Polenta. What is it exactly? It sounds like something exotic and crazy. But really, it is such a simple dish that has the potential to be extraordinary! For those of you who grew up in the south, polenta is no more than Italian grits. Now I know some will cry out that "Grits and polenta aren't the same thing!" Well, yes and no. You see polenta and grits share some very fundamental and basic attributes. Polenta and grits are both essentially dried ground corn that is slow cooked in hot liquid to make a porridge like concoction. Both can be cooked with water alone, but we all know they are better with butter and cream. And both can be creamy and runny or as hard as mortar. The key differences are really what they are made of and what you put in them. Polenta is generally made with ground yellow cornmeal while traditional grits are made from hominy. Polenta has an Italian slant to it, meaning that any spices or seasoning as well as cheese added to it will be Italian. Grits usually are associated with Southern cuisine and served as a side dish with little to nothing added although cheesy grits are an exception.
Now that we have that comparison out of the way, lets talk more about polenta. At work I have become somewhat of an expert polenta maker. In fact, I had to save my sous chef's polenta when he was about to do a chef's table! That polenta turned out so well that one of our customers insisted on the recipe (provided below). Since I usually make large quantities and I usually make mine by feel and instinct, I had to sit down and think about it.
So what makes a good polenta? The first thing you have to know about
polenta is how you want to serve it. As stated previously, polenta can
be creamy and almost fluffy like good mashed potatoes, or nice and
firm like a piece of cornbread. Knowing what you are going to do with your polenta before you
start goes a long way to achieving that goal. Next, you have to let the
polenta dictate how it will cook and how much you will need. As much
as a recipe calls for certain amounts and times, it really comes down to
how the food behaves and how you react to that. Lastly, good polenta
takes fat and calories. It is difficult to make really good polenta
that is low cal.
Here are a couple of tips and tricks for good polenta making:
When buying your ingredients, don't be fooled into buying fancy packages of "polenta mix". It is all just cornmeal. The cornmeal is just as good for about a third of the price.
Don't get cornflour. You generally want coarsely ground cornmeal. Cornflour is just really finely ground cornmeal. For whatever reason, I have found that it does not make for good polenta. It just ends up grainy.
Polenta will continue to cook even after you take it off the fire. That means it will get thicker. Take it off the heat a bit before your desired consistency. Keep in mind when you are adding your cheese that it will also add density.
If your polenta ever ends up too thick or dense, just add some hot liquid to loosen it up. At work I use hot water from the pasta machine.
If you are transferring your polenta to a serving dish, spray your dish and whatever utensils you are using to transfer with cooking spray. This makes serving it easier.
For firm polenta that can be cut into shapes, add enough cornmeal to make it difficult to stir, but not impossible.
When making polenta for cutting, make sure you spread it in your dish or baking pan before it sets. You can now cool it and save it for later. Once you are ready to serve it, you can reheat it by baking, grilling or searing it.
Polenta is versatile. You can add anything from mushrooms to sundried tomatoes. Get creative.
Recipe:
1 cup milk (2% works well)
1 cup cream
1/2 cup water
2-3 cloves of garlic minced (garlic powder works in a pinch)
3-4 tbsp Italian Seasoning or fresh herbs1/2 to 1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal (grits can serve as a substitute)
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or your favorite Italian cheese
1/4 to 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste (if you can, use white pepper)
Mix your milk, cream and water in a sauce pan big enough to hold double the volume of the liquid.
Add
your minced garlic to the liquid. You can also choose to add the dried
herbs now, or wait until later. If using fresh herbs, it is best to
wait.
Heat your liquids on medium high heat until they simmer. Do not allow liquid to boil over or scorch on the bottom.
Once
the liquid is simmering, begin to add the cornmeal a little at a time
slowly, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. As the cornmeal cooks it
will thicken slightly. Once you have reached your desired thickness,
lower the heat.
Add your cheese, butter, seasoning and
herbs(if you have not done so already). Keep stirring the mixture until
the cheese and butter are completely incorporated.
Serve and enjoy!
A blog about cooking, eating, and all things food.
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Quick And Easy Alfredo
Part of my job duties at work are to have the sauces prepared for the make your own pasta bar. These include marinara, alfredo, and pesto. Today I will be talking about the alfredo sauce specifically.
Alfredo sauce is typically referred to a cream sauce that includes Parmesan cheese and butter. However, the reality is classically there is no such thing as an alfredo sauce. Usually the prepared dish was fettuccine alfredo which did not include a sauce. Instead the noodles were tossed with butter and cheese. As the cheese melted, it emulsified the liquids into a thick consistency. Sometimes cream would be added in addition to, or instead of the cheese.
Today alfredo sauce is a completely separate entity and often sold in jars or otherwise prepared. This is a shame given how easily alfredo sauce can be prepared at home. At work I will prepare a big batch of several (6-8) gallons to have ready for the week. I will then heat a smaller amount for the day's use. I start with equal parts milk and heavy cream. To save time you can also use half and half which is equal parts milk and cream. I will then heat the mixture slowly over low heat. I will prefer to use our large steam kettles. This help me avoid scorching the bottom of my sauce.
Once the dairy is at a simmer, at about 190 to 200 degrees, I start adding my spices and cheese. For spices I used salt, white pepper (very important it be white), and nutmeg (just a smidge). I will use good quality grated Parmesan cheese. For the 6-8 gallons, I usually used about 2 1/2 pounds. You can use shredded cheese, but just know it will take longer to incorporate. When adding your salt keep in mind that you want to add it sparingly at first since the cheese will also add saltiness to your sauce. You can adjust the seasonings later. Now, when you add the cheese, don't just dump it in all at once. Add it a little at a time and stir the sauce until it is incorporated in. Repeat this process until all of your cheese has been added.
After all of your cheese and spices have been added it is time to thicken the sauce. Now, traditionally it is only thickened with cheese and some reduction of the dairy and you can certainly choose to do that. At work I will usually used a cornstarch slurry to help it along. While the sauce is still hot, I will stir in the slurry until the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Now it is very important you add your slurry while the sauce is still hot. Otherwise the sauce will not thicken. Now if you ever find that you over estimated how much cornstarch you needed and over thicken your sauce, you can just thin it out with more dairy or even a bit of water. You can thicken your sauce using various other methods (roux, beurre manié), but the slurry is honestly the easiest.
