What’s for Dinner?

Chris and I recently went to a place he’s been wanting to try: L’Appetito in Glenview, IL. They sell all kinds of Italian food and sandwiches. I’ve also read that they are starting other locations, but they are still family-owned. When we got there, I stood inside for a good 10 minutes trying to decide what to have… We decided, first and foremost, to try the arrancini. Those are balls of risotto, stuffed with meat sauce or mozzarella, and breaded and fried. We had them passed as an appetizer at our wedding reception at Monastero’s in Chicago, but I was so busy with the chatting and whatnot I never got to try one:

Chris said he preferred the ones at Monastero’s, because he thought they were a little spicier. Well, I couldn’t compare, but I thought these were crispy, mild and delicious. They had meat sauce, mozzarella and even peas and carrots in the center.

Chris got a sandwich with prosciutto and mozzarella:

Mine was called the “melanzana,” and had eggplant in it. It was delicious!

For dessert, I had straciatelli (chocolate chip) gelato, and Chris had a mixed-berry sorbet (he so loves those fruity flavors. (And yes, he is “all man”):

I definitely want to go back and try everything! Next time, I will have a cannoli, and try their cappucino…

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My recipe for chicken (or beef, or veggie) fajitas is based on what I saw the cooks do at Ruby Tuesday’s when I worked there. Only I won’t tell you what they called the fajita sauce, because it will take your appetite away. And anyway, it bears no resemblance to that substance so I don’t even know why they called it that.

Liberally dust the chicken, or whatever meat you are using, with mexican seasoning and salt. Grill it separately. (I use a grill pan, but when we get a house and a gas or charcoal grill, watch my smoke!) Slice bell peppers separately (I’m not a huge fan of the green peppers, but those will work too) and onions in long slices. Sautee them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. When they are beginning to soften, add butter, lime juice, and liberal amounts of worcheshire sauce. That’s the big secret sauce! I try and use less butter (just a pat or two), and add some chicken stock — but you can put up to a stick in there if you want it to taste like it does in the restaurants. Personally, I like it this way better, and it is not greasy.

Slice the grilled meat separately, and add it to the peppers and onions. Add chopped cilantro at the end, and take it off the heat. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, guacamole, black beans — whatever fajita fixings you like.

Oh, my very favoritest food in the entire world. Probaly. Probably almost always sometimes. The fancy and proper Christian name here is “insalata caprese,” but it is only tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and salted and peppered.

We likes ta scoop it up on crusty French or Italian bread, precious. Uhh.

Heaven, Bryan Adams… heaven.

Something I’ve been going back to a lot nowadays is clam fettucini. I seem to be posting a lot of nostalgia lately… But like a lot of things, here is something Dad used to do, with my own twist on it:

1 can chopped clams
olive oil
toasted pine nuts
chopped garlic
a tsp. lemon juice, or more if fresh
chopped parsely, if you have it
red pepper flakes
about 1/4 cup of white wine
crumbled gorgonzola cheese (also optional, but dear god, worth it)
fettucini or whatev

Before you put any olive oil in the pan, heat it and toast a handful of pignolis (pine nuts) in it until they are fragrant and browned. I always toast the pine nuts, because it makes a big difference in the flavor you get out of them. Then add a few tablespoons (you’re coating pasta with this, so use a little more than you would in other things) of olive oil and chopped garlic (as much as you like). After the oil is heated, throw the whole can of clams in, liquid and all. Then add the wine, and let it simmer for just a few minutes. You can add the red pepper now, if you like a more generalized heat, or add it when you toss the pasta if you like those occasional “surprises” of heat. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add in the clam sauce. Crumble in the gorgonzola, and toss in the chopped parsely and lemon juice. Easy peasy.

I could eat this every day. It is slightly salty, tangy and rich comfort food, and it only takes about as long as opening a jar of sauce.

Oh, and check out Costco for good prices on the gorgonzola and pignolis.

