… Parker House dinner rolls are proofed, brushed with butter, the dough pulled & folded over to get their unique shape?
… Short ribs come from the short loin of the cow?
… Pittsburg known as the “Steel City” & the “City of Bridges” is home to the Tomahawk Ribeye (34 oz. big)?
…Boston got its nick name “Bean Town” because of the baked beans served at Faneuil Hall (founded in 1742)?
… At Allegan. Michigan’s The Grill House restaurant, you can pick and COOK your own steak?
… Parker House dinner rolls became famous after Eleanor Roosevelt asked for the recipe?
… Diet Coke will float in water and regular Coke will not?
… In the USA alone, ten million tons of turkey is consumed every year @ Thanksgiving?
… Based on the above “tidbit”, that amount of turkey produces enough sulfur content to fly 75 Hindenburg’s from LA to NYC in 24 hours?
… In Saudi Arabia, a wife can get a divorce if her husband does not give her coffee?
… By using a bigger plate that needed, the food you serve will look more appetizing?
… The obelisk that sit in the center of Saint Peter’s Square in Rome, Italy carried 300 pounds of lentils during it’s delivery?
… Many TV chefs do not write or develop their own recipes?
… The Hini word “dall” means split lentil?
… Adding acidity to a dish (whether from citrus or vinegar) will bump up the flavor?
… Only soy beans are higher in protein than lentils?
… The word protein comes from the Greek word “protos” meaning first or of most important?
… Lentils were the earliest crops ever grown 8000 years ago in Mesopotamia?
… Onions are bad for dogs?
… During WWI, Americans were asked to support the war effort by snubbing lentils for meat?
… Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body?:
2 glasses of water after waking up – helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed – avoids stroke or heart attack
… The word “deli” has both French & German roots?
… In French, deli means “delicious things to eat?”
… When aspirin is no longer good it smells like vinegar?
… The word “pickle” comes from the mispronunciation of Dutch fisherman William Mupples last name? His customers would call him William “Pickles.”
… Rosen Bakery produces 4 million loaves of bread per year?
… Semifrito means “half frozen” in Italian?
… At Katz’s Deli in NYC, patrons consume 4500 pounds of pastrami per week and 4000 hot dogs per day?
… Mount Olive Pickle Factory hand packs 1,500,000 pickles spears per day?
… Chocolate contains both caffeine & dopamine?
… In 1 year, 20 million tons of cheese is produced in the world, which is more than cocoa & coffee combined?
… Beef Chuck comes from shoulder of the cow?
… Fra Diavolo means “Brothers Devil” in Italian?
… The Maillard Reaction is a fancy French term for caramelizing?
In April 2012, my family & I went on a tour of southern Italy; which included Rome, Capri, Sorrento & the island of Sicily – Palermo, Agrigento & Taoromina.
While we enjoyed ourselves immensely, I was very surprised to see that Italians don’t eat much roughage. Most of our lunch & dinner meals consisted of a starter of pasta, then meat & potatoes and a dessert (salad if we were lucky 🙂 ). Our final stop offered a salad bar which had bruschetta. Simple and basic, yet delicious none the less. I offer you my version.
1 Baguette, cut on a slight angle into 1/2″ thick slices
Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 cloves Fresh Garlic
2 Tomatoes, seeded, chopped & blotted with paper towel
4 leaves Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 400°.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the baguette slices on baking sheet & brush both sides with EVOO.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove & flip over each slice.
Bake another 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool 1-2 minutes.
Cut 1 clove of the garlic in half .
Rub each “crostini” with the cut side of the garlic.
Cool completely.
Stack the leaves of the basil.
Roll up like a cigar & slice with a knife = “Chiffonade”
Finely grat remaining clove of garlic into a mixing bowl.
Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt & a few grinds of black pepper.
Drizzle in 1 T EVOO.
Stir to combine & set aside.
Just before serving add the basil & stir.
Place crostini’s on a serving platter with the tomatoes in the center.
Serve room temperature.
NOTE: This should be served fresh & never refrigerated. Store extra crostini’s in a ziploc bag with the air squeezed out @ room temperature.
We had this years ago & then again recently under the big top for Cirque du Soleil.
Good Olive Oil
4 c. Fresh Baby Spinach
1 lb. Crimini Mushrooms, diced
Good Grating of Fresh Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
2 loaves Cubano Bread, cut into ½” thick slices
Saute the mushrooms in about 2 T oil until liquid is almost gone.
Season with salt & pepper.
Add the spinach & render until wilted.
Season with nutmeg.
Taste & add salt & pepper if needed.
Preheat panini press.
Brush one side of the bread with oil.
Place on the a plate oil side down.
Top with a little mushroom mixture.
Top with another slice of bread & dab with oil.
Goat cheese can be an “acquired taste” for many. Using the herb goat cheese in this recipe makes for a smother blend of flavors while still getting the goat cheese “tang.”
Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut baguette on a slight angle into 1/2” thick slices.
Cover a baking sheet with foil.
Baste each slice with extra virgin olive oil.
Turn & baste other side.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove & turn all.
Bake an additional 8 minutes.
Remove from oven & cool 1 minute.
Cut garlic in half.
Rub each baguette slice with the cut side of the garlic.
Cool completely.
Cut tomatoes into thin strips.
Chiffonade the basil leaves.
Spread baguette slices with goat cheese.
Make an “X” with tomato slivers on each crostini
Top with a little basil.
Place on a serving platter & serve immediately
Ever since my 8th grade home economics class, where I made boxed tacos for the first time, I knew cooking was in my blood. I've had the honor of having my recipes published in New Hampshire Magazine, Taste of Home, the Nashua Telegraph and several cookbooks.