Broccolo, broccoli, what’s it to ya?

Before dating an Italian American, boy was my pronunciation of certain cuisine way off. It’s still not that great – it’s a strenuous thought process before ordering calamari (think, gal-a-maa, NOT cal-a-mar-ee). This side bar has little to do with my recipe today other than the fact that true blooded Italians know the veggie that inspired this dish as broccolo, rather than the traditional nomenclature of broccoli. And you know what I say to that?

Please, sir, may I have another?

Broccoli soup.
Broccoli with cheese.
Chicken and broccoli.
Broccoli and cavatelli (cav-a-teel).

Whatever kind broccoli you’re selling, I’ll take some more.

This dish is semi-homemade, sans Sandra Lee. Our farmer’s market has a stand that sells homemade frozen raviolis in every flavor imaginable. Think lobster, pumpkin, squash, three-cheese and, yep, you guessed it broccoli and mozzarella (or just mutz, if you please).

Boil some water, pop those babies in and by the time they’re floating – they’re ready to eat. You could just drizzle some olive oil and garlic over OR you could take a walk on the wild side and chance a broccoli overload with a creamy broccoli sauce.

If you chose the latter (woo hoo!) here’s a great recipe to try.

Broccoli Cream Sauce

3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 C chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen – if frozen, one 8 oz. box will do)
1 1/2 C milk (I like to use 1%, just adds a little fat to it and fat = flava flav!)
Flour
Salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, heat olive oil, garlic and yellow onion until onion is soft. Add in chopped broccoli and cook until desired tenderness is reached. (I cooked it until about al dente, but you may cook for a longer or shorter period of time if you please.)

Slowly wisk in milk, mixing all ingredients together. Heat until a boil. Now, when I made this, I needed about 1 T flour just to thicken up the sauce a bit. You may need more or less, depending on how much liquid your broccoli contained. Use salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! Although I used this over a broccoli and mozzarella ravioli, it would be good over angel hair or any pasta or risotto. (In fact, I was dipping break in it for the taste test! Yummy!)

I was a bit worried that the broccoli flavor would be a bit overwhelming, but the garlic and onion infused broccoli sauce really accented the broccoli from within the ravioli “meat” – which otherwise might have been lost with a traditional Alfredo or tomato sauce.

Tailgate appetizers…

However self-serving these recipes may be, touting the freshness of the Whole Foods market (to which I agree and besides, they are, after all, posted on their website), these appetizers are out-of-this-world.  One is better than the next and I can’t wait to try a new one each week.  It is, after all, football season!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/search-results.php?recipeTypeId=1

A day off for working citizens…

Happy Labor Day, my fellow working class!

Enjoy this day off! I hope you spend it with friends and family and those you love!

(Which reminds me…110 days until our Disney vacation!)

Something old, something re-new…

Okay, so perhaps that’s not exactly how the saying goes. But you certainly know how this goes:  splurging on a gorgeous dress or a pair of designer shoes for a special occasion can be risky - you may only wear it once maybe twice before you get sick of it, too many people see it, it gets ruined.  More often than not, those cheap-as-dirt Payless Shoes or TJ Maxx clearance items are the ones being brought to the tailor or cobbler so you can get more mileage out of them.

Hence, the case of my formal wear for Betsy’s wedding this weekend.  Last spring, my boy was in a wedding and I was meeting some of his friends for the first time.  I ended up finding this steal-of-a-deal black dress at Marshalls – you guessed it – on clearance for $15.00.  Yes, you read that correctly:  $15.00.  It was a bit dressier than a LBD (little black dress) so it wasn’t versatile enough to be my staple item, but it was ideal for this occasion: perfect length, gathered at the top, “flowey” on the bottom, this dress was made for me.

Well, here we are – 16 months later, and I am yet again, bringing that sexy little number out of the closet.  Best thing of all – it’s a whole new social scene.  For all anyone knows, this is a brand new dress.  (Except, of course, for you who I’m sharing my dirty little secret with.)

Who would win in a fight – a wine snob or a beer snob?

The new thing, so I hear, is beer pairing. Quite frankly, I’m a bit confused with all of this. The websites are too complex – with terms such as “Vienna lager” and “Weizen or best bitter“. Which is ok – I guess I shouldn’t hate too much as there’s probably a community who that language coheres to. I’m not well-versed in beer-speak but enjoy to throw a few back, so, why not, for the amateurs out there, break it down a bit.

Give us examples – a bock style beer such as Samuel Adams Winter Blend or a craft wheat beer with a citrus hint such as a Blue Moon. Perhaps these aren’t the most sophisticated blends – but is there a “beer pairing for dummies” out there? (With pictures?)

All this beer talk has me reminiscing. Around the corner, by the train station, there is this fabulous little restaurant called the “Organic Beer Garden” with – you guessed it – certified organic beer. So yummy! With a multitude of flavors and ABV’s ranging from 4.0% (for the light-weights) to 9.5% (for those who can hold their own), these beverages go with anything. My favorite pair, although some may argue unconventional, is the Samuel Smith (England) organic cider (ABV 5.0%) with a soft shell crab sandwich.

You want the kicker? Owner Dieter Bornemann wanted to thank his customers and celebrate his anniversary of citizenship in this great nation of the US of A by offering a buy one get one FREE special on all entrees! (It was supposed to stop in July – but I still saw signs around town promoting this deal – so, heck, next time you go in, be sure to ask if its still valid!)