The next Julia Child?

I am finally doing it! After years of people asking me to teach them how to cook, I am taking a leap of faith, going out of my comfort zone (i am not a patient person so i dont know how i will do teaching!).
I am very excited to be offering.....

The Art of Cooking Classes:
Celebrating Life through Food and Friends

I have been cooking most of my life. I remember making my first cream cheese mints for a catering job with my Aunt Vaughn when I was six. I have worked in many different restaurants and catered my first wedding with my mother at 16. I have raised four very hungry children and continue to do small catering jobs when my schedule allows. I have thrown too many parties to count. From big barbeques, graduations and Thanksgiving morning football to brunch for dear friends, couple dinners and a Martini Madness party that 6 years later people still talk about.

My role model is Julia Child. She inspires me every time I am in the kitchen. She is proof that you are never too old to learn your true passion. As Julia said “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

My goal in holding these classes is to share my love for cooking and entertaining and help others to feel comfortable to share with their loved ones and create memories with them.
I believe in watching what you eat but I do not use low fat ingredients. Fat is what provides flavor. (“If you are scared of butter, try cream!”  - Julia Child) I use organic and local produce if possible. I do my best to stay away from chemicals and hormones in my food.

All of the classes will be held in my home at 5 Armand Street, Ludlow. Class size is limited. I want to be small enough so you can participate and ask questions. The cost includes food and beverages. You will get copies of all of the recipes we prepare. We will be eating all that we make so come hungry!

October 24, 2011  6:00-9:00

Dish 101: How to stock your pantry, fridge and freezer. Why are some products are better then others? Quick meals for you and your family don’t have to be boring. I will demonstrate how to put together a weekly menu and grocery list. It is a time saver in the long run and you it will make you look like a star! $50 per person

Basic Chili
Parmesan Chicken with Arugula Salad and Lemon Dressing
Panko Crusted Pork Chops
Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli


November 7, 2011  6:00-9:00

Dazzling Dinners: We will assemble three different meals that are easy to make, not very time consuming and will leave your friends and family singing your praises! We will also pair wines with the different meals and discuss how to select the perfect wine. $60 per person

Shrimp with Feta & Capers
Ribboned Zucchini Salad
Rice Pilaf
Roasted Hamersley Bistro Chicken
Grown Up Tater Tots
Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots
Pork Tenderloin with Tangy Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Butternut Squash
Butter & Parsley Red Bliss Potatoes

November 21, 2011  6:00-9:00

Holiday Entertaining: I love to throw parties but it can be intimidating if you haven’t done it very often. I will show you how to prepare some wonderful appetizers and adult beverages. There will be tips on decorating and developing a theme. It is possible to have everything done prior to your guest’s arrival and greet them at the door with a relaxed smile. $65 per person

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan                                              Moscow “Mule”tide
Baked Fontina Cheese Fondue                                         Smoked Salmon Bisquits
Baked Camembert with Walnut                                        My Granny’s Crab Cakes
Crumble & Ginger Marmalade
Filet of Beef Croutes with Blue                                      Zucchini and Feta Patties
Cheese & Red Wine Reduction                                       with Tzatziki
Mexican Meatballs                                                           Southern Pimento Cheese
Fruit Brochettes with Pomegranate Dip


                                        

December 5, 2011  6:00-9:00

Best Supporting Side Dishes: I have hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas in my home more times then I can remember. The sides make the meal. Most of the sides can be prepared in advance and reheated to make the actual day a bit smoother. Going to visit someone for that special day? Don’t be a turkey, offer to bring one of these great dishes - $45 per person

Homemade Cran-Apple Sauce  Creamed Spinach
Red Bliss “Smashed” Potatoes   Corn Pudding
Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples Brussel Sprouts with Maple Vinaigrette

January 9, 2012  6:00-9:00

Soup is on!: There is nothing more comforting then a warm bowl of soup. We will create five different soups together. They can either be at the beginning of a meal, with a sandwich or on their own. $45 per person

Red Lentil with Lemon                                                            Chicken Tortilla
Potato Leek                                                                              Five Onion
Curried Parsnip with Crab

January 23, 2012  6:00-9:00

You don’t have to be Italian to make good Pasta! : I do not have one ounce of Italian in my blood, yet I adore Pasta and Sauce! Together, we will make four different sauces to enjoy over any kind of pasta. Also, we will make my famous sausage lasagna and you don’t have to boil the noodles! - $50 per person

Sausage Lasagne                                                                Puttanesca
Chicken Bolagnese                                                           Meatballs and Marinara
Sausage, Artichoke & Sundried Tomatoes


Interested in a class? Email me at JeriMcD4@yahoo.com or call me at 413.627.2648. Please include which class(es) you would like to attend.

