"Napoli" Dynamite

Yep, shamelessly plagiarized the title from this article, but if you Google it, lots of people have the same idea for many different things, so I won't feel too bad. I did give credit!

During my trip to the ATL during Tut weekend, I decided to seek out Head Chef's restaurant venture. He and the Dining Room/Hospitality Instructor went in together and opened a little Italian restaurant in downtown Woodstock, GA. Together, they have a gazillion years of restaurant experience, both front and back of the house, so this should be a win-win situation for everyone.

It's called Vingenzo's, and serves Neapolitan-style Italian food, like you would get in Naples. Naples is the birthplace of pizza, which started out as mainly food for the poor, but got upscaled in during the reign of Frederick IV, sometime during around 1889, when there was a pizza officially named after Queen Margherita. The Margherita pizza was created to look like the Italian flag, with tomatoes (red), mozzarella (white), and basil leaves (green). Neapolitan pizza , or Pizza Napoletana, has a definite recipe, with specifics down to the type of wheat flour used, yeast, toppings, how it has to be stretched, and cooked in a woodfire oven.

(The picture is not of the pizza we ate...I did not have my camera with me when we were at the restaurant!)

We bounce in full of anticipation and hungry! I was pleasantly suprised to see Introductory Chef there as well. She seemed very happy to see me, and even Chef seemed a bit friendly. Introductory Chef was there helping out with training some serving staff as a favor to Chef and Co.

I was sort of torn about what to have, because I knew it was all going to be good...would it dare not be? Ha!

As much as I love the cured Italian meats, I was very intrigued by the mozzarella sampler platter. It was a serving of all 3 types of the handmade mozzarellas, some capers, olives, and roasted red peppers, along with a big puffy square of pizza dough bread. Mozzarella is definitely the "tofu" of the cheese world, making a nice back drop for other stronger flavors, like the olives, but with a nice gentle sweetness of its own to complement.

The 3 mozzarellas were the Latte Fresco (mild), Stracciatella di Burrata (sweet and creamy), and Di Bufala (delicate). The Latte Fresco was made with cow's milk, and the Di Bufala was made with water buffalo milk, and I'm not sure about the Burrata. The Burrata was the most interesting one, though. It was like a little twisted pouch, and inside, was a little bit of sweet cream. It was like eating one of those gusher candies, in a way, and I think it was my fave. And, the olives on this platter were amazing, especially the oven roasted black olives. I would so love some of those right now!

We decided to get a pasta selection and a pizza and split them...that best of both worlds thing. For the pasta, you choose your sauce and then a fresh pasta, which is made daily. You know how I love the noodle, so I chose "tripoli," which was a long noodle about half the width of a lasagne noodle and had a curly edge as well. The sauce was Campagnola, which was artichoke hearts, fresh cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, garlic, and olive oil. I've had Chef's fresh tomato sauces before, so I knew this would be pretty good. And, it was, but I think my choice of noodle overwhelmed it, and it might have been better with either linguini or pappardelle.

The pizza was the highlight, though. I would cheerfully order many of these pizzas, because they are so simple, yet so good. We chose the Salsiccia e Peperoni, which has Italian sausage, mozzarella, and roasted red peppers, and it was yummy. Essentially crust, sauce, and those 3 ingredients--way better than any supercolossalmeatloversheartattack special on any day. Later, as we were leaving, we stopped to talk with Intro Chef, and she was having dinner and eating one of the pizzas that had wide strips of proscuitto on it...that's the pizza that I am ordering next time, for sure.

The place was decorated rather minimally hip, with a slight dash of funky--nothing too kitchsy, nothing that would look dated in a year, etc., and nothing to detract from the food. The real star of the place is the wood burning oven, which Chef and the Dining Room Instructor built by hand...the labor of love that shows up in the food, if that's not too hokey.

Oh, and we also had Italian Lemonade, which is Chef's secret concoction and he's not coming off the recipe...kind of like his chicken salad, I guess. It was a non-alcoholic drink, but as I mentioned to Intro Chef and she wholeheartedly agreed, it would have been lovely with some vodka.