I got tired of opening several containers (and then closing several containers) to season Mexican food the way I like it. So I bought all the seasonings, whisked them in a bowl, and poured them into a large parmesan cheese shaker I bought at the dollar store. Doesn’t matter how much you make, just use equal parts (one jar, or a half-jar) of each of the following:

one part coriander
one part cumin
one part chili powder
1/2 parts garlic powder
one part onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 part cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want it)

Now I just liberally dust whatever I want to have that Latino flavah, and add salt. Done!

Had two buddies over to study last night and write up a thirty-minute project for school. I took the opportunity to duck out of the room and make some sloppy beef enchiladas. Just sauteed onions, browned beef, drained and salted with my Mexican seasoning added. Roll ‘em up in a pan, cover with a can of enchilada sauce and smother with shredded cheddar and bake until melty. Mmmm, “I know ya likes ‘em sloppy!!”

I thought this entry might go good with an egg creme.

Chris recently objected to the same-’ol Subway sammich and asked if we could try someplace different. I was going to Subway to get something low-fat, and I ended up getting the Conqueror at Cap’tn Nemo’s — so while my hips paid the price somewhat, I still really enjoyed the sammy. It has liverwurst and salami. It is entirely possible I have had neither of those since my father last purchased them… and what a treat it was.

I pulled up the sandwich maker short on the “secret sauce,” but I wish I hadn’t. It tastes like an oil mixture with lots of seasoning salt in it. Next time I will go for broke and just have her drench the thing. I mean, as long as you’re eating liverwurst and salami, why not?

No egg, no cream.

Thanks to my father, a native New Yorker, I have had the rare Midwestern privelege of growing up with the egg creme. I haven’t seen them much around these parts. In high school, my friend Jen had ballet classes once a week in Chicago in the evening. As her friend, who was free from the shackles of any such talent, I would accompany her to the city and roam around downtown until she was finished with class. It was then I discovered that egg cremes were sold at a little place deep in the Roosevelt Metra train station. But other than that, my only experience with it has been at my own house (outside of New York).

Pour enough chocolate syrup into the glass to cover the bottom. Add about three fingers of milk, and pour in the seltzer water. Leave several inches at the top — the foam will really come up and you’lll be striving to suck it out before it flows over the sides. Stir it up, chug it down.

The secret to a good egg creme is to buy the seltzer in small bottles or cans. If you buy the big bottle, it will lose its fizz and that lovely foam will be absent. Very refreshing, and if you’re like me, nostalgic too.

The Loaded Gun…

I love to try new pizza ideas. I actually come up with some weirdos, based on what I have as leftovers � but so far, everything has come out well. I usually use a Boboli or generic whole-wheat premade pizza crust (because I�m always looking for the extra nutritional edge on my junkfood), but you can choose your favorite homemade, refrigerated dough, or even Boyardee from the box is pretty good as a “base.”

leftover beef or turkey burger patties, crumbled (you just need one or two)
chopped onions (I like to saut� them first) or green onions
tomatoes, chopped or sliced
crumbled bacon
canned mushrooms, drained, or saut�ed fresh
leftover French fries or potato wedges
pasta sauce, and a drizzle of BBQ sauce
cheddar cheese shreds, or mozzarella

You�ll have to trust me on the leftover French fries (for those of you familiar with Leona�s pizza, you�ll recognize that this is on their list of pizza ingredients, which is where I got the idea. Also, I�ve seen Emeril put mashed potatoes on his pizza — but more on that later). I spread the pasta sauce on the bottom, top with all the ingredients but the cheese, and drizzle across with BBQ sauce. Then I top it with the cheese and bake. It’s like three high cholesterol meals in one: a burger, fries, and a pizza. Of course I used turkey bacon and turkey meat, but you could totally use the beef and the pork and tell me, is there a better way to die?

Very good with a green salad with ranch dressing. Or, just dip the pizza in ranch dressing and skip the lettuce.

…Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock!