Archive for July, 2008
back to cookin’ with my daughter!
Yes, it may seem as though I’ve been missing in action, but in reality I’ve been simply practicing what I preach. I’ve been ” living in the moment” with my daughter, Theresa, who has just returned from France after 10 months of living the amazing life as an exchange student with the wonderful famille Buzy and attending high school in Toulouse, France. So, you can only imagine that all I’ve wanted to do is cook with her, stare at her, speak French with her and have fun with her. Finally, I have a few minutes to share one of the recipes that we’ve cooked together since she’s been home. I promise more will follow.
Can't forget the sauce
Chicken Balsamic Lasagna
(Featuring Al Dente Pasta and Monique’s Marvelous Marinara Sauce)
Serves 6-10
This is a recipe adapted from Showcase magazine. It originally called for lasagna sheets, but I found it easier to make with fettuccine and just as delicious. I once quadrupled the recipe for a fundraising dinner for 85 people and every person asked for the recipe. Great for a crowd! Can make it ahead and everything.
Ingredients:
12 oz. Al Dente Fettuccine (your favorite flavor but I use Basil Fettuccine)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into small dice
1 pounds chicken thighs (or breast) meat, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
15 oz. ricotta cheese
cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
1 jar Moniques Marvelous Marinara Sauce
Method
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for 3 minutes (slightly undercooked). Drain and set aside. In a large skillet, gently sauté onion in 2 tbsp. oil until translucent, 2 minutes.. Add chicken, stirring until cooked. Add balsamic vinegar.and ½ tsp salt cooking for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, ¼ cup Parmesan, eggs, pepper and ½ tsp. salt. Mix well.
3. Layer the ingredients in an 9×13 pan in the following order: 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 of pasta,1/2 ricotta,1/2 marinara, chicken/onion mixture, 1/2 mozzarella, 1/2 of pasta, 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 marinara, ½ mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown.
3 comments July 17, 2008
tout va bien. restaurants in nyc
All is well! How many times in life can you say that you have no regrets? Well, this is one of them. Last week Dennis and I were in New York exhibiting Al Dente Pasta at the Fancy Food Show. When I’m in a city like New York, where the choices abound and innovation surrounds, the idea of making a bad choice on a restaurant really freaks me out. I am happy to report every single meal was a winner. Here’s the list of restaurants that worked for us and just may work for you.
The $14.00 Prix Fixe Lunch at Tout Va Bien Could be the Best Deal in New York
Poached Salmon with Crudites
Coq au Vin
Let’s put it this way. The portions at Tout Va Bien are more American style than French so
we were not able to join the clean plate club. I’m not complaining, just commenting. The waiter had a great sense of humor and “got” every one of Dennis’ jokes. This restaurant has been around a really long time, I think since 1948.
Jean-Christophe, the really nice French waiter at Tout Va Bien!
Momofuko Never Disappoints. Ever!
Shitake Buns
We can never eat a Shitake Bun or a Pork Bun without thinking of Ben Saginaw. He is the one who turned us on to Momofuko and, on numerous occasions, thoughtfully delivered Pork Buns to us while we were working the trade show. That Benny. What a guy.
Momofuko Octopus
Honestly, the food at Momofuku is off the charts. To quote Dennis, “I’ve eaten a lot of octopus over the years, but this is the best!”
Tamarind Celery Soda
Even the drinks at Momofuko! We had the Tamarind Celery Soda and Toasted Sesame Horchata. Amazing! For desert, try the homemade, strawberry yogurt soft serve topped with brown sugar pretzel crumbles.
ICI: Everything is Organic in this Brooklyn Restaurant, Including the Wine.
Organic Wine from Corsica
Tailor: for Creativity and Innovation Could Not Be Beat
bourbon and smoked coke
Sunday Night Dinner at Public is another of New York’s Best Deals. Seven Courses for $45
Carrot, ginger, coconut soup with a shrimp shumai, Thai basil with a puffed black rice
Trend: Watermelon on Every Menu in One Form or Another, but Always Delicious and Refreshing. In this case, it was watermelon, feta, basil salad with pumkin seeds and schichmi
We took advantage of the fact that La Sirene is BYOB to pair up some really beautiful French wines with our dinner. This place is ultra comfortable, with ultra charming people running the show and very good food.
Mussels at La Sirene
One of our all time favorites in New York is Savoy. It’s actually where we gathered a “cosmic” group friends from around the country to celebrate Al Dente’s 20th anniversary back in July of 2001. We go there every year when we are at the food show, even if it’s just for desert as we did this time. We had an incredible “short stack”. This desert was 4 layers of meringues (shaped like small pancakes, get it?), featuring the flavors of blueberries, lavender, and coffee. And, finally I got to have St. Germaine, the elderberry liquor which is not available in Michigan. The bartender, who is a fellow Michigander, mixed it with Champagne for a delicious cocktail.
On our list to try next time:
The Diner in Williamsburg
Kuna Inn, another BYOB
Again, I encourage you to check out the websites of these restaurants to help determine if they will work for you. One of my more recent revelations is that I am not responsible for the universe and this extends to not wanting to take responsibility for your dining experience. Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy every dining opportunity, especially when you are traveling.
2 comments July 10, 2008
a little bit of spice
I should first preface this by saying that I, Nate Staley, love spicy food. Actually, I live for spicy food. While most of my friends look for a good Chinese dish on the nights that they want to eat out, I’m always looking for a good Mexican or Indian establishment. I want spicy food whenever I can get it. A lot of this side of me – my mother says anyway – comes from my upbringing in Texas. While she likes to tell me that during her pregnancy with me all she would eat was the spiciest foods she could find, which in Texas can be found on every street corner, I can still attribute my affinity for spice to the years of spicy cuisine in which I indulged myself afterward. I’ve still to find a good Mexican restaurant in the midwest like the ones that were available everywhere in Dallas. What people like to think of as spicy in the midwest pales in comparison to even the mildest of salsas in a good Mexican restaurant in Texas. But I digress.
As you might have imagined what this is leading up to, the mood for something spicy struck me the other night. Being a college student, it is not often that I get the chance to indulge myself in a good spicy meal, or a good meal of any kind for that matter. My diet most often consists of Spaghetti-O’s, Wendy’s or a grilled cheese sandwich. When I came across Al Dente’s Red Chili Fettuccine several nights back, ideas started rolling through my head about what kind of pasta dish I might be able to make. After all, a cheap, delicious, spicy pasta is irresistable to a college student such as myself. Being a fan of grilling, I decided to get myself some type of spicy sausage to grill up, slice up and throw in the pasta, and ended up choosing chorizo to go along with my affinity for mexican spices. In the end I made up quite a delicious pasta dish that was cheap to make and satisfied my need for putting a bit of sweat on the brow.
Pasta Recipe:
1 Bag of Al Dente Red Chili Fettuccine
3 Johnsonville Chorizo links grilled and sliced
1 jar Monique’s Rustic Roasted Garlic Sauce
1 red bell pepper, sliced
8 oz. mushrooms
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Saute the mushrooms and sweet red pepper in the olive oil. Grill your sausages and slice. (If you are not grilling the sausages, you can slice and cook in a skillet on the stove top.) Add Monique’s Rustic Roasted Garlic Sauce to mushrooms, sweet red pepper and sausages. Cook pasta Al Dente Pasta for 3 minutes in boiling water and serve with sauce. Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.
2 comments July 2, 2008
