!”
It’s very true. There are endless options with toppings, sauces and crusts.


The key to great pizza is the ingredients. You can’t settle for less than what you have been made for when it comes to eating food, especially in Italian cuisine. There are so many possibilities! You have to find what strikes you and go for it. Don’t be afraid of the great unknown.
 

One of the great debates has always been the crust. You have two traditions that have been battling it out. New York Style, which has a very thin crust. Then you have Chicago style, which has a deep crust and the sauce is put on the top, I repeat, the top.
So who is right..?  Personally I prefer the New york Style! This debate is infinite and I think it was made to be in that fashion!

Whatever pie you choose, make it a good one. There is nothing worse than having a crappy pizza on Friday night!  

CIAO!

Discovering Beauty...

Life is about discovering beauty. Beauty is something that we all desire. It's the reason that we drive hundreds of miles to Yellowstone National Park, or one goes out camping at the Grand Canyon. We are driven by this need, just like we have a need for water.

One of the great beauties in life is enjoying food. Particularly, one of the most amazing beauties that I discovered when I was traveling in Italy was extra virgin olive oil. It is something interesting, unfortunately in the olive oil industry there are imposters. Recently a book that I recommend that everyone should read goes into the reality of olive oil. You have to check it out!
Here is a brief preview of it from Amazon.

"The sacred history and profane present of a substance long seen as the essence of health and civilization.

For millennia, fresh olive oil has been one of life's necessities-not just as food but also as medicine, a beauty aid, and a vital element of religious ritual. Today's researchers are continuing to confirm the remarkable, life-giving properties of true extra-virgin, and "extra-virgin Italian" has become the highest standard of quality.

But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt? Starting with an explosive article in The New Yorker, Tom Mueller has become the world's expert on olive oil and olive oil fraud-a story of globalization, deception, and crime in the food industry from ancient times to the present, and a powerful indictment of today's lax protections against fake and even toxic food products in the United States. A rich and deliciously readable narrative, Extra Virginity is also an inspiring account of the artisanal producers, chemical analysts, chefs, and food activists who are defending the extraordinary oils that truly deserve the name "extra-virgin." 25 black-and-white illustrations."

                                                                          Book Description from Amazon.com

The Joy of Life!

Ahh, New Year’s Eve. A night usually filled with chips and dip, drunken parties that get out of hand and the most recognized ritual in America, watching the ball drop in Time Square. Come on, is this the best we can do? For some it might be. For others, it’s a time to celebrate life, to celebrate the beauty of family and friends. Rituals are only great if they transcend you into something new, something that changes you.

To celebrate the coming of 2012 and to celebrate my grandmothers 90^th Birthday, I put away the TV, the stale pretzels and the party hats. It was time to pull out the white table clothes, red wines and red meat and throw an elegant party. I love cooking for others, it is a delight. The menu was small yet vast with culture from around the globe. The menu included Greek Lavash, Ginger Soup, Pork Curry Crostini’s, Pork BQQ Crostini’s and Bruschetta. It was a great time to share stories and to bring in the New Year with style.  If one would like a recipe for anything. I am open to sharing!
               

                                                           Ginger Soup

                                                         Greek Lavash

Pork Curry/BBQ Crostini's

Life is Beautiful!

Ah, the tastes and smells of Italy. A fresh tomato, a sprig of wine and a crust of bread, what can be better? It is important to note that Italian cuisine is all about finding the freshest ingredients. I remember being in Rome some years ago and experiencing this wonderful fact. So last night I made some pasta. I was in the mood from something from the south. When I think of the south, I think tomatoes and rolling hills into the yellow countryside. I was also in the mood for something quick and not very labor intensive. One other thing to note about cooking is that you don’t have to be clever in trying to throw more and more into a dish. Less is more, I repeat less is more! It is a very simple recipe to follow in making tomato sauce. I will say that there are many variations of making this sauce. It all depends on your preference. You can have it be thick and chunky, sweet, salty, light, meaty, zesty. The possibilities are endless! Just keep it simple. Now when it comes to pasta, I will say that there are many reasons for the different types of pasta. I will write another article about what goes with what, but certain pastas go with certain sauces. In America we throw food on the table and run with it. In Italy there is a particular way for doing everything. I think that they will forgive me if I didn’t pair it right, let’s hope! If the Italians won’t I know that God will!

Recipe
6 Roma Tomatoes
1 Onion
1 Garlic clove
1/3 Cup of EVOO
1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Rigitoni Pasta

Cut up the tomatoes into small pieces. Dice up the onions and garlic. Grab your favorite stock pot and place the olive oil in the pot and sauté the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Keep at a low-medium heat until cooked down. I then threw the sauce into a food processor. You don’t have to. At the same time get a pot of boiling water rolling. It’s up to you, but my rule for pasta water is to have the water as salty as the ocean!   I chose to use rigatoni. When the pasta is done drain it and then add the sauce right into the pan and mix it around. It’s ready to serve! Throw some parmigiano reggiano on top and drizzle a touch of EVOO. Enjoy!

                                                              

No Reservations!

The beauty of cooking is something exceptional. The prupose of this blog is to explore the beauties of Italian cooking! Let us enjoy the beauty of something new and different!