When the sauce is at the desired consistency, you need to taste it. This is where you can adjust the seasoning. You can add salt and pepper if needed. The reason you want white pepper is so that your sauce remains white. Black pepper will show up as black flecks in your sauce giving it the appearance of cream gravy. As far as the nutmeg goes, you want to add enough to barley be perceptible. Nutmeg's flavor goes very well with dairy and you only need a small amount as to not overwhelm the flavor of the sauce.
If you want to make this sauce at home, here are some amounts to help you along the way:
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
OR
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 water
Serve over your favorite pasta with your favorite ingredients!
Alfredo sauce is typically referred to a cream sauce that includes Parmesan cheese and butter. However, the reality is classically there is no such thing as an alfredo sauce. Usually the prepared dish was fettuccine alfredo which did not include a sauce. Instead the noodles were tossed with butter and cheese. As the cheese melted, it emulsified the liquids into a thick consistency. Sometimes cream would be added in addition to, or instead of the cheese.
Today alfredo sauce is a completely separate entity and often sold in jars or otherwise prepared. This is a shame given how easily alfredo sauce can be prepared at home. At work I will prepare a big batch of several (6-8) gallons to have ready for the week. I will then heat a smaller amount for the day's use. I start with equal parts milk and heavy cream. To save time you can also use half and half which is equal parts milk and cream. I will then heat the mixture slowly over low heat. I will prefer to use our large steam kettles. This help me avoid scorching the bottom of my sauce.
Once the dairy is at a simmer, at about 190 to 200 degrees, I start adding my spices and cheese. For spices I used salt, white pepper (very important it be white), and nutmeg (just a smidge). I will use good quality grated Parmesan cheese. For the 6-8 gallons, I usually used about 2 1/2 pounds. You can use shredded cheese, but just know it will take longer to incorporate. When adding your salt keep in mind that you want to add it sparingly at first since the cheese will also add saltiness to your sauce. You can adjust the seasonings later. Now, when you add the cheese, don't just dump it in all at once. Add it a little at a time and stir the sauce until it is incorporated in. Repeat this process until all of your cheese has been added.
After all of your cheese and spices have been added it is time to thicken the sauce. Now, traditionally it is only thickened with cheese and some reduction of the dairy and you can certainly choose to do that. At work I will usually used a cornstarch slurry to help it along. While the sauce is still hot, I will stir in the slurry until the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Now it is very important you add your slurry while the sauce is still hot. Otherwise the sauce will not thicken. Now if you ever find that you over estimated how much cornstarch you needed and over thicken your sauce, you can just thin it out with more dairy or even a bit of water. You can thicken your sauce using various other methods (roux, beurre manié), but the slurry is honestly the easiest.
When the sauce is at the desired consistency, you need to taste it. This is where you can adjust the seasoning. You can add salt and pepper if needed. The reason you want white pepper is so that your sauce remains white. Black pepper will show up as black flecks in your sauce giving it the appearance of cream gravy. As far as the nutmeg goes, you want to add enough to barley be perceptible. Nutmeg's flavor goes very well with dairy and you only need a small amount as to not overwhelm the flavor of the sauce.
If you want to make this sauce at home, here are some amounts to help you along the way:
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
OR
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 water
Serve over your favorite pasta with your favorite ingredients!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Scampi Style Lobster Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Ragout and Pesto Bread (At Work)
This dish was inspired by National Lobster Day. Raviolis are usually pretty popular and today was no exception. And given the fact that they had lobster in them, well, let's just say I knew I was in for a busy day.
The first thing I prepared today were the peppers for my ragout. While this was not a true ragout, but more of a ciambotta. It served as basically a topping for my raviolis. So, like I said, the first thing to do was to roast my peppers. After they were roasted, cooled and cleaned I diced them up for my dish. Next I sauteed some freshly chopped garlic in oil. I allowed the garlic to become aromatic and then seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper. When the garlic was ready, I tossed in some canned artichoke hearts, allowing them to start heating up and cooking. I also used some unroasted diced red peppers to add bulk and a contrast in textures. The last thing I added to the pan was my roasted peppers and some crushed tomatoes. You don't want to add the roasted peppers too early since they are already cooked. The crushed tomatoes helped to add body to everything. I adjusted my seasoning and added some fresh parsley at the very end.
The pesto bread was also quite easy to make. All I did was take some baguettes and slice them in half. I then spread pesto on each half and cut them diagonally to make my individual pieces. I then put the bread in a 350F degree oven for about five minutes. You want to make your bread crusty, but still leave the center soft. Now for the home cook you can easily buy pesto sauce from your grocery store or you can make your own.
The lobster raviolis were no problem at all. Given that they were already made and all I had to do was boil/cook them. A little addendum to that. When cooking stuffed pastas like ravioli or tortellini, you can tell when they are done cooking when the pasta begins to float. Now, let me pull back the curtain on the professional kitchen, or at the very least, my kitchen. While we try to do a lot of things ourselves from scratch, some things are just too time consuming and labor intensive to do. It cases like this where our talents can be used on other things that we buy stuff pre-made.
Scampi usually refers to a large shrimp or langoustine that has been cooked and served in a garlic butter sauce. So to make this dish scampi style, I made a garlic lemon butter sauce. I started by sauteing plenty of garlic in oil. Once the garlic softened I added a little white wine and lemon juice. I waited for that to reduce slightly before I added more water. After everything came up to a boil, I thickened the mixture with a little corn starch. Then I slowly whisked in enough butter to give the sauce its velvety texture and buttery flavor. I seasoned it with salt and white pepper. I even made a little extra so that I could toss my ravioli in the sauce before being put on the plate.
The last thing that accompanied this dish was a side salad. Nothing to fancy here, just a mixture of romaine lettuce with spring mix as the base. I used shredded carrots and cherry tomatoes to mix in with my lettuce. As a dressing I used a zesty Italian. I would premix some of my salad and have it ready for when orders would come in. The last thing I want to do is waste time making a salad for each individual customer.
The first thing I prepared today were the peppers for my ragout. While this was not a true ragout, but more of a ciambotta. It served as basically a topping for my raviolis. So, like I said, the first thing to do was to roast my peppers. After they were roasted, cooled and cleaned I diced them up for my dish. Next I sauteed some freshly chopped garlic in oil. I allowed the garlic to become aromatic and then seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper. When the garlic was ready, I tossed in some canned artichoke hearts, allowing them to start heating up and cooking. I also used some unroasted diced red peppers to add bulk and a contrast in textures. The last thing I added to the pan was my roasted peppers and some crushed tomatoes. You don't want to add the roasted peppers too early since they are already cooked. The crushed tomatoes helped to add body to everything. I adjusted my seasoning and added some fresh parsley at the very end.
The pesto bread was also quite easy to make. All I did was take some baguettes and slice them in half. I then spread pesto on each half and cut them diagonally to make my individual pieces. I then put the bread in a 350F degree oven for about five minutes. You want to make your bread crusty, but still leave the center soft. Now for the home cook you can easily buy pesto sauce from your grocery store or you can make your own.
The lobster raviolis were no problem at all. Given that they were already made and all I had to do was boil/cook them. A little addendum to that. When cooking stuffed pastas like ravioli or tortellini, you can tell when they are done cooking when the pasta begins to float. Now, let me pull back the curtain on the professional kitchen, or at the very least, my kitchen. While we try to do a lot of things ourselves from scratch, some things are just too time consuming and labor intensive to do. It cases like this where our talents can be used on other things that we buy stuff pre-made.
Scampi usually refers to a large shrimp or langoustine that has been cooked and served in a garlic butter sauce. So to make this dish scampi style, I made a garlic lemon butter sauce. I started by sauteing plenty of garlic in oil. Once the garlic softened I added a little white wine and lemon juice. I waited for that to reduce slightly before I added more water. After everything came up to a boil, I thickened the mixture with a little corn starch. Then I slowly whisked in enough butter to give the sauce its velvety texture and buttery flavor. I seasoned it with salt and white pepper. I even made a little extra so that I could toss my ravioli in the sauce before being put on the plate.
The last thing that accompanied this dish was a side salad. Nothing to fancy here, just a mixture of romaine lettuce with spring mix as the base. I used shredded carrots and cherry tomatoes to mix in with my lettuce. As a dressing I used a zesty Italian. I would premix some of my salad and have it ready for when orders would come in. The last thing I want to do is waste time making a salad for each individual customer.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Food At Work: Shrimp ala Arrabbiata
I had a crazy thought at work today. I thought "Hey, I cook at work. Why don't I document and share some of the stuff I make at work on my blog?" So today I made shrimp ala arrabbiata over linguini with sauteed olives and peppers and a saffron cream sauce.
Arrabbiata sauce is an Italian sauce made from garlic, tomatoes and red chiles. Translated from Italian it literally means "angry". This is due to the red chiles. I had 30 lbs of shrimp to work with to make my shrimp ala arrabbiata.
Linguini worked well because nice long noodles provided a nice base for all the other ingredients to settle on. Like a well put together building, you need to have a good foundation.
The sauteed peppers and olives were quite easily put together. I just julienned red, green, and yellow bell peppers then sauteed them in oil with garlic, black olives, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
The saffron cream sauce was also fairly easy to prepare. I set the cream to simmer while I steeped the saffron in hot water. When the cream was nice and hot, I added the saffron (water and all) to it and seasoned it all with salt and pepper. I used a little corn starch to give my sauce body. Right before service I added some fresh herbs (parsley and rosemary) to the sauce.
Putting together the dish was just a matter of layering it all together starting with the pasta followed by the shrimp and then the vegetables and finished with the cream sauce.
Arrabbiata sauce is an Italian sauce made from garlic, tomatoes and red chiles. Translated from Italian it literally means "angry". This is due to the red chiles. I had 30 lbs of shrimp to work with to make my shrimp ala arrabbiata.
The sauteed peppers and olives were quite easily put together. I just julienned red, green, and yellow bell peppers then sauteed them in oil with garlic, black olives, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
Shrimp ala Arrabbiata
This my recipe for Shrimp ala Arrabbiata.
1 lbs shrimp fresh or frozen
3 tbsp fat: oil or butter
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped or minced
1/4 cup tomato sauce or paste
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
to taste crushed red pepper flakes
to taste salt and pepper
First heat your oil in a nice saute pan big enough to hold your shrimp. Add your garlic and cook until you can smell it. Once the garlic is aromatic, add your shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, you don't have to thaw them out as long as they are loose. Cook the shrimp until they are about 80% cooked (most are pink with some still translucent). Add your Italian seasoning and tomato product. If using fresh shrimp use tomato sauce. If using frozen use tomato paste. The reason for this is that frozen shrimp release water that will dilute the tomato paste. If you use tomato sauce, it would become too watery. You basically want just enough tomato to coat everything. However, if you'd like the shrimp more saucy, use more tomato. Add your seasoning and your red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want it. Just keep in mind that a little goes a long way and you can always add more, but can't take any out.
This is nice toss or served over pasta.
1 lbs shrimp fresh or frozen
3 tbsp fat: oil or butter
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped or minced
1/4 cup tomato sauce or paste
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
to taste crushed red pepper flakes
to taste salt and pepper
First heat your oil in a nice saute pan big enough to hold your shrimp. Add your garlic and cook until you can smell it. Once the garlic is aromatic, add your shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, you don't have to thaw them out as long as they are loose. Cook the shrimp until they are about 80% cooked (most are pink with some still translucent). Add your Italian seasoning and tomato product. If using fresh shrimp use tomato sauce. If using frozen use tomato paste. The reason for this is that frozen shrimp release water that will dilute the tomato paste. If you use tomato sauce, it would become too watery. You basically want just enough tomato to coat everything. However, if you'd like the shrimp more saucy, use more tomato. Add your seasoning and your red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want it. Just keep in mind that a little goes a long way and you can always add more, but can't take any out.
This is nice toss or served over pasta.
Perfect Pasta Postulated
Cooking pasta is one of those things that is quite easy to do, but also quite easy to screw up. Nothing ruins a good Italian meal like over cooked, gummy, and stuck together pasta. Here are some dos and don'ts for cooking up magnificent macaroni, fabulous fettuccine, or splendorous spaghetti.
DO have plenty of water when you are cooking pasta. Having plenty of the wet stuff gives pasta room to move around when it is cooking. You see, movement is a key factor in pasta cookery. Without it pasta has a tendency to stick to itself. The rule of thumb I have heard is one gallon of water per pound of pasta. Generally I just get a pot big enough to hold two to three times the volume of pasta and fill it 3/4 of the way up.
DO allow the water to come to a rolling boil before you toss in your pasta. You want that water nice and hot because the moment you add your pasta, it will bring the temperature of water down. If your water is nice and hot it will recover nice and quickly. The reasons you don't want water to be anything less is that pasta takes longer to cook in cooler water and more importantly, pasta will again want to stick to itself. When water is boiling, the movement of the water helps move the pasta.
DO use a lid. It helps the water boil faster and it will help the water recover after dropping in your pasta.
DON'T just toss in your pasta and walk away. You need to give it at least an initial stir to help the individual noodles get space and separate from each other. This is especially true with your long, string-like pastas. Otherwise you may end up with big clumps of pasta. Hopefully you can see how important movement is in cooking pasta. In fact, you may want to stir your pasta every once in a while just to make sure there is movement between the noodles and that they are not sticking.
DO try to add all of your pasta at one time. What I mean by that is if you have to do batches, then you have to do the process all over again for each batch unless you have something like a basket that you can dip and take out of the hot water. Whatever you do, DON'T add half your pasta, wait for it to cook a little while then add some more. This will assure you have unevenly cooked pasta.
DO salt your water. Adding salt to your water is really the only way to impart flavor directly to your pasta. One of the things I learned in culinary school is to season everything and do it in layers. Without adding salt to your pasta, it will taste bland. I know it will probably be tossed in sauce and have other stuff added to it, but trust me, salted pasta is so much better. As far as how much salt, well, I always try to get my water to the salinity of sea water, but that is my personal choice. You kind of have to play around with it so that you know how much salt to add to the water to get the pasta to where you like it. Now, when you add the salt you can either add it at the very beginning or wait until the water comes to a boil. If you add it at the beginning you can taste your water, but it will take the water longer to boil. If you wait until the water is boiling then you don't have to wait as long but you have to taste you water as it were a hot soup.
DON'T add oil to your water. It serves no purpose. You are essentially just wasting oil. It will pretty much just hang out at the top and never even come close to mixing with the pasta, even with all the vigorous boiling. DO, however, oil your pasta after you are done cooking it.
DO be patient. I can't tell you how long the pasta will take because every pasta is different. Just keep an eye on it and keep tasting it. If the pasta is still hard, it is not done yet. You want pasta to be what they call al dente. This means the pasta is firm, not hard, but can be easily chewed. Once you have reached this point, your pasta is ready.
DO be careful when draining your pasta. You will pouring hot water down the drain that will still release copious amounts of steam. Use a colander big enough to hold your all your pasta but without hole big enough that will allow your noodles to escape. It is at this point that you want to oil your pasta. Any oil will work, but a nice olive oil will add flavor to your pasta. You want just enough oil to coat your pasta.
Now you have two choices. You can immediately serve the hot pasta, or you can cool it down. The fastest way to cool down hot pasta, I have found, is to use a combination of ice and water. Just pour some ice over your pasta then pour water over it all until the ice melts away. As a side note, when cooling your pasta this way it may wash away some of the oil, so you may want to reapply a bit more. When you are ready to reheat your pasta, you can do it in a sauce or with hot, not boiling, water. Just give your pasta a dunk to freshen them up and serve. For the sauce method just toss your pasta with really hot, temperature not spice, sauce and serve.
Hopefully these tips help the next time you want some pasta perfection.
DO have plenty of water when you are cooking pasta. Having plenty of the wet stuff gives pasta room to move around when it is cooking. You see, movement is a key factor in pasta cookery. Without it pasta has a tendency to stick to itself. The rule of thumb I have heard is one gallon of water per pound of pasta. Generally I just get a pot big enough to hold two to three times the volume of pasta and fill it 3/4 of the way up.
DO allow the water to come to a rolling boil before you toss in your pasta. You want that water nice and hot because the moment you add your pasta, it will bring the temperature of water down. If your water is nice and hot it will recover nice and quickly. The reasons you don't want water to be anything less is that pasta takes longer to cook in cooler water and more importantly, pasta will again want to stick to itself. When water is boiling, the movement of the water helps move the pasta.
DO use a lid. It helps the water boil faster and it will help the water recover after dropping in your pasta.
DON'T just toss in your pasta and walk away. You need to give it at least an initial stir to help the individual noodles get space and separate from each other. This is especially true with your long, string-like pastas. Otherwise you may end up with big clumps of pasta. Hopefully you can see how important movement is in cooking pasta. In fact, you may want to stir your pasta every once in a while just to make sure there is movement between the noodles and that they are not sticking.
DO try to add all of your pasta at one time. What I mean by that is if you have to do batches, then you have to do the process all over again for each batch unless you have something like a basket that you can dip and take out of the hot water. Whatever you do, DON'T add half your pasta, wait for it to cook a little while then add some more. This will assure you have unevenly cooked pasta.
DO salt your water. Adding salt to your water is really the only way to impart flavor directly to your pasta. One of the things I learned in culinary school is to season everything and do it in layers. Without adding salt to your pasta, it will taste bland. I know it will probably be tossed in sauce and have other stuff added to it, but trust me, salted pasta is so much better. As far as how much salt, well, I always try to get my water to the salinity of sea water, but that is my personal choice. You kind of have to play around with it so that you know how much salt to add to the water to get the pasta to where you like it. Now, when you add the salt you can either add it at the very beginning or wait until the water comes to a boil. If you add it at the beginning you can taste your water, but it will take the water longer to boil. If you wait until the water is boiling then you don't have to wait as long but you have to taste you water as it were a hot soup.
DON'T add oil to your water. It serves no purpose. You are essentially just wasting oil. It will pretty much just hang out at the top and never even come close to mixing with the pasta, even with all the vigorous boiling. DO, however, oil your pasta after you are done cooking it.
DO be patient. I can't tell you how long the pasta will take because every pasta is different. Just keep an eye on it and keep tasting it. If the pasta is still hard, it is not done yet. You want pasta to be what they call al dente. This means the pasta is firm, not hard, but can be easily chewed. Once you have reached this point, your pasta is ready.
DO be careful when draining your pasta. You will pouring hot water down the drain that will still release copious amounts of steam. Use a colander big enough to hold your all your pasta but without hole big enough that will allow your noodles to escape. It is at this point that you want to oil your pasta. Any oil will work, but a nice olive oil will add flavor to your pasta. You want just enough oil to coat your pasta.
Now you have two choices. You can immediately serve the hot pasta, or you can cool it down. The fastest way to cool down hot pasta, I have found, is to use a combination of ice and water. Just pour some ice over your pasta then pour water over it all until the ice melts away. As a side note, when cooling your pasta this way it may wash away some of the oil, so you may want to reapply a bit more. When you are ready to reheat your pasta, you can do it in a sauce or with hot, not boiling, water. Just give your pasta a dunk to freshen them up and serve. For the sauce method just toss your pasta with really hot, temperature not spice, sauce and serve.
Hopefully these tips help the next time you want some pasta perfection.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Review of Little Napoli Italian Cuisine on Westheimer
So, this is not the first time I have dined at Little Napoli.
Nor will it be the last. Quite honestly, this is probably one of my
favorite Italian places in Houston. This, however, will be my first
official review of it. I might do more at a later date since I enjoy
the food so much and I am always trying to order something different.
Speaking of food, it has everything from pizza to the classics. This
place should cover everyone.
So tonight my wife were having a little mini celebration. When we were talking about what to do for dinner I suggested Little Napoli because one of the things that I absolutely love about this place is its atmosphere. It can be great for a casual dinner with friends or accommodate you when you want something a little more intimate. The lighting is nice and low without being dark. The music selection is varied ranging from slow romantic music to a peppy Italian ballad to something from the Rat Pack's repertoire.
Another I love about the place is the the overall volume is very subdued. It is not quiet by any means, but I can hear myself talk and hold a conversation with another person without having to resort to screaming. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that almost every time I have ever been to Little Napoli it has never been full. Some might see this as a negative, but I see it as quite the opposite. It helps keep the intimacy in my opinion. Even if the place fills up, I have the feeling that the noise would still not be a problem.
Now, let's get to the food. For tonight's repast I ordered the crab cakes as the appetizer. The plate came with two crab cakes that were covered in a nice pink sauce (mix of tomato and cream) with chunks of tomato and bell pepper that gave the sauce some substance. The crab cakes themselves were expertly cooked. Nice and crispy on the outside with a soft and moist, but flaky interior. They were masterfully seasoned and had a good ratio of crab meat to bread crumbs.
My wife ordered a staple of ours at Little Napoli: the braised beef and tortellini. The dish is served in a nice creamy sweet Marsala sauce and has sliced portobellos as well as the tender beef and four cheese tortellini. There is a reason why this is one of our favorite dishes here and why it is sometimes difficult to stray and try something different. This dish just screams comfort. Like your favorite blanket in the cold winter months or a warm hug from your grandmother. The Marsala sauce is nicely balanced without having an overwhelming flavor of alcohol or being overly sweet. It is the perfect cream coverall for this dish. The beef itself is also superbly done. Both tender and flavorful indicating that they take time to slow cook it to get it just right. In fact, it would not surprise me to find out if the beef were cooked in Marsala wine and that cooking liquid was then reserved and used to make the sauce. As for the tortellini, well, lets just say they know how to cook pasta. It was nice and al dente.
My choice for the evening was something I had not had here before. I decided to try the veal piccata for the first time. I was a little apprehensive at first because one, veal is something that very easily can be done wrong, and two, the piccata sauce did not have any capers as it normally does. Instead, the dish was made with sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. The whole thing was also served on a bed of capellini (angel hair) pasta. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The veal was cooked to perfection, keeping its tenderness while not turning chewy or tough. The sauce was magnificently done. It had all the hints of the white wine while drawing acidity from the lemon juice, tomatoes and artichokes without ever becoming too tart. The pasta once again was expertly cooked. Angle hair past is one of those finicky pastas that you have to treat with kid gloves. Cook it just a bit too long and it falls to pieces. Not the case here.
Another great thing about Little Napoli is the wine selection. It is vast and it is varied. It has something for everyone and a wide spectrum of price points. Having arrived at the tail end of happy hour (from 2-7 pm), my wife and I both choose the house shiraz which was a new selection. I had previously order the house wine and had never been disappointed, especially considering the cost. Now can I say this was the best wine I have ever had? No. But was it fairly good? Yes, especially if you let it breath from a moment.
As much as I enjoy Little Napoli, there are a few points of contention I have with it. First of all, the small salads which are served before the entrees are really just uninspired. The consist of basically one cucumber slice, one tomato wedge, one ring of a white onion, and bunch of lettuce drenched in vinegar with a bit of seasoning. You can't really call it a vinaigrette because you would need oil for it to be considered one. If there was any oil, you could have fooled me. I enjoy vinegar, but this was just too much.
Another problem with Little Napoli is the service. It is not that it is bad necessarily. The problem lies in that it can be piece meal and confusing at times. When we walked in, my wife and I were seated by one server who also gave us menus, asked if we had been helped by another, and had our order taken by a third. When the third waiter asked for our orders, my wife ordered her wine and I ordered our appetizer since I had not made up my mind about what to get yet and also thinking that our original server would take our orders for our entrees. When our appetizer came out is when we finally gave our entree orders and my wine order, to which our server seemed surprised about. Maybe this was just something caused by the restaurant being not quite so fully, maybe not. After the point where the staff decided who would be attending us, the service was just fine.
So, that is just one of my dining experiences at Little Napoli on Westheimer. This place is well worth looking into for a nice casual evening of Italian dinning or maybe something a little nicer without going into full blown "nice restaurant" category.
So tonight my wife were having a little mini celebration. When we were talking about what to do for dinner I suggested Little Napoli because one of the things that I absolutely love about this place is its atmosphere. It can be great for a casual dinner with friends or accommodate you when you want something a little more intimate. The lighting is nice and low without being dark. The music selection is varied ranging from slow romantic music to a peppy Italian ballad to something from the Rat Pack's repertoire.
Another I love about the place is the the overall volume is very subdued. It is not quiet by any means, but I can hear myself talk and hold a conversation with another person without having to resort to screaming. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that almost every time I have ever been to Little Napoli it has never been full. Some might see this as a negative, but I see it as quite the opposite. It helps keep the intimacy in my opinion. Even if the place fills up, I have the feeling that the noise would still not be a problem.
Now, let's get to the food. For tonight's repast I ordered the crab cakes as the appetizer. The plate came with two crab cakes that were covered in a nice pink sauce (mix of tomato and cream) with chunks of tomato and bell pepper that gave the sauce some substance. The crab cakes themselves were expertly cooked. Nice and crispy on the outside with a soft and moist, but flaky interior. They were masterfully seasoned and had a good ratio of crab meat to bread crumbs.
My wife ordered a staple of ours at Little Napoli: the braised beef and tortellini. The dish is served in a nice creamy sweet Marsala sauce and has sliced portobellos as well as the tender beef and four cheese tortellini. There is a reason why this is one of our favorite dishes here and why it is sometimes difficult to stray and try something different. This dish just screams comfort. Like your favorite blanket in the cold winter months or a warm hug from your grandmother. The Marsala sauce is nicely balanced without having an overwhelming flavor of alcohol or being overly sweet. It is the perfect cream coverall for this dish. The beef itself is also superbly done. Both tender and flavorful indicating that they take time to slow cook it to get it just right. In fact, it would not surprise me to find out if the beef were cooked in Marsala wine and that cooking liquid was then reserved and used to make the sauce. As for the tortellini, well, lets just say they know how to cook pasta. It was nice and al dente.
My choice for the evening was something I had not had here before. I decided to try the veal piccata for the first time. I was a little apprehensive at first because one, veal is something that very easily can be done wrong, and two, the piccata sauce did not have any capers as it normally does. Instead, the dish was made with sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. The whole thing was also served on a bed of capellini (angel hair) pasta. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The veal was cooked to perfection, keeping its tenderness while not turning chewy or tough. The sauce was magnificently done. It had all the hints of the white wine while drawing acidity from the lemon juice, tomatoes and artichokes without ever becoming too tart. The pasta once again was expertly cooked. Angle hair past is one of those finicky pastas that you have to treat with kid gloves. Cook it just a bit too long and it falls to pieces. Not the case here.
Another great thing about Little Napoli is the wine selection. It is vast and it is varied. It has something for everyone and a wide spectrum of price points. Having arrived at the tail end of happy hour (from 2-7 pm), my wife and I both choose the house shiraz which was a new selection. I had previously order the house wine and had never been disappointed, especially considering the cost. Now can I say this was the best wine I have ever had? No. But was it fairly good? Yes, especially if you let it breath from a moment.
As much as I enjoy Little Napoli, there are a few points of contention I have with it. First of all, the small salads which are served before the entrees are really just uninspired. The consist of basically one cucumber slice, one tomato wedge, one ring of a white onion, and bunch of lettuce drenched in vinegar with a bit of seasoning. You can't really call it a vinaigrette because you would need oil for it to be considered one. If there was any oil, you could have fooled me. I enjoy vinegar, but this was just too much.
Another problem with Little Napoli is the service. It is not that it is bad necessarily. The problem lies in that it can be piece meal and confusing at times. When we walked in, my wife and I were seated by one server who also gave us menus, asked if we had been helped by another, and had our order taken by a third. When the third waiter asked for our orders, my wife ordered her wine and I ordered our appetizer since I had not made up my mind about what to get yet and also thinking that our original server would take our orders for our entrees. When our appetizer came out is when we finally gave our entree orders and my wine order, to which our server seemed surprised about. Maybe this was just something caused by the restaurant being not quite so fully, maybe not. After the point where the staff decided who would be attending us, the service was just fine.
So, that is just one of my dining experiences at Little Napoli on Westheimer. This place is well worth looking into for a nice casual evening of Italian dinning or maybe something a little nicer without going into full blown "nice restaurant" category.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Bolognese Sauce
A little preface if you will. At my current job, I am in charge of the Italian food station. That means I prepare the daily special as well as preparing the sauces (marinara, alfredo, and pesto) for the pasta bar. This is an area that I am enjoying very much and am quite good at, if I do say so myself. Therefore, I will probably write a series of post about Italian food and my work at this station.
That being said, I am covering a quite tasty sauce today. Bolognese sauce, if you have not already figured it out, comes to us from Bologna, Italy. It is a ragu, in other words, a meat sauce. If you want to stay traditional, then Bolognese is often slow cooked with vegetables and minced or ground meat such as beef and pork(pancetta) and served only with certain types of pastas. That is all fine and good. I am sure there is many an Italian grandma that could thoroughly school me on the finer points of a well made Bolognese sauce. However, I am here to show you how to make a simply and quite tasty version.
The basics of this sauce are essentially: meat, mushrooms, and tomato. Now with those basics you could very easily make a Bolonese sauce that would be serviceable, but lets face it. We want some pazaz! So, what do we bring to the party to give it a little more flair you ask? Herbs and spices to start. Nothing helps Italian food like some nice herbs and spices. Some black pepper and salt for seasoning, parsley for color and oregano, rosemary and a hint of thyme for flavor. Onion and garlic will serve as your aromatics. If you really want to get fancy, you can always add some shallots.
Let's look at those basics again for just a second. First of all, what do I mean by meat? Well, generally I am speaking of ground beef. That being said, you can just as easily use ground turkey, chicken, or pancetta. Hell, Italian sausage works well with it too. As far as the mushrooms go, you can go wrong with your everyday white buttons, but once again feel free to experiment. The tomato part of the equation is also variable. You can go with ripe tomatoes you picked and diced yourself, although this would add time to your cooking. You can just as easily open up a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and use that.
Me personally like to use a combination of canned tomatoes (Italian style or with garlic and olive oil) and tomato paste.
So, let's get stared. First thing, first. If you are a culinary professional, then you are taught that before you even get started on the cooking you must get everything prepped. That means chopping your garlic and herbs, dicing your onion and slicing or chopping your mushrooms if they have not been previously processed. For the garlic and herbs keep in mind that while fresh is always better, dried can work. Once you have done this you can begin cooking. First step is to add a little oil to your sauce pan and heat it up. Next add your aromatics (onion and garlic) and cook until they get translucent and you can really smell them.
Next add your meat and brown. Now, you don't have to cook it all the way through. You also have the option of adding your seasoning at this point. I'm talking about the salt and pepper and all the herbs except the parsley. After you have browned your meat you can add your mushrooms and cook them a bit Afterward add enough water to mostly cover everything and turn up the heat to full. This will help that water boil away while it finishes cooking the meat. If the meat is still in clumps you can break it apart as it cooks. One other note, if you want to reduce the fat used to cook the sauce, skip the oil in the pan and just add the water at the very beginning. You won't get browning, but you will still cook everything together.
After the meat is cooked and the water is mostly boiled off, add your tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes and tomato paste so that I can control the consistency of the sauce. Too thick, add some more tomatoes. Too thin, then more paste is needed. Keep in mind that if your sauce is ever too thin, add some tomato paste. After you have gotten your sauce to the consistency you like, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Just keep in mind you can always add more, but you can't really take it out.
Now, just let the sauce simmer for about 15- 20 min. At the end of this time, add your parsley. The reason you add it at the very end is so that it keeps its bright green color longer than if you added it earlier. In fact, another option is just to sprinkle it over the top of the sauce as a garnish.
It is now ready. Just serve it up over or tossed with your favorite pasta. Lastly I just want to say two things: First I have never claimed that this was an authentic Bolognese sauce. It is just what I have made at work. Secondly I know I have not included amounts. This is just general guidelines for making Bolognese sauce. But for those who need more specific amounts, well here you go:
1 Lbs meat
1 lbs mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1-2 tablespoons oregano
1-2 tablespoons rosemary
1-2 teaspoons thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
OR
1 jar of tomato pasta sauce
That being said, I am covering a quite tasty sauce today. Bolognese sauce, if you have not already figured it out, comes to us from Bologna, Italy. It is a ragu, in other words, a meat sauce. If you want to stay traditional, then Bolognese is often slow cooked with vegetables and minced or ground meat such as beef and pork(pancetta) and served only with certain types of pastas. That is all fine and good. I am sure there is many an Italian grandma that could thoroughly school me on the finer points of a well made Bolognese sauce. However, I am here to show you how to make a simply and quite tasty version.
The basics of this sauce are essentially: meat, mushrooms, and tomato. Now with those basics you could very easily make a Bolonese sauce that would be serviceable, but lets face it. We want some pazaz! So, what do we bring to the party to give it a little more flair you ask? Herbs and spices to start. Nothing helps Italian food like some nice herbs and spices. Some black pepper and salt for seasoning, parsley for color and oregano, rosemary and a hint of thyme for flavor. Onion and garlic will serve as your aromatics. If you really want to get fancy, you can always add some shallots.
Let's look at those basics again for just a second. First of all, what do I mean by meat? Well, generally I am speaking of ground beef. That being said, you can just as easily use ground turkey, chicken, or pancetta. Hell, Italian sausage works well with it too. As far as the mushrooms go, you can go wrong with your everyday white buttons, but once again feel free to experiment. The tomato part of the equation is also variable. You can go with ripe tomatoes you picked and diced yourself, although this would add time to your cooking. You can just as easily open up a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and use that.
Me personally like to use a combination of canned tomatoes (Italian style or with garlic and olive oil) and tomato paste.
So, let's get stared. First thing, first. If you are a culinary professional, then you are taught that before you even get started on the cooking you must get everything prepped. That means chopping your garlic and herbs, dicing your onion and slicing or chopping your mushrooms if they have not been previously processed. For the garlic and herbs keep in mind that while fresh is always better, dried can work. Once you have done this you can begin cooking. First step is to add a little oil to your sauce pan and heat it up. Next add your aromatics (onion and garlic) and cook until they get translucent and you can really smell them.
Next add your meat and brown. Now, you don't have to cook it all the way through. You also have the option of adding your seasoning at this point. I'm talking about the salt and pepper and all the herbs except the parsley. After you have browned your meat you can add your mushrooms and cook them a bit Afterward add enough water to mostly cover everything and turn up the heat to full. This will help that water boil away while it finishes cooking the meat. If the meat is still in clumps you can break it apart as it cooks. One other note, if you want to reduce the fat used to cook the sauce, skip the oil in the pan and just add the water at the very beginning. You won't get browning, but you will still cook everything together.
After the meat is cooked and the water is mostly boiled off, add your tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes and tomato paste so that I can control the consistency of the sauce. Too thick, add some more tomatoes. Too thin, then more paste is needed. Keep in mind that if your sauce is ever too thin, add some tomato paste. After you have gotten your sauce to the consistency you like, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Just keep in mind you can always add more, but you can't really take it out.
Now, just let the sauce simmer for about 15- 20 min. At the end of this time, add your parsley. The reason you add it at the very end is so that it keeps its bright green color longer than if you added it earlier. In fact, another option is just to sprinkle it over the top of the sauce as a garnish.
It is now ready. Just serve it up over or tossed with your favorite pasta. Lastly I just want to say two things: First I have never claimed that this was an authentic Bolognese sauce. It is just what I have made at work. Secondly I know I have not included amounts. This is just general guidelines for making Bolognese sauce. But for those who need more specific amounts, well here you go:
1 Lbs meat
1 lbs mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1-2 tablespoons oregano
1-2 tablespoons rosemary
1-2 teaspoons thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
OR
1 jar of tomato pasta sauce
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Review of Antonio's Italian Grill
I was afforded the opportunity to eat at this little Italian Restaurant located at 1105 Center St, Deer Park thanks to my fiancee's family. Nothing like a little family gathering to go out to eat to a new place, or in this case, a place familiar to the family, but not to me.
As soon as we were seated I noticed that there were little bowls filled with oil (which I correctly assumed was olive) and spices. This is always a good sign for an Italian restaurant as this means that some kind of bread will be sure to follow and you will have bread to dip in your olive oil, the Italian version of chips and salsa.
Sure enough, shortly after we were seated and before our drink orders were taken, a waitress emerged carrying baskets of warm bread. In each basket were two versions of bread. One was the common elongated loaf which as pre-cut. It was a soft garlic bread. The other version was a singular piece of bread shaped like a triangular puffy pillow. The crust was a harder than the other bread, but still quite soft. It was also sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. These pre-meal appetizers left me with high hope that the rest of the meal would be quite enjoyable.
The salad course, on the other hand, was quite a disappointment. As with many restaurants, you got a dinner salad ahead of your entree with your choice of dressing. When I asked what the choices of dressing were, I got a very pedestrian choice of ranch, Italian, Thousand Island, and blue cheese. I naturally chose Italian since we were at an Italian place and since it was the closest thing to a vinaigrette.
When our salads did arrive it was easy to identify them as the standard iceberg salad mix with a few bits of shredded carrots. I think I even managed to find half a grape tomato in there somewhere. When I finally took a bite all I could notice was the tang of the dressing. I don't know where they got it, but it was too much acid and not enough oil. The salad was nothing to get excited about.
On to the entrees. I ordered Spaghetti Dimare. Spaghetti noddles, calamari, shrimp, mussels, and clams tossed in a light tomato sauce. My fiancee ordered the Tuscany Grilled Tuna. This promised to be a delight since it was a grilled tuna steak served with fettuccine noodles. My fiancee's sister ordered a Stuffed Chicken Florentine, which was a chicken breast stuffed with cheese and spinach. Her boyfriend ordered a Char Broiled Steak Pomodoro. I must say these were really quite a hit and miss bunch. After the initial good start, I was surprised by these dishes.
My dish was quite good. The tomato sauce was a nice compliment to the sea food. It did not overpower the complex flavors hidden within the mound of pasta. Truthfully I only had two complaints about the dish. Fist of all, it could have used a little more of the wonderful seafood. A lot of volume was taken by the shells of the clams and mussels that were left in which made for nice presentation. However, sometimes it seemed I had to dig to find what was the main thrust of the dish. The other complaint that I have is that I really wish they would have deveined the shrimp. To me, deveining shrimp just shows that you are willing to go the little extra for your diner. You also have to worry that sometimes undeveined shrimp tasty a little crappy. Well, what do you think is in the shrimp "vein"? I would call this dish good.
My fiance's dish was kind of a disappointment. When I read grilled tuna, I was expecting a tuna steak that had been nicely grilled on the outside but still leaving a beautiful red center. Boy were my fiance and I surprised to find that the tuna had been completely cooked through. Sigh. I have always said that if you want well done tuna, might as well get it out of a can. This was no exception. While the taste was indeed good, you lost some of the subtlety of a rare to medium rare tuna. Not to mention that it was a bit dry. The pasta was good, but it just could not detract from the over cooked tuna. Sigh, yet another dish that did not live up to its potential.
My fiance's sister's dish was one I only tasted slightly. From what I could tell, it was not bad. The spinach and cheese mixed together nicely and had a good flavor. The chicken was not overdone and rubbery. So, I guess that the Chicken Florentine passed. At least it did from the small morsel I had.
The Char Broiled Steak Pomodoro is one that I have to report on only by hearsay. From the account of the person who ate it, the pasta part of the dish was good. The steak was not. The steak was, like in a good deal of restaurants, over cooked. He had ordered it medium well. When he got his steak, it was more like well to over done. Here is a little tip I have picked up over the years. When going to a restaurant for the first time and ordering steak, order your steak a degree of doneness under what you really want it. Chances are that the restaurant will err on the side of caution (read liability) and over do your meat. (The exception to this rule is steak houses since it is their business to cook steaks right.)
So overall, I would not count this experience as unpleasant. However, I don't know if I would go back there on my own. If I did, I would just have to try something different.
As soon as we were seated I noticed that there were little bowls filled with oil (which I correctly assumed was olive) and spices. This is always a good sign for an Italian restaurant as this means that some kind of bread will be sure to follow and you will have bread to dip in your olive oil, the Italian version of chips and salsa.
Sure enough, shortly after we were seated and before our drink orders were taken, a waitress emerged carrying baskets of warm bread. In each basket were two versions of bread. One was the common elongated loaf which as pre-cut. It was a soft garlic bread. The other version was a singular piece of bread shaped like a triangular puffy pillow. The crust was a harder than the other bread, but still quite soft. It was also sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. These pre-meal appetizers left me with high hope that the rest of the meal would be quite enjoyable.
The salad course, on the other hand, was quite a disappointment. As with many restaurants, you got a dinner salad ahead of your entree with your choice of dressing. When I asked what the choices of dressing were, I got a very pedestrian choice of ranch, Italian, Thousand Island, and blue cheese. I naturally chose Italian since we were at an Italian place and since it was the closest thing to a vinaigrette.
When our salads did arrive it was easy to identify them as the standard iceberg salad mix with a few bits of shredded carrots. I think I even managed to find half a grape tomato in there somewhere. When I finally took a bite all I could notice was the tang of the dressing. I don't know where they got it, but it was too much acid and not enough oil. The salad was nothing to get excited about.
On to the entrees. I ordered Spaghetti Dimare. Spaghetti noddles, calamari, shrimp, mussels, and clams tossed in a light tomato sauce. My fiancee ordered the Tuscany Grilled Tuna. This promised to be a delight since it was a grilled tuna steak served with fettuccine noodles. My fiancee's sister ordered a Stuffed Chicken Florentine, which was a chicken breast stuffed with cheese and spinach. Her boyfriend ordered a Char Broiled Steak Pomodoro. I must say these were really quite a hit and miss bunch. After the initial good start, I was surprised by these dishes.
My dish was quite good. The tomato sauce was a nice compliment to the sea food. It did not overpower the complex flavors hidden within the mound of pasta. Truthfully I only had two complaints about the dish. Fist of all, it could have used a little more of the wonderful seafood. A lot of volume was taken by the shells of the clams and mussels that were left in which made for nice presentation. However, sometimes it seemed I had to dig to find what was the main thrust of the dish. The other complaint that I have is that I really wish they would have deveined the shrimp. To me, deveining shrimp just shows that you are willing to go the little extra for your diner. You also have to worry that sometimes undeveined shrimp tasty a little crappy. Well, what do you think is in the shrimp "vein"? I would call this dish good.
My fiance's dish was kind of a disappointment. When I read grilled tuna, I was expecting a tuna steak that had been nicely grilled on the outside but still leaving a beautiful red center. Boy were my fiance and I surprised to find that the tuna had been completely cooked through. Sigh. I have always said that if you want well done tuna, might as well get it out of a can. This was no exception. While the taste was indeed good, you lost some of the subtlety of a rare to medium rare tuna. Not to mention that it was a bit dry. The pasta was good, but it just could not detract from the over cooked tuna. Sigh, yet another dish that did not live up to its potential.
My fiance's sister's dish was one I only tasted slightly. From what I could tell, it was not bad. The spinach and cheese mixed together nicely and had a good flavor. The chicken was not overdone and rubbery. So, I guess that the Chicken Florentine passed. At least it did from the small morsel I had.
The Char Broiled Steak Pomodoro is one that I have to report on only by hearsay. From the account of the person who ate it, the pasta part of the dish was good. The steak was not. The steak was, like in a good deal of restaurants, over cooked. He had ordered it medium well. When he got his steak, it was more like well to over done. Here is a little tip I have picked up over the years. When going to a restaurant for the first time and ordering steak, order your steak a degree of doneness under what you really want it. Chances are that the restaurant will err on the side of caution (read liability) and over do your meat. (The exception to this rule is steak houses since it is their business to cook steaks right.)
So overall, I would not count this experience as unpleasant. However, I don't know if I would go back there on my own. If I did, I would just have to try something different.
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