Hangin with my Homies

I have had the summer from hell. I am not referring to the heat or the whacked out weather but in in a whole different whelm. Literally, I have been dealing with the spawn of Satan himself and I needed a distraction.

One of my favorite co-workers (ever!) changed jobs shortly after Memorial Day. We shared laughs and a cubical and I missed her dearly, personally and professional. So when my co-worker J suggested that a bunch of girls from the office meet for her for drinks and nibbles on Friday night I was game!

Plans were for me to ride to our destination with J and have my sweetie meet us there later to drive me home. J recently purchased a lovely Cadillac Escalade. It is shiny black and sans spinners but you can't help but walk with a certain swagger as you approach her new set of wheels. On our ride to South Hadley from Springfield we listened to some music to get us in the mood to par-tay.

Our first stop was the Yarde House. We got a great table on their huge patio, which is mostly covered by a tent. We ordered our first round of drinks and some appetizers. I had a rough week so a dirty martini was in order. We decided on some of awesome calamari,seared tuna and spinach artichoke dip. The calamari is nice and crisp, tossed with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cherry peppers, scallions and my favorite...capers. The tuna is seared after it has been coated with pepper and spices. It is served over a lovely asian slaw with a wasabi dressing drizzled on it and a ginger aioli on the side. The spinach artichoke dip was the perfect thing to round out the nibbles. It was a perfect combination of spinach and artichoke pieces. After we finished the first round we ordered some more spinach dip and tried the smoky kettle chips with blue cheese dressing. The chips were good but i wish they were warm or  if the blue cheese dip was warm vs. cold salad dressing.We had a very attentive server and she was able to keep up with us. All in all everything was great. The food, the friends and the laughs.

My sweetie arrived as we were ordering our second round of drinks.  I told him we were going to have one more round and then we can go inside and have dinner. Welllll that didn't happen. He is such a good sport. He is also lucky that he was hanging out with 5 lovely women all night and he knows a good thing when he sees it! After that round we decided to go across the street to Food 101. Nibbling and drinking all night with my homies? I am game.

I have eaten once at Food 101 and enjoyed it. That time was with a few other couples and we sat in the dining room and had a lovely time. I was looking forward to trying it once again.

It was a little active in the bar and we opted to sit on the patio. It was a perfect night and the patio has a great atmosphere. J is a huge fan of Food 101 and had some recommendations. One of them was the Wild Mushroom Ravioli with a Shallot Cream Reduction. For the 6 of us we ordered 3 servings. I could have eaten a 4th by myself. Little pillows of heaven on earth. They are a mushroom lovers dream.

We also had some oysters on the half shell. A few at the table were oyster shootin virgins which is always fun to be with someone when they shoot their first oyster.

We also ordered some frites that are served with a side of spicy ketchup and wasabi mayo. Nice and crispy and I really loved the wasabi mayo. I love how they are presented in the cone with the paper with a bit of parsley sprinkled over them.

My sweetie ordered the seared tuna with a cucumber tomato relish and a sesame yuzu vinaigrette. It is a simple set up, with good flavor but I was hoping for more.

 and last but not least  a lobster crab cake with a spicy coleslaw. It was a very good portion and both the cake and slaw had a lot of flavor.

Then there was THE drink. My new favorite drink for the summer. It is vodka and lemonade with fresh basil. I have been drinking them the whole time I have been writing today. Refreshing, light and it screams summer celebration!

Our gracious server told me what was in it. You can play with the portions if you like a stronger drink. The way I have been making them today is below:

Basil Lemonade Vodka (they have a fancy name for it but I just can't recall it)

3 oz vodka
3 oz Newman's Lemonade
1/2 oz. simple syrup (you don't have to have this)
3-4 fresh basil leaves

In a shaker, bruise the basil with a muddler, add ice, vodka, lemonade and syrup. Shake it all together until frothy and cold. Poor into glass, ice and all. Cheers!

Our server was wonderful. She was attentive, made suggestions and even did a jig for us when we asked her to. (yes, an actual Irish jig).

