614 Restaurant Week - Cameron's American Bistro

Birthday week continues! For Thursday's birthday dinner I chose Cameron's American Bistro because I have always wanted to go to Mitchell's flagship restaurant. I'm a fairly regular visitor of some of his other places, but for some reason I've never been to this one.

I quote the website:" Cameron's American Bistro, the original Cameron Mitchell Restaurant located in Worthington, presents a dining experience that blends genuine hospitality and uniquely innovative food in an upscale-casual, intimate atmosphere. An American road trip for your palate, Cameron's American Bistro brings home to Columbus delicious dishes familiar and unfamiliar, from places coastal and landlocked." This was a place I definitely wanted to visit.

 The posted menu for Cameron's for Restaurant Week looked wonderful. So Cameron's it was! There were eight of us and we were seated smack dab in the middle of the dining room at a round table that allowed us to easily talk to everyone in our party. Our server was a young man named AJ, and he was beyond wonderful! He totally took care of us all night.

Six of the eight of us chose to go with the Restaurant Week menus. Lucky me! In the interest of my blog readers, it really was my civic duty to try everything that I could. Darn Patrick, though. He was clear across the table and I didn’t get to taste his. How did he escape my fork???

By far the most popular appetizer was the Goat Cheese Arancini, and with good reason. The balls of risotto were made with goat cheese and then fried to a golden crisp and were served on a tomato coulis with a sprig of arugula. Let me explain it to you like this; a slice of heaven on a plate. *sigh*

Another choice was the Chop Chop. This was a lovely salad made up of “Wier’s Farm mixed greens, asparagus, sweet corn, hardboiled egg, smoked bacon, gorgonzola, red onions, grape tomatoes and golden balsamic vinaigrette". It was very good.

The third appetizer choice was Shrimp Bisque. As you can see, it was lovely. It was garnished with Lemon cream, chives and crostini. I would like to tell you how incredible it was, however this was one of the dishes that escaped me. Dang-it! Now I’m thinking I need to go back soon and complete my “education”.

Moving on to the entrées, these were an absolute delight! I decided upon the Hoisin Glazed Salmon. This was served with “grilled pineapple rice, ginger glazed carrots, sugar snap peas and sriracha butter sauce”. I am telling you, this salmon was absolutely exquisite. I was totally smitten with the pineapple rice. Oh my goodness! The salmon was wonderfully moist and had sweet and savory notes from the hoisin sauce. The carrots and snap peas were crunch and the sauce…oh the sauce. I was a bit concerned that the sriracha sauce might be a tad too much for me. Much to my delight it was spot on. What a winner!

This is the shrimp and grits. You’re right. It wasn’t on the Restaurant Week menu, but two of my fellow diners ordered this. What rebels! I tried to slip my fork onto Dianne’s plate when she wasn’t looking but I was busted J  The grits were made with goat cheese. Yum! I didn’t try the shrimp because both she and Donald warned me that they were pretty spicy. And we all know what a wuss I am. I did go back for seconds on the grits, though.

Bob and Homer got the Crispy Moscovy Duck Breast with “five vegetable fried rice, baby bok choy, glazed peanuts and orange ginger reduction”. While I not a huge fan of duck, this was very nicely done. Bob was certainly happy with it. And I don’t think we heard a peep out of Homer until his plate was empty! I’m thinkin’ he enjoyed itJ

Isn’t this a lovely photo? Isn’t that a lovely pork chop? Don’t you wonder if it tasted lovely? Well, can’t help ya there. This is the other dish I was talking about that I couldn’t reach. I’m thinking next time with a group this size, I’m going to bring along one of those forks that have an extending handle. Yep, that’s exactly what I need.

Everyone but Kathy and I got the Vanilla Crème Brulee with fresh berries. It was some of the best I have ever had. Or, at least Bob’s portion was some of the best! There was a plethora of vanilla beans and it was reflected in the taste. Beautiful.

Now for the big finish! What is a birthday celebration without cake? How right you are! Cake is what gives mankind sustenance; or something like that anyway. No question I was going with the Warm Carrot Cake. Kathy joined me in ordering the warm carrot cake with cream cheese icing and vanilla rum sauce. Oh dear me, I am so happy I did. It was absolutely, totally insane! The cake was light but incredibly flavorful. The cream cheese icing was sort of sliding off the top of the hot cake and the rum sauce was pooling around the base of the cake just waiting for me to take that first taste. When I did, I do believe the heavens opened and angels sang. Yes. That is what makes a birthday so spectacular. Cake is truly God’s gift of comfort and pleasure.