As I was talking with Intro Chef during her meal break, there was another former student there as well...she actually finished. She asked me if I was ever coming back to finish my program at Fine Technical College, and I just laughed. I said that I wasn't a chef...that I did not have the passion it took to really be a chef. Maybe 20 years ago, it might have worked, but I just did not have that "fire within me." Intro Chef laughed and then she said thank you for realizing that about yourself...not that she meant I was bad at it, because she was quick to tell me that I was a great student and she enjoyed me in class, but I think she was thanking me for knowing that this is a career that really does come from the heart.

It takes a whole lot of sacrifice, patience, nicked fingers, and long hard hours to get anywhere in the culinary world, and I think she's been seeing a wave of students that think they are going to walk in and become the Next Food Network Hell's Kitchen Top Chef star after their intro class. Culinary careers are hot right now...how many times did you see an ad for some sort of culinary program when you watch Top Chef or Hell's Kitchen (if you admit to that guilty secret!)?

Seriously, all you have to do is watch those "chefs" that are competing on Hell's Kitchen to know that some folks really don't have what it takes, no matter what their title is--be it sous chef, executive chef, or corporate cafeteria cook. I know I said it last season, but Holy Escoffier, Batman, these people on this season are the pits. This past week, one of the morons stuck a 500-degree sizzle pan in the freezer (WTH?), and when he pulled it out, one of the other contestants hit it and got 2nd degree burns. Where was his brain? The kitchen is a dangerous place at times, and this fool was just a walking disaster. He did get sent home, but was still griping about how it was an accident and he really did give his all, gah, gah, gah. I thought he was just lucky that the wounded party didn't come back and knife him.

The one shining star that stands out to me from Hell's Kitchen is Julia, the Waffle House cook, from Season 3. Yes, I know this show is on Fox, and they are milking the drama llama for every last drop, but Ramsay really seemed sad when she had to go. And, he seemed sincere about sending her to culinary school, because she had that drive and burning desire to make it in the kitchen. I really want her to come back and kick some whiny kitchen ass. That would be a rockin' season in Hell, don't you think?

Deep in the heart of Texas...or maybe it's the Kidney of Texas

Spent the last week back in Texas, about an hour north of Austin. Road construction around the area I was in made it prohibitive to try and go back to Austin to explore after a hard day of wearing dress shoes and training software, so I stuck around town and ate local.

So, what does one eat while in a small Texas town? Well, gotta have some Mexican food or Tex-Mex, for sure. You can't get away from it. And, there's always Chicken Fried Steak, which may be the Texas State Dish, or pretty close to it. Of course, when you are training, there's always a trip to a Chinese buffet of dubious nature. Luckily, this one was small and not the 1,000 item extravaganzas with weird, non-Chinese food things...like chicken fingers and weird Jell-o concoctions. This place replenished their offerings often, and never put too many items out at a time. I did go to a little cafe and had the Chicken Fried Steak lunch special, and where I got a piece of lattice-crusted apricot pie. That was definitely a "worth the calories" day.

And then, after a long hard day of yakking my fool head off, I needed a beer and these things: White Wings. Looks like a tennis ball wrapped in bacon and deep-fried, doesn't it? That was about the size of the thing, but it was most definitely NOT a tennis ball.

These bacony delights were chicken breast that had been pounded thin, sprinkled with Monterey Jack cheese and diced jalapenos, then rolled up, wrapped in bacon, and deep fried to a crispy, molten center goodness. The ladies that I was with said they made their own at home, all the time, and grilled them. They made them smaller...more like golf ball sized...and used fresh jalapenos instead. That sounds pretty awesome, and I'll be throwing that on the list for summer grilling.

Okay, I must tell you about my new favorite pasta. It's from the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit, which I have and the "why I didn't see it there to begin with," I'm just going to ignore. Anyway, it popped up on this Epicurious recipe gadget that I have on my iGoogle page, and I clicked on it to have a look. It's seems pretty healthy, and I made some modifications to it, pretty much based on what I happened to have in the house at the time, and it's now my new favorite thing to eat. Heck, I had it for breakfast this morning...yes, The Man is out of town to visit his mom and step-dad, who had surgery today. He's fine, but will probably be pretty achy and sore for the next couple of weeks. So, as usual, when left to fend for myself, I tend to make a large batch of something and eat off it for days. And, I'm thinking that this is also a good summer grilling side dish, too.

Campanelle with Tomatoes and Feta

Adapted from Bon Appétit | March 2007

8 ounces campanelle (trumpet-shaped pasta) or fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3-6 green onions, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1-2 pint whole grape tomatoes

1 10-oz bag fresh spinach

1 container (~4 oz) crumbled feta cheese

Procedure:

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, while the pasta cooks, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over high
heat. Add green onions, garlic, and all tomatoes; sauté until tomatoes begin to soften and collapse, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta. Return to pot. Add tomato mixture, spinach, and remaining 3
tablespoons olive oil; toss until spinach begins to wilt. Add feta cheese and stir until it starts to get creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to plates and serve.

The first time I made this, I had a quart-sized container of grape tomatoes that were starting to get a little wrinkly, which made them sweeter, and really rocked this dish. The feta also gives it enough cheesy creaminess that makes me not miss throwing a ton of Parmesan in, and I think the 4 oz is enough--the original recipe calls for 7, which I think is too much. (I know, pick your collective jaws up off the floor...I actually said something about there being too much cheese...I can hardly believe it myself.

I had grilled some chicken breasts to serve with it during one meal, and The Man was helping me get stuff off the grill while I was juggling something else...I think the washer was trying to overflow. He cut up the chicken, because he thought I was going to be adding it to the pasta, and what the heck--it worked out great, too.

Tonight though, I had asparagus...grilled asparagus. The Man doesn't like asparagus, so I don't usually make as a side dish...but it was on sale at Publix for $1.99/lb and that's just hard to pass up. I tossed it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and grilled it. Fire is a great and wonderful thing, don't you know! I had visions of taking the leftover grilled asparagus and adding it to the above pasta dish for tomorrow's breakfast, but alas, there were no leftovers.

(Someday, we'll have a whole discussion on my penchant for eating non-traditional breakfast foods for breakfast, but now, I've finally gotten sleepy enough to actually sleep...which is good, since I have to get up in 5 hours!)

Craaaazzy about Tortellini

And, that's not all that's crazy 'round here. More on that later.

So, being the semi-trained culinary professional that I am (please, no comparisions to other "semi" types...you know who you are, Sandra Lee, you Semi-Ho, you!), I sometimes just want to throw something together that's quicky, easy, and of course, cheesy!

Enter the humble refrigerated cheese tortellini...because who the hell has time to make tortellini these days? Certainly not me! (Whine, whine, whine)

There's an amazing amount of stuff you can do to that little package of pasta that makes a great meal. Although, I must confess that my favorite way to eat the little hummers is with a lot of butter and shredded Parmesan cheese. That's all. Yeah, not too healthy, but really comforting.

We first hit the tortellini jackpot when I discovered a Weight Watchers Shortcut cookbook with this recipe:

Cheese Ravioli in Pesto-Tomato Broth

28 oz fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

1 9-oz package refrigerated reduced fat cheese tortellini

1 14.5-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1/4 cup commercial pesto

2 cups yellow squash, cubed (or a mix of yellow and zucchini)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Procedure:

1. Bring broth to a boil in a large sauce pan.

2. Add ravioli and remaining ingredients; reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

Yields 4 servings, 1.5 cups each.

Points = 6 (Which ain't bad for a pasta dish)

Good luck on finding those low-fat cheese ravioli. I could never find them, so I'm sure the point count goes up by 2-3. And, then I would substitute Italian-style diced tomatoes instead of the plain no-salt ones, because that was what was in the cupboard. (And, then I jacked it all to Point hell and back by dumping a handful of shredded Parmesan into my bowl. I just can't quit the cheese!)

So, this version is in fairly standard rotation in the Poodlevania household for the winter months, because we're all about soup, and we're all about the quick soup!

Then, I was perusing a notebook of WW recipes that Linna put together for me when I announced a couple of years ago that I was doing WW (for the first time--I know, I know). Linna was very successful with her weight loss and is my hero!, and I really appreciated this little notebook, which I have used many times.

The Man announced a few weeks ago that he wanted to try eating better again and requested that I throw some WW recipes back in the dinner rotation. So, I got out the trusty notebook and started poring over my options.

Hey--look! A different tortellini soup! More stuff in it! Let's try it!

Tortellini Soup Florentine ('cause it's got spinach in it!)

3 cups fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

1 quart chicken broth (I recommend the Pacific Rim Organic at Costco--6 for $10)

1 cup water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried sage or rosemary leaves, crumbled

2 cups coarsely chopped cleaned spinach or other greens (kale, chard)

16-oz can small white or navy beans, rinsed and drained

4-6 sun-dried tomatoes, minced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions, until just tender.

2. In a large sauce pan, bring chicken broth, garlic, herbs, and 1 cup water to boil.

3. Stir in spinach, beans, and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer until spinach and tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in tortellini and simmer 1 minute longer. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings/6 points each

Hey--more stuff, same Points. Not a bad deal. I also just put the tortellini in the broth without cooking it separately. I let it boil for about 5-6 minutes, then throw in the beans, spinach, and tomatoes and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until beans are heated through and spinach is wilted. Notice this recipe has no salt...I have to add some salt...usually in the form of a small can of sliced black olives. And, for tonight's version, I threw in a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes. I was out of fresh spinach, so I used some frozen, which I defrosted in the nukerator and drained. See, the possibilities are endless!

Besides, I'm going to need all the easy stuff I can get for awhile. I'm have a wee bit o' surgery on Thursday, and will be down for the count for at least 3 weeks...and doomed to The Man's cooking for the most part. (Not that I won't be grateful, honey, but...)

I've laid in some supplies and plan to make some Moldy Jell-o, because I know I won't want a lot to eat when I get home from the surgery. I did find something that looks rather yummy in the dairy case though. Remember this little gem: Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake Filling? Now it comes in CHOCOLATE!! I swear, Kraft/Philadelphia Brand are in league with some sort of demons, and I don't care! I plopped the tub of that into the cart, and later, when The Man was staring into the fridge and asking about it, I very succinctly told him to back the hell away from my cheesecake filling. It's Mine! Mine! Mine! I neeeeeeeed it for my recovery period. I will be sans a womanly part or two, and I am going to need much comforting during this time.

So, not that I've been good about keeping up the blog lately, I'm probably going to either be better about it (boring details of my recovery) or really, really bad about keeping up with it. Bear with me, and I promise I'll be more proactive about posting!

p.s. I soaked Harvey this weekend, because it was time for a soak...sort of past time for a soak, and whaddya know?! He's sprouted at least 6-7 little nubs, which is exciting, since I didn't even shock him to put him in this state. Pretty cool, huh?

Taters and Shrimps!

Okay, more cooking as promised!

I’m always on the lookout for potato salad recipes that I can make for The Man…recipes that do not involve mayonnaise, since he has this anathema towards mayo. Me—I go through stages where I like mayo, and then I just ignore mayo and don’t eat it. I don’t carry around a grudge from a thousand years ago against some suspect tartar sauce that made me ill, and I must classify ALL mayonnaise-based things in that category (yes, honey, I’m talking to you!). I prefer to think that it was the maker of the tartar sauce who was responsible for gastronomic upheaval, rather than the innocent, mayonnaise-based tartar sauce. But, I also seem to get way too anthropomorphic about food and other inanimate objects. (It’s big word day, in case you haven’t noticed.)

Anyway, I found this Rachael Ray recipe for Sliced Steak and Mushrooms and Warm Potato Salad. I promptly ignored the steak part, because I think I’ve got that down…plus, I hate to cook steak in a grill pan. I’ve got a grill. I live in the South, so unless it’s below 32ºF, I can grill out as often as I want. Enough said.

The mushrooms in this recipe were interesting, because it was a quick pan sauce of sorts, and I’ll pretty much eat sautéed mushrooms on anything. Plus, it’s pretty hard to screw up mushrooms…not that I’m issuing a challenge or anything. The potatoes were pretty phenomenal. I think it had lots to do with the type of mustard I used—the grainier, the better—and I was rewarded when The Man said this was one of the top 3 ways he liked to eat potatoes (and let’s not discount the bacon either; bacon goes with everything!).