I would highly recommend both the Yarde House and Food 101. Different atmospheres, both with good food and good service.

I also highly recommend hanging with your homies as often as possible. Life is short. As Winston Churchill once said "When you are going through hell, keep going"...and try to keep you friends with you when you go.

Providence - a slice of heaven in New England

One of the benefits of living in New England is the convenience of being able to access 6 states and all that they have to offer,in just a few short hours from home.

Finding the need to "get out of Dodge" on a whim, I decided to take S and myself away for a night. Where oh where to go? This time of year most places require a two night minimum stay so it needed to be away from the beach and mountains which leaves cities. Boston was pretty pricey, Hartford was too close...so I thought Providence. I am an alum of Johnson and Wales but when I was in college in the mid-80's, you wouldn't walk most parts of downtown without a gaggle of people with you. I had seen Providence in a different light when I was driving all over New England with my kids played travel hockey and I knew that there had been extreme changes. Why not try it? You live once, right?

First things first...where to stay? S and I love boutique hotels. I have had my share of huge hotels through the years of traveling with my kids sports teams and even though I have had good experiences and don't hate them...we prefer trying a "non-chain" situation. Hotel Providence fit the bill. While the address looked familiar to me I couldn't picture where it was and how far it was from my college dorm. It was centrally located to where I had chosen to eat and play so I went for it.

We arrived on Mathewson Street and I realized exactly where I was, Bell Hall! This is partly an old Johnson and Wales dorm located across the narrow street from one of the business school buildings. A rush of old memories came flooding back. When entering the gorgeous lobby of the hotel I was overwhelmed by how beautiful and elegant it all was. We checked in and walked by the entrance to Aspire and the A-Bar with a enticing purple color scheme...we made note to have a few drinks in there later. We took the elevator to the fourth floor. Our room was beyond words. We had not asked for the suite, but that is what we ended up with. Just gorgeous.

We decided to walk around the city and check out "Down City". This area used to be very run down and now it was filled with quaint shops, art galleries and restaurants. Grace Episcopal church is located across the street from the hotel and the bells that chime are beautiful. We sat down to "people watch" in the little park located outside of Aspire. Beautiful Saturday afternoon but I had a surprise for S so we needed to grab the bottle of wine I brought and go for a walk. S was very intrigued to find out what my surprise for him was. As we crossed the bridge over the river and looked down he spotted the gondolas and a big smile crossed his face.

La Gondola provides the experience of a gondola ride in Venice without the stench and the whole sinking city situation. A wonderful gentleman was there to greet us in his striped shirt, while his co-workers prepared our cheese and crackers. He helped us onto the boat, with soft Italian music playing, and opened our wine for us, poured a glass for each and took his rowing position on the back of the boat. Yes. It was a bit cheesy but it was perfect. A great way to see the city as our gondolier gave us a history of the city and the recent renovations. On the way back he even belted out a few songs in Italian himself. It was a great escape for 40 minutes.

Back to reality, we went back to our room to shower, change and relax a bit before dinner. We went down the A-Bar to have a few martinis. Oh boy, I am glad that we did! First I tried the California Hot Tub which had Vodka, Strawberry Puree and Champagne. Not too sweet and just enough bubbles.  It was heaven in a glass on a hot summer day.

The next on the list to try was the Dirty Birdy. Anyone that knows me, knows that a dirty martini is my favorite. You throw in in blue cheese hand stuffed olives and I am over the moon. When I ordered it our bartender warned me that it is "like an appetizer" and she wasn't kidding. The olives were huge and packed with wonderful salty blue cheese.

After finishing two martinis, I figured a good long walk to dinner was a great idea. So we walked the 6 blocks to Ten Prime Steak and Sushi where we were greeted and seated immediately. When I had made my reservation through Open Table, I mentioned that I was a J & W alum and within minutes of being seated we were given some complimentary frites and wonderful aioli. We ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and slid into our own little world.

We were so full from our beverages and oysters that we decided to split a dinner. With the help of our awesome server David, we decided on the Wagyu Flat Iron Steak and a Lobster Tail. It was the right decision...perfection. Just enough so we could squeeze in a piece of chocolate cheesecake. Chocolate and my last glass of champagne. Life was good.