What a truly wonderful birthday this has been!

Another fine Restaurant Week under the belt…or should I say on the hips? Wherever it lands, it was well worth it. The chefs in Columbus are so very talented. Hats off to them! And thank you to 614 Magazine and all of the sponsors, especially Makers Mark!

p.s. Did I mention that because it was my birthday I was given a gorgeous white rosebud? Wow; Cameron's knows how to treat a lady!

Cameron’s American Bistro
2185 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Worthington, OH
(614) 885-3663
Hours:
Monday- Thursday: 5pm- 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 5pm- 11pm

614 Magazine Restaurant Week - Moretti's of Arlington

I love Restaurant Week, I love Moretti's and I LOVE birthdays!!! And I adore my godsons :-)  So how could it not be a fun birthday, I ask you?

Blake drew this while he was waiting for his dinner. Obviously I am the pink lady. (Yikes! Is that really what my hair looks like to him???) Blake is orange and Bryce is green. (all of our favorite colors!) Unfortunately Bob, Clint & Virna didn't make the grade. But it was my birthday after all.

Moretti's is offering a great menu for this week, and it is only $20. Yes, that's right, twenty dollars! For a three course dinner that will leave you moaning because you are so full, yet you have leftovers for lunch the next day! I know!

So let me show you a little of what we had last night.

This is the bread plate presented after we were seated. The bread was still hot from the oven, with flavored butter and the house marinara sauce. It was deeeeeeeliscious!!!!! I admit I may have hogged the butter...just a little...well, maybe a lot. Okay, I admit it! Let's just please move on.

These were the Four Cheese Risotto Balls with lemon aioli. They were not part of the Restaurant Week menu, however I must include them. I totally could make a meal of these! I kid you not. They are delectable deep fried balls of risotto, with cheese in the middle that oozes out when the balls are cut into. These are commonly called arancini. By whatever name, they are to die for. I simply cannot go to Moretti's without indulging in these.

This was the Mediterranean Chop Salad. It consisted of organic greens, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olive, red onion, feta, and pepperoncini dressed with a house vinaigrette. Wonderful.

The Wedding Soup was my appetizer choice. I do believe that Moretti's has some of the best wedding soup I have ever tasted. The broth is so flavorful and the spinach and carrots are yummy. The meatballs are plentiful and so tasty. Just perfect!

The last appetizer choice was the tomato bisque. Rich tomato flavor; deeply satisfying. We probably could have stopped there. But oh no! We soldiered on.

Bob, Clint and Virna all got this entee for dinner. Allow me to introduce you to Moretti's Truffle Mac 'N Cheese with Shrimp. Oh Lordy was it ever good! The shrimp were perfectly cooked and had that wonderful flavor that shrimp have when they are "just right". You know what I'm talking about. When you buy shrimp and they are just so succulent that you never want to stop eating them. Huh? You don't know what I'm talking about?  It's just me? Oh dude, if that's true I feel so sorry for you. Put those perfect shrimp on top of homemade mac 'n cheese, add a little truffle (butter or oil, I'm not sure which) and your knees get week and your hands start shaking and your breath is taken away. And no, I do not have a seafood allergy. I just (as my good friend Tom Prosek says) "became one with my food". Or in this case, Bob's food.

My dear friends, meet my dinner Scallop Carbanara with Fuscili Pasta. It is so easy to screw up carbanara. And if you do, you end up with a gloppy mess and who wants to eat that? This carbanara was done quite well. It was abundant with scallops, bacon, onion. peas, and a delicately creamy cheese sauce. It was really good.

Moving on to dessert, Virna and I chose the Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake. Bingo! I darn near cried, it was so good. Rich, creamy, cheesey, deep flavor; everything a cheesecake should be. And the espresso was there in all its glory. Not overpowering, not artificial. No, just wonderful. Add a cup of coffee and I was in heaven.

The guys got the Cannoli. The menu listed this as Chocolate Chip Cannoli. While we didn't see any chocolate chips, the cannoli did not disappoint!

What a dinner! What a birthday! All this and Bryce's first place win in the spelling bee, too!

What more could I possibly have asked for????

Moretti's of Arlington

2124 Tremont Center
Columbus, OH
(614) 486.2333

Monday-Thursday: 4:30pm-9:30 pm, Friday & Saturday: 4:30pm-10pm

614 Restaurant Week January 16-21, 2012

Yes, we're well into 614 Magazine's Restaurant Week. I haven't been out to dinner yet, but the games are about to begin!

Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me!!!  Okay, enough about that.

We are celebrating with our godsons. Oh we let their parents come along, too. And tonight we have a dual celebration! Bryce won his school spelling bee this afternoon! I am soooo proud of him! So we are really going to have a ball.

When asked where I wanted to go for dinner, I chose Moretti's of Arlington. I just love that place.  The pasta is homemade and the sauces are incredible. I figured it was a good choice for the boys, and I'm pretty darn sure that Clint and Virna will like it, too.

http://restaurantweekcolumbus.com/ Check out the menus! It will be mighty difficult to choose.

We also have plans for more of Restaurant Week.

Stay tuned!!!

Baked Ziti

Bob attended Columbia University in 1963-1965. I think it is fair to say that during that time, he was not flush with money. He has often reminisced about a place that he and his buddies used to go to eat the "best" baked ziti for $2.50! It was absolutely delicious and the price was right. The restaurant was V&T Pizzeria Restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue, between 110th and 111th Street in New York City. I looked it up and they are still there! (http://www.vtpizzeriarestaurant.com/#/home) The Baked Ziti is still on the menu, however the price has gone up to $8.00 - which isn't too bad for 47 years!

So in view of Bob's love memories of V&T's Baked Ziti, I set out to see if I could find something approaching it. This, my friends, was no easy task. Bob's memory is very discerning!

The other day I was reading my blog roll and I saw a recipe that Mocha Me had posted. Well I figured I may have hit pay dirt because I quote: "I think this should be renamed "The Best Baked Ziti I Ever Had."  Okay, I'll make it and we'll see how it stacks up to the V&T's memory.

The verdict? Pretty darn good. Woohoo! Thank you Debbie! (and Allrecipes.com for the original recipe)

Baked Ziti

http://debbiesmochame.blogspot.com/2012/01/baked-ziti-1.html

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef
2 ( 26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated (I use freshly shredded) Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook according to package directions; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (I used olive oil cooking spray) a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. I also add a little of the sauce mixture to the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven on top of baking sheet. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

This tastes much better the second day so if you decide to heat this up the next day after it's been in the fridge than bake approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour covered and 10 minutes more uncovered.

Dine Originals Week November 2011 - Chile Verde

Last night was the end of Dine Originals Week. Bob and I poured over the list, reading the menus and trying to decide where we would have dinner.

Eventually we decided on Chile Verde. We really, really like their food (and their margaritas ain't bad either). The menu sounded wonderful. First course was Butternut Squash Soup, second course was a stuffed avocado and the entree was steak fajitas. While I can't remember the descriptions off the top of my head, let me just say I had to wipe my chin after reading them. Bob and I looked at each other and exclaimed, "What's not to like?" And off we went, with tummies growling and hearts full of anticipation.

As we pulled into the parking lot I said, "Uh, Bob. There isn't much of a crowd here." He nodded and commented, "Yeah, I see. Not a single car is here."  We pulled up to the door.

"Closed Sundays"

Guess next time we'll check hours before we drive cross town. *Sigh*

... Hunan Lion was good ...

Dine Originals Week - Surly Girl Saloon

Meet Brooke & Andy. Yesterday was Andy's birthday, so we went out tonight to celebrate. Andy picked Surly Girl Saloon. Good choice, my friend!!! We had a great time with great friends and great food :-)
Okay, so maybe a few great drinks were consumed, too. It was all just so ... well, great!

Brooke ordered off the menu (she always has to be different, our Brooke) and Andy, Bob and I went for the Dine Originals menu. What a deal! For Andy who was "flying solo" (as the menu put it) his dinner was 3 courses for $20! Even better, For Bob & me it was 3 courses for 2 for $30!!! We were totally psyched. And then we looked at the menu. Oh lordy this was gonna be fun.

Andy began his meal with the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball". This was served with sesame crackers and slices of fresh cucumber. It was really good! I say this with surprise because we all know I am a total wimp when it comes to hot food. And wasabi is hot, is it not? So you can understand my hesitation. But in the interest of reporting fairly and not trusting someone else's opinion, I dove right in. I took a cracker and slathered a spoonful of the cheeseball on it. Then I topped it with a cucumber slice. Wow! This was good stuff! The cheese ball had just the right amount of wasabi; not too hot but it had a nice horseradishy quality. The cucumber was the perfect foil; cool & crisp. I have to say I wholeheartedly approved!