(First prize goes the Gorgonzola Potatoes that I snagged from a Publix Aprons recipe. The gorgonzola ones have been THE default side dish item in our house for almost 2 years now.)

Warm Mustard Potato Salad (adapted from Rachael Ray); serves 4

2 pounds small red new potatoes, halved
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons grainy mustard
Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped (a generous handful)

1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pot and cook off the excess moisture.

2. While the potatoes cook, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, lower the heat and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the vinegar and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then whisk in the mustard. Add the warm potatoes and the parsley, turning the potatoes until they are evenly coated and absorb the dressing. Keep warm until serving.

The Gorgonzola Potatoes are extremely bad for you…I don’t even want to think about the nutritional content of this dish, because I still want to enjoy it on occasion. The recipe says that it serves 8. Ha.

Gorgonzola Potatoes (Publix Aprons recipe)

Ingredients

3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons garlic-herb butter (Kerry Gold is good, or you could make your own…yeah, right.)
1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated home-style sliced potatoes
1/4 cup French-fried onions
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Steps

1. Combine in microwave-safe bowl, cheese, half-and-half, salt, and flour. Add butter and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until hot.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and microwave on HIGH 10 minutes, stirring once, or until potatoes are tender. Serve.

Note: For an elegant finish, place in oven-proof serving dish, top with more French-fried onions, and broil 3–5 minutes or until golden.

You know I totally jack this one up by adding a little more cheese and more of those French-fried onions. More is more, and those onions are evil. Pure French-fried evil, and I gladly surrender to the dark side. You can also par cook potatoes yourself, if you hate buying the pre-packed ones. I tell myself it’s for the portion control, but sometimes, I’m just lazy.

Last night was another Aprons recipe for Chipolte Shrimp and Pasta.

It was pretty good, not mention quick and easy, and I always ignore the mantra to buy the pre-chopped veggies (the only exception being the potatoes from the previous recipe). I opted not to grill the shrimp, because I hate dragging out the George Foreman, and I didn’t feel like skewering them and putting them on the big grill. The really weird thing was cooking the pasta. Look closely at the cooking directions.

Ingredients

8 ounces bowtie pasta
2 1/2 cups water
1 pound peeled/deveined shrimp (thawed, if frozen)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
large zip-top bag
1/4 cup chipotle marinade
4 ounces fresh gourmet mushroom blend ( I used sliced creminis that I had on hand)
1/2 cup pre-diced fresh tomatoes (How about some quartered grape tomatoes instead?)
1/3 cup pre-sliced green onions (Please—can I not slice onions by now.)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1. Preheat 2-sided tabletop grill. Place pasta and water in large saucepan. Cover and bring to boil on medium-high. Remove lid and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring often, or until most of water is absorbed. (Look back at the ingredients list and note that it calls for 2 1/2 cups of water...not 4-6 quarts like the pasta box recommends.)

2. Place shrimp and cornstarch in large zip-top bag. Seal bag and shake to coat shrimp. Add marinade to bag, seal tightly, and knead to coat; set aside.


3. Stir remaining ingredients gently into pasta. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thoroughly heated.

4. Place shrimp on grill and close lid (wash hands). Grill 3–4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Serve over pasta. (This was the part where I heated up a large pan, threw in a little of the ol’ EVOO, and sautéed my little shrimpies. Then, I threw in the pasta and veggies and tossed it around. Worked out just fine.)

I’ve never cooked pasta that way, in just a little water, kind of like rice. Well, maybe that was the basic principle of Hamburger Helper, but we prefer to forget those days ever existed. And, I was mighty skeptical that this method would work. It did, and perfectly, I might add. I may experiment with this for other pasta dishes, especially ones that follow this same basic format. It seemed like the pasta cooked faster with this method, but I could very well be delusional. I’ll try it again and report back on my results.

In other news, The Man and I had dinner at the Chiclet’s family restaurant on Sunday, and she gave me a flyer for summer cooking workshops at Fine Technical College. I’m excited about this, because there is an introductory class in July for baking! The classes are during the evenings and on Saturdays, and I hope this takes off, so that there might be more offered during the rest of the year. I’ll keep you posted as I get more info.