One night wasn't enough. I wanted to go back and try a restaurant on Federal Hill. The opportunity came on Independence Weekend. Back to Hotel Providence we go. This time we went via Watch Hill, RI. Sitting on the beach until 2pm, I was nice and sunburned. I was exhausted but needed to get that second wind. We had a lovely room in a different part of the hotel this time. We didnt have the suite but we had a great rate so I willing to sacrifice the humungous tub for some savings. More money for food and drink right?

We walked to Federal Hill and as soon as we pass under the Pineapple Arch we can feel the excitement in the air. It was a gorgeous night, all of the cafes had windows open, patios full of people and the smells wafting through the air of garlic, onions and cheeses. I had made reservations at Sienna and was very excited about trying this creative Tuscan restaurant. We were seated immediately in the stylish front dining room at a great two top with views of the street. Our server, Melissa, was professional, attentive but not hovering. As soon as S saw my favorite Sauvignon Blanc on the menu, I knew a bottle would be coming our way. Melissa brought over the Cloudy Bay and kicked off our dinner in a great way.

One of the specials that evening were zucchini blossoms filled with a mixture of goat cheese, marscapone and fresh herbs, lightly fried in an egg batter and served with a dusting of freshly grated cheese. I was very excited to try them and they did not disappoint. They were pillows of heaven. I heard angels singing as I swallowed the first bite and then I realized it was just a baby cooing a few tables over but still they were awesome.

For our main dishes S decided to go with seafood while I wanted to try pasta. He ordered the Arogosta Cioppino which has lobster in the shell, mussels, calamari, little necks, swordfish and scallops in a lightly spiced tomato broth over a crostini topped with fried onions. I was lucky enough to steal a bite and it melted on my tongue.

I chose the Scioffani alla Norcini which translates to large pasta tubes with ground sausage, porcini mushrooms in a white truffle oil brandy cream sauce.

The smells at our table were intoxicating. The first bite, i believe was similar to the scene from when Harry Met Sally. I actually started moaning out loud. I took another sip of Cloudy Bay, sat back and took a deep breath before I took another bite. We agreed that this was one of the best meals we had ever shared.

We continued to enjoy our meal until I couldn't take another bite and he licked his plate clean. We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience and we will be returning to Siena.

We ended our evening by attending Waterfire. It was amazing and wonderful to see so many people out and about on this lovely July evening. My pictures don't do this justice but it was really a cool event. Something everyone should see once.

I am glad to see the home of my Alma mater has turned into such a lovely place to visit. We aren't done with you yet Providence. You can't get rid of  us that quickly.

Melissa Clark....I wish I could quit you!

I haven't seen the movie "Social Network" but I don't think when Mark Zuckerberg was coming up with Facebook did he think that a bunch of forty something moms would reconnect after not seeing each other for twenty five years. Through this social media I have reconnected with a lot of former classmates and I couldn't be happier.
Two of the people in my life are my childhood friends Jennifer and Carolyn. We were friends in Junior High school in Watertown, South Dakota until I was dragged across country at 15 to live in New England (sorry mom and dad). Back in prehistoric times, aka as the 80's, if you didn't write a letter and send it via Pony Express you lost touch. We had a thing called "long distance phone calls" and they simply cost to much so I wasn't allowed to make any and therefore I lost touch with everyone.

Fast forward to 2008 and I find myself on Facebook and reconnecting with a lot of my SD friends. We have all grown into different people then we were back when Loverboy was on the radio, but we have found new interests that intertwine us. For Jennifer, Carolyn and , it is the love of all things food. We are foodies, if you will.

One day in January Jen posted that she had started to cook her way through Melissa Clark's cookbook "In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite".

Through that posting she suggested the following recipe for Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli. It was so easy and yummy! I got the recipe off of google and made it a few nights later. S really enjoyed it and even though it says that it serves 4, it served 2 very hungry adults!

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.


I served it with some basmati rice and a dirty martini, thank you very much!

Fast forward a week and Carolyn posts that she made the following two recipes for her family. That's it. I am biting the bullet. I am buying this cookbook now!

We had a few teenagers eating this meal with us and they loved it. I am not a fan of dark meat so I added a few chicken breasts into the mix. I cooked them for about 15 minutes longer then the drumsticks. I also doubled the recipe to make sure that I had enough of the yummy sauce to ladle on the chicken. Granted, I had to brush my teeth after eating this meal due to the double garlic but my heart loved it all!