Bob and I chose the "Skillet Nachos". These were reliably delicious. The chips were topped with warm black bean & corn salsa and melted cheese. Okay, so what's not to like? They were just flat out yummy.

I chose the "Butternut Squash Ravioli" in a chile-pumpkin cream sauce with house-made focaccia. The picture does not do it justice. This dish was absolutely divine. I kid you not, this is the stuff that food porn is made of. Uh, I mean, dreams are made of. The pasta of the ravioli was perfect. The butternut squash filling was subtle yet substantial enough to stand up to the sauce. And the sauce? Well, excuse me while I swoon. It was one of the most incredible things I have tasted in a very long time. I have to admit that I didn't taste the chile part in it. What I did taste was pumpkin, so creamy and lucious that it should have been served with some kind of fanfare. I simply cannot get it out of my mind! Alongside was the promised focaccia. This was also delicious. And, it was essential to sop up every teensy bit of sauce that might otherwise have been left behind. I will unabashedly tell you that I scraped my plate clean ... something just short of licking it. I didn't want to embarrass my dining companions. Although I'm pretty sure Brooke would have just laughed!

Bob had "Cowgirl Carmen's Cherry Cola Ribs". These were served with creamy coleslaw and poblano mashed potatoes. Excellent. Just excellent. The ribs were falling off the bone tender, with a sweet cherry cola bbq sauce that left you wanting to lick your fingers. The slaw was just right and the potatoes .... well, we know how I adore potatoes. And these were no exception. Three words to say about this dish - yum, yum, yum!

Now for Andy's dinner. He ordered the "Spicy Thai Pizza". This was a pizza made with peanut sauce, broccoli, carrots, cheddar, peanuts and sweet chili sauce. I just need to say that his choice of this pizza following the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball" was dead on. The two made for an awesome combination! This pizza however, is not for the faint of heart. Andy advised me to wait until my drink refill came before I chowed down on it. Andy was oh-so-right. This baby packed some heat! But it was so incredible! The crust was thin and crisp and the toppings all worked in such harmony that there was truly a symphony of tastes playing out on my tongue. This was deemed an uber success by all of us!!!

Now on to dessert! Yippee!!! Cupcakes!!! Oh happy day! Andy and I both got the "Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting". Awesome, awesome, and just totally delicious! The crumb was so soft, yet there was just the tiniest bit of crunch at the edge. The cream cheese frosting was not too sweet and the cherry on top was a like little red kiss.

Bob went with the "East" selection, which was a "Cherry Blossom Cupcake". I'm sorry the picture doesn't show it to full advantage. It was a delicate pink color with bits of cherry in the mix. It also had a soft crumb and Bob fully enjoyed it.

So happy birthday to Andy! What a fun and delicious way to celebrate our dear friend turning thirtysomething!

Surly Girl Saloon
1126 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43201-2440
http://surlygirlsaloon.com/
 (614) 294-4900

Dine Originals Restaurant Week - November 7-13, 2011

It is that wonderful time of the year when the restaurants in Dine Originals participate in their restaurant week! Oh boy, we sure are the lucky ones on this deal :-)  It is the perfect time to try out a restaurant that has been on your list to visit, or to go back to a favorite one. Check out the info from Dine Originals! You can browse the menus from each restaurant. I am here to tell you that the deals are awesome and you'll find amazing menus. Bob and I already have our plans made!

Happy Eating!!!

   Dine Originals Week STARTS NOVEMBER 7

 twice-annual EVENT OFFERS chance to sample bold flavors of independence

47 restaurants, 7 days of original menus

Monday, november 7–sunday, november 13, 2011

The next Dine Originals Week will be held November 7–13, 2011, featuring creative, three-course fixed-price lunch and/or dinner menus for $10, $20, or $30 (not including tax, gratuity, or alcohol) from all 47 Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. Besides offering diners extraordinary menus at reasonable rates, this popular event, held twice a year, also serves as a celebration of the high-quality local dining scene. Restaurateurs see an uptick in sales at the restaurants, new faces, and visitors coming from out of town to take advantage of the special menus.

In keeping with Dine Originals’ mission to give back to the community, a portion of the proceeds from Dine Originals Week will be contributed to Local Matters, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting access to local food, advocating for fair food policies, and other related causes (www.local-matters.org).

Notes Tim Lessner, president of Dine Originals Columbus and owner of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, “We’re excited for the next installment of this very popular week, which has turned into something of a citywide festival celebrating Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. With some new members added since last March, we encourage people to try a new restaurant—or, as always, to revisit a favorite during this special week.”