Not-My-Grandma's Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Oregano
serves 2

1-1/2 lbs. chicken drumsticks
1 tsp kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
EVOO, as needed
5 garlic cloves
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon
2 tsp dried oregano

(a) Preheat broiler. Rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and place in 9 x 13 pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Broil the chicken, turning once, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
(b) While the chicken is broiling, make a garlic paste by either using a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic with 1 tsp kosher salt or mincing the garlic with a heavy knife, then using the flat side to smear and mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Alternatively, you can make the paste in a blender if your blender can handle such a small amount. (I minced with a knife and smashed together). Stir the lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 tsp pepper into the garlic paste.
(c) Lower the oven temperature to 425. Using a pastry brush or spoon, slather the chicken on all sides with 1/3rd of the garlic mixture, a sprinkling of the oregano, and a drizzle of oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, slathering more of the garlic mixture, oregano and oil in two more additions (approx. every 7-10 minutes). The chicken is done when it's golden brown and cooked through.

OMG!!! So very juicy, tender and pure yumminess.

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad
Serves 6-8

1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
2 heads broccoli, 1 lb. each, cut into bite-size florets
3/4 c. EVOO
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. roasted (Asian) sesame oil
lg. pinch crushed red pepper flakes

First, in a large bowl stir together the vinegar and salt. Add the broccoli and toss to combine. (I used a bit more vinegar). Then, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute (smells awesome). Stir in the sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or chilled, up to 48 hours. Adjust the seasonings if necessary and serve.

Melissa calls this sexy broccoli. I am betting if Mrs. Bush made broccoli this way that the President would have liked it...no LOVED it. I think the next time I am in Kennebunkport I will make my way to Walker Point with a big bowl and see if I can share it with the President. This dish is incredible. The acid of the vinegar "cooks" the broccoli similar to the way a ceviche is accomplished. Look how beautiful and bright green the broccoli got without cooking it.

The fourth and final recipe is for Chili. I asked S what he would like for me to make for Superbowl Sunday and this is what he requested. I have been on a quest for the chili that would satisfy what S was looking for in a big bowl of meat and beans. He likes my standard chili, which is from the Silver Palate cookbook, but it wasn't his favorite.I think it was too "fancy" for him vs. the basic all-American classic chili. I have tried other recipes and they have too much cumin for his taste. I found Melissa's recipe on the New York Times website. This one,unfortunately, is not in her cookbook but it is the winner.

Melissa Clark's Classic Beef and Bean Chili
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup mild chili powder, plus additional, to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
3 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Sour cream, for serving if desired
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Brown the beef, breaking up with a fork, until golden brown and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Remove beef with a slotted fork to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot.
Add the onion, pepper and garlic; saute until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups water and remaining 2 teaspoons salt; simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Here is my half eaten bowl with some shredded cheese nicely melted throughout. S loved it and it is now my go to chili.

So there you have it. The four Melissa Clark recipes that I have tried and loved. I am now going to pour myself another cup of coffee, figure out what I would like to try next in this joyful cookbook and dream about the day that Jennifer, Carolyn and I are in a kitchen cooking together from this cookbook. It might be when we are using walkers and need  hearing aids but trust me, it will happen. We will invite Melissa Clark and Zuckerberg. I am sure they will be dying to join us.

Abudanza, oh what a meal!

I am sick.of.snow. It is only January and I know I live in New England but the extra strength that it takes to drive white knuckled to and from work 3 days a week is enough to drive me crazy!

My sweet bf, who drives twice as far to work (through Hartford to boot), suggested we go out to dinner on Wednesday. He left the choice up to me and I thought....lets try Abudanza. I am SO damn smart!


I had been to Abudanza when it was located at the X in Springfield. It was BYOB when I went and the food was really good but the location was a little difficult for me. I was really happy to hear that it was now on Boston Road in Wilbraham. Right up the road from me....yeah!

S and I prefer sitting at the bar if it is just the two of us. We can hear each other but we also like the connection a bartender has with their customers, if they are good.

We started off with the combo/pick three appetizers. When trying a new restaurant I think it is a nice way to try a few things but usually the same things are offered which can be a bit boring. We got calamari, mozzarella sticks and wings. The serving size was more than generous! The calamari was crisp and not greasy but I would have liked it to be tossed with something like cherry peppers, garlic oil...something. The mozzarella sticks were awesome! You get 4 sticks, they are cut to order and breaded right then. Very tender and don't taste like a freezer which I hate. The wings were large and tender but the sauce was not my favorite. We picked the mild buffalo sauce and it was too sweet for my taste. I will try a different sauce next time.