Menus for Dine Originals Week are at http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/dine-originals-columbus-week/

Dine Originals Columbus has 47 member restaurants, all locally owned and operated. The list follows on the next page.

·         Alana's Food and Wine

·         Barcelona Restaurant and Bar

·         Barrio Tapas

·         Basi Italia

·         Basil Thai Restaurant

·         Bel-Lago Waterfront Bistro

·         Black Creek Bistro

·         The Black Olive

·         Bodega Cafe

·         Chile Verde Cafe

·         The Clarmont Restaurant

·         Columbus Brewing Company

·         DeepWood Restaurant

·         Due Amici

·         Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus

·         Figlio Wood-Fired Pizza Grandview

·         G. Michael's Bistro

·         The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls

·         Katalina's Cafe Corner

·         Katzinger's Delicatessen

·         LaScala Italian Bistro

·         Local Roots American Cuisine & Spirits

·         Luce Enoteca

·         Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Wine

·         Milo's Deli and Cafe

·         Milo’s The Capitol Café

·         Mozart’s Bakery

·         The Oak Room at The Granville Inn

·         Old Mohawk Restaurant

·         Pistacia Vera

·         The Refectory Restaurant  & Bistro

·         Rigsby's Kitchen

·         Shaw's Restaurant and Inn

·         Shoku

·         Skillet

·         Spinelli’s Deli

·         Surly Girl Saloon

·         Tasi Cafe

·         Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails

·         Tony’s Italian Ristorante

·         The Top Steakhouse

·         Trattoria Roma

·         Vienna Ice Café & Tea House

·         Vino Vino Restaurant & Wine Bar

·         Wildflower Cafe

·         The Worthington Inn

·         Z Cucina Ristorante & Bar

Bibimbap

I love Asian food. And I'm talking more than just your run-of-the-mill Chinese fried rice (although I have to say that I still get giddy over a superbly made dish of pork fried rice - like Tony's at Eastern Palace). Having been introduced to some Korean dishes, I must say I am smitten! Bibimbap is one of them. But could I possibly make it at home and do it justice? I decided to find out.

Usually bibimbap is served in a screaming hot stone pot. Okay, that was the first concession my homemade version made. I didn't happen to have the stone pots on hand, and knowing me if I had I would probably be sitting in the emergency room waiting to be treated for burns rather than writing this post right now!

I had saved a recipe for Bibimbap from www.myrecipes.com and I began with that. For the most part I followed it pretty closely. There were just a few modifications I made. The most significant one was that I used boneless skinless chicken breast as the meat instead of beef. The reason for that was pretty straightforward ... that is what I had thawed.

The most important issue with this recipe is to have all of the components prepared so that when it comes to assembly, you are good to go!

The result, you ask? Oh, you didn't ask that? Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway. It was totally awesome! I mean, it rocked!!! Bob and I both were "yummying" all through dinner. While I know it was not totally authentic, it sure was close enough for us!

Will I make it again? You bet! And I'll try it with beef and pork, too. (No, not at the same time ... now you're just being silly.)  It is rather labor intensive timewise but it is so worth it! In fact, I can't wait to make it again. Oh! Don't skip the seasoned spinach. It is scrumptious!

When eating bibimbap there are two schools of thought:

While Bob subscribes to the "eat-each-part-at-a-time" theory and likes his spicy ...

I am more a "mix-it-all-up" kinda gal. I am not kidding, just looking at these pictures makes me wish I could sit down and start the meal all over again!

I only wish Michelle was here so she could tell me if I really did do it justice :-)

Bibimbap

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bibimbop-rice-vegetable-medley-10000000429512/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 ounces eye of round or top round steak, thinly sliced
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
• 1 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut English cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 large eggs, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1 cup Seasoned Spinach* 
• 4 teaspoons sambal oelek or Thai chile paste, to taste 

Preparation

• Combine first 4 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Heat a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm.
• Cook carrot in boiling water 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain and set aside.
• Combine cucumber and next 5 ingredients (cucumber through 1 garlic clove); set aside.
• Heat skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Break 1 egg into hot skillet. Cook egg 1 minute; carefully turn over. Sprinkle with dash of salt. Cook an additional minute or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining eggs and salt.
• Spoon 3/4 cup rice into each of 4 bowls. Arrange 1/4 cup each of beef, carrot, cucumber mixture, mushrooms, and Seasoned Spinach over each serving. Top each serving with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon sambal oelek.

 *Seasoned Spinach 

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) packages fresh spinach, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

• Steam half of spinach, covered, for 5 minutes or until the spinach wilts; place steamed spinach in a colander. Repeat procedure with remaining spinach. Cool slightly, and squeeze dry.
• Place spinach in a bowl. Add onions and remaining ingredients; toss mixture well to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: You will need to steam the raw spinach in two batches, since there is so much of it. Combining the cool ingredients with your hands is easiest.  

Treasures

Trying to get organized at home ... Found a bag of 'paper'. Most could be shredded, but there were some pictures of the kids, some things from my folks ... and this recipe from Ellen's mom! It's a good one ... a great way to start the day.

Fruity Couscous Salad - adapted from a USA Today recipe

1 1/3 cup dry couscous (I prefer the larger size 'Israeli'?)
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup packed dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup Craisins microwaved in 1 cup water (I think Harriet used orange juice) for 1 minute
1 tsp cumin
3 scallions, thinly sliced with greens
1 pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Combine all ingredients; toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Yields 8 servings

10 common mistakes and stereotypes !

We put together the 10 most common mistakes and stereotypes about Italian Cooking abroad...so you can avoid them!  Share this note with your friends  :)

1- You shall not sip cappuccino during a meal!

Coffee and cappuccino are the pride of Italy in the world; but if the first is usually consumed at the end of the meal, the second, more substantial, is sipped at breakfast, usually accompanied by some pastry. You can ask for a cappuccino at the end of a meal, just know that most Italians don’t.

2- Risotto and pasta are NOT a side dish

The organization of courses in the Italian dining is unique and requires pasta and – most of the time –risotto to be served by themselves (apart from specific recipes such as Ossobuco milanese-style). The presentation of pasta as a side dish to others is widespread in several countries, but in Italy is seen almost as a sacrilege.

3- You shall not add oil to pasta water!

Oil should not be added to pasta cooking water! Pasta dressing (and oil too) must be added only after you have drained it from its cooking water. Find out how to cook pasta like an Italian here.

4- Ketchup on pasta: please, don’t

This is one of the combinations that most shocks Italians; although ketchup may have some similarities to tomato sauce, pouring ketchup over pasta in the “Bel Paese” is considered a real gourmet crime. Keep ketchup for your french fries or hot dogs, please!

5- Spaghetti Bolognese? No way, it’s Tagliatelle!

While probably being the world’s most popular Italian recipe, you will not find any restaurant in Bologna to eat it. That’s because the original Italian recipe is “Tagliatelle Bolognese” (not spaghetti).

Although this may seem a minor detail, in real Italian cuisine the pairing of the right kind of pasta with the right sauce is considered almost sacred.

6- Chicken Pasta: not in Italy

Speaking with American friends, one of the most frequent requests is the advice for a typical Italian recipe for pasta with chicken. It’s always rather embarrassing to point out that in Italy there are no hot dishes featuring pasta and chicken.

7- “Caesar salad”

This salad, which bears the name of its supposed creator, Caesar Cardini, is a part of the long list of recipes devised by chefs of Italian origin, but in fact is almost unknown in Italy.

8- The red and white checkered tablecloth is only a stereotype !

For some strange reason, these tablecloths are universally associated with our food and with the stereotype of the "spaghetti-eater", and abroad almost all the restaurants that want to play typical Italian use them. Probably, tourists who come to visit Italy remain somewhat disappointed when they discover that the checkered tablecloths are almost never used (only restaurants for tourists do!)

9- “Fettuccine Alfredo” are popular only overseas

This is perhaps the most curious in this top ten. The fettuccine Alfredo is both the most famous “Italian” food in the United States and the least known dish in Italy.

These noodles, seasoned with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, are in fact actually been invented in the “Bel Paese”, specifically by Alfredo Di Lelio, the owner of a restaurant in Rome, but in Italy have never been imposed as a traditional dish. Overseas, however, have become increasingly popular and in time became a symbol of the good life in Rome.

For this reason legions of American tourists coming to Italy hoping to enjoy the fettuccine Alfredo at every restaurant on the peninsula remain very disappointed.

10 - You shall respect tradition and what Italian mamma says.

She knows from her mamma, who knew from her mamma who knew from her mamma and so on. It's been tried and tested. And what a mother teaches at her daughter while they are cooking? that love is the center of all. We must share Italian food with your loved ones. It is what life, love and family are all about.