For dinner I ordered Abudanza Chicken which was a thinly pounded chicken breast surrounded with wild mushrooms, artichoke hearts, fire-roasted tomatoes, huge salty capers and prosciutto. I had it served over fettuccine. OMG! So good. So huge. Chicken was SO tender. The portions are ridiculously large. This also came with mixed veggies and a huge garden salad. This was all for $14.99. I had enough for a generous lunch portion the next day.

S had a one of the specials that evening, I don't remember the name of it but it was Lobster, Shrimp, Chicken, Sausage in a Fra Diavlo over fettuccine. This came out in a vat. I would have served this to four people! It was a wonderful sauce, not too spicy but definitely had a bite to it. He had enough for lunch for 2 days and dinner the next night!

As a former restaurant manager there are a few things that I would like to recommend to Abudanza.

1. Music. Please. Play some music. While I know we are in the bar. There is no need for sound on TVs in the bar unless it is the Superbowl or a Red Sox game (yes every Red Sox game)...put on the closed caption and play some music. I don't care what it is but the silence is deafening. As a former restaurant manager, I know the few times that the satellite would go out, the dining room felt off. A little Sinatra would go far.

2. Kitchen noise. You don't have an open kitchen so I really don't want to hear whats going on back there unless I am walking back to the bathroom.

3. Cell phones. I realize it is 2011 but it will forever be rude to me. People go out to eat to escape. The fact that this employee walked by and all of the sudden out of his ass I hear Steven Tyler's voice screaming "I don't want to miss a thing" didn't make me happy. I turned to S and said "he needs to be fired".

4. This place takes pride and makes everything from scratch and to order. I appreciate that. In this world where we want everything to be as fast as a game on their PlayStation, there needs to be an explanation. People talk about slow service and they are mistaken! The service is great. Attentive even. You need to educate your staff on how to communicate this to your customers. Perfection takes time. Maybe put it on the bottom of your menu. Have the server give a little intro when the customer first sits down how it is done. Might snuff some of the idiots who don't understand that your food doesn't come from a box so it takes time.

All in all, I would say our food was a 9 out of 10 and ambiance was 7 out of 10. We will definately be back and next time I will wear my stretchy pants!

Post Ice Fishin Double Meat Lasagna

After being outside in the cold all day, sipping beers, telling stories...oh ya and ice fishing...when my sweetie comes home from ice fishing, he is usually starving for something hearty.

So today I put together one of his favorites, Double Meat Lasagna. It is very easy to put together and actually tastes better the next day (well in my humble opinion).

Now, I am not Italian. So please don't send me posts about how this isn't authentic Italian. I know it isn't so I beat you to the punch. I don't know why my mom did this but she used to use cottage cheese instead of  ricotta.So that is how I grew up eating it. While playing around with different recipes I found the combination of the two if what I like the most. My kids love it. Friends love it. So just try it and don't tell kids that there is something like cottage cheese in it.


Here is the recipe folks.....Enjoy.

1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP oil
2 lbs of meat ( I usually do half sweet sausage, half hot sausage. You can use any meat combination you prefer)
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I prefer Redpack tomatoes)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 box of Barilla flat lasagna no cook noodles
15 oz. of whole milk ricotta
15 oz. cottage cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus 1/2 cup to put on top
1 lb of fresh mozzarella sliced into 16 pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Warm the olive oil and saute the onions until they are nice and fragrant.Add the garlic and cook for two minutes. Make sure you don't burn it. Add the meat and break into small pieces. Brown it all the way through. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 10 minutes to thicken it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In the meantime, mix the beaten egg with the ricotta, cottage cheese, pepper and 1 cup of Parmesan.

Take your 9x13 pan and ladle 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom. It is not going to be a very thick layer. Lay the dry, uncooked noodles over the top. (it should take 4 noodles). Lay 8 mozzarella pieces on top, followed by half of the ricotta-cottage cheese mixture, and a third of the sauce. Cover with 4 more noodles, rest of the mozzarella, cheese mixture and finish with the rest of the meat sauce. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan on top. Bake until nice and bubbly, usually 25-35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting it.

Bon Appetit!